All of the week’s Florida State football news has centered around head coach Jimbo Fisher, but whether or not the Seminoles go bowling for a 36th year in a row will come down to one game. FSU, who comes in 5-6, will look to become to bowl-eligibile on Saturday when it plays host to 4-7 Louisiana-Monroe.
The contest was originally slated for Sept. 9, but was canceled due to Hurricane Irma before being rescheduled last month. Before the Seminoles and Warhawks kick things off, here are five things to watch for:
1. Odell Haggins
On Thursday night, Jimbo Fisher stated that he intended to coach the Seminoles on Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe, but Fisher’s departure was reported Friday and in comes interim head coach Odell Haggins. The defensive tackles coach and longest tenured assistant is well-respected by players and fans alike. With all the distractions surrounding the team, it will be interesting to see how Haggins keeps the Seminoles focused.
2. Youngsters in the FSU Backfield
Against a woeful Louisiana-Monroe defense, Saturday has the chance to be a really nice day for a couple of FSU true freshmen starting in the backfield. Although drops made the numbers look worse last week, quarterback James Blackman has seemed to have settled in nicely in recent weeks with five touchdown passes over his last two games. After setting career-highs for touchdown passes and passer rating against Delaware State, Blackman was on target last week, but got little help from his receivers.
Behind him will be running back Cam Akers, who leads the Seminoles with 813 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Akers is just 187 yards shy of joining Dalvin Cook as the only freshmen in FSU history to rush for 1,000 yards. They’ll be facing a Louisiana-Monroe defense that ranks next-to-last in total defense and 126th out of 130 teams in scoring defense.
3. Caleb Evans
For all of Louisiana-Monroe’s defensive flaws, the Warhawks have been outstanding offensively this season and sophomore quarterback Caleb Evans is the straw that stirs the drink. Evans is a dual-threat quarterback with more than 3,100 yards of total offense and 29 total touchdowns to his name. Evans has only thrown six interceptions this season, although half of them did come in a 67-50 loss to Arkansas State last week. He also threw for a career-high 454 yards and four touchdowns in the loss to the Red Wolves.
4. The FSU Pass Rush
Tasked with getting to Evans this week will be a Florida State pass rush that has been outstanding in recent weeks. In wins over Delaware State and Florida, the Seminoles have totaled 11 sacks with freshman Joshua Kaindoh and sophomore Brian Burns earning ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in consecutive weeks. Josh Sweat has also had a very good season for FSU on the outside. The Warhawks however, have been good in pass protection this season, allowing just 19 sacks.
5. Marcus Green
If Louisiana-Monroe is able to keep things interesting on Saturday, wide receiver Marcus Green will likely be a big reason why. Green not only leads the Warhawks with 723 yards receiving and five touchdowns, but he is a big play waiting to happen. In addition to the receiving yards, Green has averaged 15.1 yards per rush on 12 carries with a long of 74 yards. He’s also tied for the FBS lead with four kickoff returns for touchdowns. If there’s one guy FSU has to account for on Saturday, it’s Green.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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