Who: Florida State Seminoles (2-4, 1-3 ACC) at Boston College Eagles (4-4, 2-3 ACC)
Where: Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
When: Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. EST (ESPN)
The 2017 college football season is in the midst of being Florida State’s worst in the past 40 years. A bowl game is not guaranteed at this point — heck, some would argue it’s not even likely. Florida State has just five games remaining and one of them is at Clemson. Recent news broke that junior Jacques Patrick will miss the rest of the year with a knee injury as well. That means the Seminoles are missing their starting quarterback, two starting offensive linemen, and now their starting running back, in addition to the other minor injuries to players like wide receiver George Campbell.
Meanwhile, Boston College has been on a roller coaster. The Eagles started 2-4 overall with three of those losses being by at least three scores. Head coach Steve Addazio looked like a dead man walking to everyone with eyes. But out of nowhere, the Eagles won back-to-back games against Louisville and Virginia. They even beat the Cavaliers by more than 30 points. Their offense has exploded out of nowhere, and their defense has rebounded from an awful start. Boston College is without a doubt the team with all the momentum coming into Friday’s contest.
Lead writer Clint Eiland editor Mike Ferguson break down the ACC game:
Biggest FSU Advantage
Clint: Run Defense – Despite the numerous instances of defensive collapse, Florida State’s run defense has remained above water. It tends to be the secondary that gives up backbreaking plays. The front seven has only had one game (N.C. State on Sept. 23) where they did not play up to their potential. Against everyone else, they have closed all running lanes and forced teams to air it out. That’s exactly what they need to do in order to throw Boston College off its rhythm. In their past two contests, the Eagles have gained over 200 yards on the ground and 40-plus points. Chances are if the former stat is reduced, the latter will be as well.
Mike: Cam Akers – Unlike in years past, Boston College has been far from stout against the run this season. The Seminoles are unfortunately going to be without junior running back Jacques Patrick for an extended period of time, but freshman Cam Akers could have a nice day against the Eagles. Boston College ranks 123rd nationally against the run and is allowing 5.3 yards per carry. Of course, the Seminoles were facing a maligned Louisville run defense last week and didn’t have as big a day as many expected.
Biggest Boston College Advantage
Clint: Offensive Momentum – The quick turnaround might very well be a bit of a fluke for Boston College. Yet there’s little doubt that the Eagles don’t see it that way — instead, they’re probably happy with their offensive situation after back-to-back dominant performances. Meanwhile, the Florida State defense cannot get on a similar page as the offense, and thus its efforts are wasted. These factors combined with a Friday night game on the road are not encouraging for this Seminoles team. If the Eagles can come out and punch Florida State in the mouth, it might be another offensive firework display.
Mike: Circumstances – Boston College has never defeated FSU during the Jimbo Fisher era, but if there was ever a year where Boston College had to like its chances, it’s this one. After a 2-4 start, the Eagles have been outstanding offensively in the last two weeks with wins at Louisville and Virginia. FSU is 2-4 after a heartbreaking loss and has seemingly very little to play for after falling at home to the Cardinals for their third ACC loss by a grand total of 13 points. To make matters worse, the Seminoles are traveling about 1,300 miles on a short week.
Game Breaker
Clint: Can James Blackman Limit the Turnovers? – The Florida State offense struggles enough without prematurely handing the ball back to the opponent. After not throwing an interception in his first two starts, Blackman has had two in each of the past three contests. He generally plays well for most of the game. But his turnovers are stunting the offense and preventing any sort of clear improvement. Blackman needs to clean it up before Boston College or else the Seminoles will be looking at a 2-5 record come Saturday.
Mike: How Does FSU Handle Adversity? – For all its faults this season, Florida State has continued to battle through adversity. The Seminoles have not played well, but for the most part, they have played hard. Coming off another devastating loss, it will be interesting to see if they’re again able to circle the wagons and play a competitive football game. If they’re unable to win on Friday, it’s likely that the nation’s longest bowl streak will be gone.
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