The Daily Nole

FSU-N.C. State: Five Things to Watch

Perrone Ford/FSU athletics

Florida State can essentially cement a 35th straight bowl appearance on Saturday as the Seminoles head to Raleigh to take on North Carolina State. The Wolfpack have lost three straight and sit at 4-4 for the season, but FSU is just 1-2 at Carter-Finley Stadium under head coach Jimbo Fisher.

At 5-3 and 2-3 in ACC play, FSU will look to bounce back from a heartbreaking 37-34 loss to No. 3 Clemson. The Seminoles have had their struggles up front offensively and in the secondary, but are looking to finish the year strong and ranked in the top 15 nationally. FSU has won three straight in the series, including a 34-17 victory last season in Tallahassee. The Wolfpack are coming off a 21-14 home loss to Boston College.

Before the Seminoles and Wolfpack kick it off on Saturday night, we look at five things to watch for in the match-up:

1. Ryan Finley
After a stellar start to the 2016 season, sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley has struggled in recent weeks and for an FSU defense that has seen quite a slew of talented passers, that’s a welcomed sight. Over his last four games, Finley has completed just 52 percent of his passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns with six interceptions.

This comes after Finley’s first four games where he completed 72 percent of his passes for more than 1,000 yards with 10 total touchdowns and no interceptions. FSU is among the nation’s leaders in interceptions with 11, including a FBS-high six from sophomore Tarvarus McFadden. N.C. State is 0-3 this season when Finley throws a pick. For N.C. State to have a chance on Saturday, Finley will probably need to revert to his early season form.

2. Dalvin Cook
Florida State junior running back Dalvin Cook will look to run for the FSU record on Saturday night. The South Florida product needs just 192 yards to surpass Warrick Dunn as the all-time leading rusher ever to wear the garnet and gold. Dunn ran for 3,959 yards in four years in Tallahassee, but Cook looks to surpass that total in less than three years.

The task for Cook however, won’t be small. With B.J. Hill in the middle of the defensive front and good corps of linebackers that includes Airius Moore, Jerod Fernandez and Dravious Wright, the Wolfpack rank 13th nationally, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry. Cook rushed for 138 yards and two scores on 22 carries against N.C. State last season, but the Wolfpack have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season.

3. Nyqwan Murray
In his first game with extended meaningful reps, FSU sophomore wide receiver Nyqwan Murray made the most of his opportunity in last week’s 37-34 loss to Clemson. Murray led the Seminoles with six catches for 96 yards and scored the team’s only receiving touchdown.

Though he’s not the biggest of the FSU receivers, Murray is proving capable of doing a lot of things well. Quarterback Deondre Francois and Murray have been said to have a good rapport in the passing game and it showed last week. The Wolfpack are solid defensively, but if there is a contingent that isn’t as good, it’s in the secondary.

4. The Battle Up Front
Florida State’s struggles along the offensive line have been well documented and FSU will again be tested this week against a good N.C. State defense. The Wolfpack are led by junior defensive end Bradley Chubb who comes in with a team-high six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Darian Roseboro and Kentavius Stewart are also both good at the end position while Hill is a load in the middle. The Seminoles will put out their fifth different starting lineup along the offensive front this season as either Wilson Bell or Derrick Kelly will start in place of the injured Landon Dickerson.

Against the N.C. State offensive line, FSU defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi looks to build on a stellar performance against Clemson. At the end position, the Seminoles are very deep headlined by senior DeMarcus Walker. The Wolfpack have done a decent job protecting the quarterback this season, but haven’t gotten much push in the ground game, averaging less than four yards per carry. Junior right guard Tony Adams is the best N.C. State has to offer up front.

5. How FSU Starts
With what is expected to be a raucous crowd on Saturday night, Florida State will look to avoid continuing its trend of starting slow. In eight games this season, FSU has fallen behind by double-digits in the first half five times, including 14-0 early last week against Clemson. FSU has a decisive edge in talent, but playing in Raleigh has traditionally been tough for the Seminoles. A fast start by N.C. State might give it the confidence it needs to pull off the upset.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply