It is often said that when it comes to college football rivalry games, you need to throw out all prior assumptions. That has some merit — teams often become more motivated against rivals and will try to bust out tricks in attempts to win. But many trends will still be apparent, and the Florida-Florida State game this year should not be radically different.
Has Florida State improved as the season has gone on? Or is this 3-game win streak a result of weaker opponents? It’s hard to say, but the fundamentals of the team haven’t been altered too much: the Seminoles have a prolific offense led by one of the best running backs in the nation in Dalvin Cook. Their defense has recovered from an early season meltdown, but observers should keep an eye on a shaky secondary that has been affected by injuries.
The script for the Florida Gators has stayed the same for the past five years. The defense is 11-1 quality, but the offense is 4-8 quality. To his credit, transfer quarterback Austin Appleby provides the Gators with more downfield opportunities than Luke Del Rio did, allowing them to execute the playbook slightly more. Near inexplicable losses to Tennessee and Arkansas however, have shown that the offense cannot be relied upon to win them games. Will it be enough against FSU?
The Daily Nole has brought its readers consistently informative material leading into Saturday’s game. Editor Mike Ferguson gave a first look at the Florida Gators, kept note of which players were awarded by the ACC, and tracked where FSU was being placed in the polls. Staff writer Clint Eiland added insight with a draft stock report of FSU players, a preview of the Florida game, and an interesting piece on where Dalvin Cook ranks in FSU history.
Joining those two in making their predictions will be digital content manager Edwin Collins, recruiting analyst Jay Brading, and contributors T.J. Pittinger and Robert Blackburn:
Clint: 28-3, FSU. I don’t necessarily think Florida has no shot to win this game. In fact, the Gators have a better shot this year than they did before. But having watched the Florida games against Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and LSU, there are too many red flags that will likely arise against FSU. Its win against the Tigers was pretty fluke-ish, and watching Tennessee’s Josh Dobbs tear up their secondary does not instill confidence against someone like FSU’s Deondre Francois. I think Jimbo Fisher and company pursue a similar plan to the second half of the Ole Miss game and get the offense in a rhythm early. The Seminoles’ defense is not pushed all that much, and FSU comes out with a fourth straight victory. Shades of 2011 will be apparent.
Mike: As was the case last year, I expect another ugly football game. Florida is stout against the run, as has FSU been of late, making yards and points hard to come by. Coming off an emotional road win, I expect Florida to play inspired and keep this one close throughout. When all is said and done, running back Dalvin Cook and defensive end DeMarcus Walker simply won’t let the Seminoles lose against a banged up Florida team. FSU gets its ninth win of the season and fourth straight against Florida, 19-14.
Edwin: 35-7. Some sports experts are giving Florida way to much credit for the victory last week at LSU. That is a team that fired its coach several games into the season and its star running back has been injured all season. Also, Florida will travel to FSU down eight starters, including quarterback Luke Del Rio. Now on to the real story of this weekend’s game: Dalvin Cook. In 2015, he rushed for 183 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns against Florida. In 2014, Cook rushed for 144 yards on 24 carries. Cook has improved each time he has played against Florida and I don’t expect this year to be any different. Dalvin Cook will break the 200-yard mark and run for three scores this weekend for what likely will be his last game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Jay: I’ll go with 24-14, FSU. I think Dalvin Cook gets between 115 and 140 yards rushing and maybe a long catch also. Deondre Francois gets beat up, but makes some big throws and the FSU defense has some takeaways. Florida will force a turnover or two also, but not enough to win.
T.J.: If only I had two cents for every time Florida fans said, “This is the year we beat FSU!†I’d be able to pay back everyone’s Gator Gang Forum Membership fee. The Gators can win the SEC East, but when they have to play against real competition, they just can’t stack up. Just like last year, Florida is staring an 0-3 finish right in the face. First to FSU, then to Alabama, then to whoever is lucky enough to get them in a bowl game. Any of this sound familiar? FSU wins, 27-13.
Robert: 31-27, FSU. Florida leads at halftime, but Dalvin Cook breaks off a big run in the second half to regain the momentum and the lead. Tarvarus McFadden has a game-ending interception with time expiring.
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