It’s a new day in Tallahassee as Florida State will close the 2017 regular season on Saturday without head coach Jimbo Fisher on the sideline for the first time since 2006. Fisher left the program on Friday to take a job at Texas A&M after spending eight seasons as head coach and the three prior as offensive coordinator.
With or without Fisher, the Seminoles will need to beat Louisiana-Monroe at home to notch a 36th straight bowl appearance. Before the two teams kick things off, check out our coverage of the match-up:
FSU Football: Another First Look at Louisiana-Monroe
Louisiana-Monroe at FSU: Good Times, Bad Times
Preview: FSU Looks to Go Bowling for 36th Straight Year
Louisiana-Monroe-FSU: Five Things to Watch
Actual Staff Predictions for FSU-Louisiana-Monroe
The game was originally scheduled to be FSU’s home opener on Sept. 9, but canceled because of Hurricane Irma and later rescheduled. Before the two teams kick things off for just the second time ever, here are some relevant facts to know for Saturday’s contest:
- Florida State hasn’t lost its final home game since falling to Florida to close the 2012 season, 37-26.
- FSU will look to win its final three regular season games for a fifth straight season. That has never previously happened.
- The Seminoles will look to avoid losing four home games in a single season for the first time since 2006.
- Odell Haggins becomes the first interim head coach in FSU history.
- FSU head coaches all-time are 4-4 in their first games. The last to lose his first contest was Bobby Bowden to Memphis State in 1976, 21-12.
- Saturday’s contest will be the first time that FSU has closed the regular season against someone other than Florida since 2001. The Seminoles ended that season with Georgia Tech in a game that was postponed because of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
- FSU has won 15 straight games over schools from the state of Louisiana. The last loss came to Tulane by a 34-28 margin in 1983 in a contest the Green Wave later forfeited.
- FSU looks to become bowl-eligible for a 36th straight year.
- FSU looks to avoid its first 7-loss season since finishing 3-8 in 1975.
- Florida State is 3-0 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Mitch White/FSU athletics
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