Saturday at 7 on ESPN the ‘Noles will be in Gainesville to take on the rival Florida Gators.
Florida is 5-6 on the season with wins against McNeese, Tennessee, Charlotte, Vanderbilt and South Carolina and losses to Utah, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas, LSU and Missouri.
FSU is 27-37-2 all-time versus UF and have not won on the road since 2017. The Seminoles won a thriller last season, 45-38.
Observations from the last game
Every Seminole feels absolutely awful for Jordan Travis. Praying for a successful recovery for 13. His leadership on the field and ability to limit mistakes will be missed the most.
The new QB1 is the 4th year man, Tate Rodemaker. The Valdosta native can make all the throws and can hurt the defense in the run game. He has thrown for 376 yards and 5 touchdowns this year. The offense should run smoothly as long as Rodemaker takes care of the football.
Florida State offense versus Florida defense
FSU needs to have success on first down to keep Rodemaker in non-obvious passing situations. If the ‘Noles can do that, it will give Rodemaker more time to make a throw and keep the defense guessing.
I expect Norvell to get creative with tight end Jaheim bell and running back Lawrence Toafili to put them in good down and distances. That’s easier said than done with a banged up offensive line. (Maurice Smith, Robert Scott and Bless Harris are questionable.)
Even with the all the questions on offense Florida State still has the advantage against the UF defense. The Gators are 125th (FBS) in opponents’ yards per rush and 105th in passing yards per game given up. Impact players on defense for Florida are safety Jordan Castell (58 tackles), linebacker Shemar James (55 tackles) and D-End Princely Umanmielen (6.5 sacks).
Florida State defense versus Florida offense
The Florida starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who was having an incredible season, is out for the game. He guided the offense to 276 yards passing per game (25th in the FBS). His replacement will be freshman Max Brown, who showed his athleticism in the comeback bid against Missouri.
Brown won’t be the only threat in the run game as Gators running backs Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson (710 yards rushing apiece) have helped the Gators rush for 4.1 yards per carry, 74th in the FBS.
UF also has two game breakers at receiver in Ricky Pearsall (148 yards receiving in ’22 versus FSU) and Eugene Wilson. If the ‘Noles can continue to slow down the opponent’s passing game that will free up the linebackers and safeties to help defend the run. Star corner Renardo Green might be limited so AZ Thomas and Fentrell Cypress need to step up against Wilson and Pearsall when they line up outside.
Special Teams
Advantage: FSU
Prediction
I think the ‘Noles defense bails out the offense after a couple mistakes to lead FSU to another close victory. Florida State 28 Florida 20.
FSU Preview: Florida State at Florida added by Scott Carswell Jr on
View all posts by Scott Carswell Jr →
Always rely on Scott Carwell’s take on the games, now I know what match-ups to focus on and how the game should flow. Scott is clearly a Noles fan, but can still deliver an objective view of the games, well done!
GOW: Been wondering the exact same thing. I’ve read it’s an ankle fracture, which can take 12 weeks to heal. So he might be able to test in the NFL Combine in late Feb. 2024.
I suspect it’s not as bad as it looked in slow-mo, and that FSU would prefer their sycophants in sports media not go there. So they won’t.
Why is there no reporting on the exact nature of Jordan Travis’s injury? Is it a dislocation, a break, torn ligaments? I understand the need to keep exact details confidential but, just how bad is it? Will he play again or is it over for him?
I think Jordan Travis and his Coach are responsible for his Season Ending Injury. This first time Travis ran the ball without sliding safety to the ground, that practice should have ended. Burt Reynolds’s was enjoying a successful college career when his injury ended it and what could have led to a professional career.
And to all the wanna be professional sports players in college, remember how it quickly those hopes can be dashed. Be a good student first just in case what happened to Burt Reynolds’s and Jordan Travis happens to you.