Who: Florida State Seminoles (0-2, 0-1 ACC) at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-0, 1-0 ACC)
Where: BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
When: Saturday, Sept. 30 at 3:30 p.m. EST (ABC)
An 0-2 Florida State team is clearly not a good place for the program to be in. Amidst all the chatter about coaching changes and possible root issues, fans should realize that there are still bright spots.
Quarterback James Blackman looks very capable of leading the offense, cornerback Levonta Taylor has been fantastic in coverage, etc. The Seminoles will need those bright spots to continue to shine if they want to remain motivated enough to beat a much less talented Wake Forest squad. If they don’t, the season will truly spiral out of control.
In the exact opposite situation is Wake Forest. Life is pretty good for the Demon Deacons in 2017. They’re 4-0 with a top 25 defense. Sure, the offense is still lackluster, and sure they had a disappointingly close win against Appalachian State.
But we’re talking about a program who went to one bowl game in the past five seasons. They are now just two victories away from clinching back-to-back appearances. That is a pretty impressive accomplishment from head coach Dave Clawson.
To break down Saturday’s contest, lead writer Clint Eiland and editor Mike Ferguson weigh in:
Biggest FSU Advantage
Clint: Offense Still Capable – Some will question citing the offense as FSU’s biggest advantage. But consider this: against a tougher defense in N.C. State, the Seminoles racked up nearly 400 yards with a true freshman quarterback making his first start. If they even score just one more touchdown in the red zone, the concerns are greatly weakened. Not to mention that the Wake Forest defense struggled mightily against the Mountaineers and gave up over 370 yards passing. Florida State still has a clear edge when it comes to actually moving the ball.
Mike: Overall Talent – Although it didn’t amount to a win last week, Florida State still has a pretty significant talent advantage against Wake Forest. More than half of the roster is former blue-chip prospects and guys like cornerback Tarvarus McFadden and safety Derwin James are potential All-Americans. That doesn’t mean Wake Forest doesn’t have good players. Tight end Cam Serigne, defensive end Duke Ejiofor and safety Jessie Bates are certainly all that. But when facing a more talented team, the margin for error is smaller.
Biggest Wake Forest Advantage
Clint: Momentum – The 1-point win over Appalachian State detracts from this advantage, but it is still present. Wake Forest is undefeated and gets to host its first notable opponent at home. That notable opponent is also 0-2 and has lost key players to injury. Saturday will probably be the best chance of the past five years for a Wake Forest victory over FSU. Despite the lackluster start to the FSU season, it’s almost guaranteed that Wake Forest is hyped and will try its hardest to make a statement.
Mike: Confidence – Who would have thought heading into this game prior to the year that Wake Forest would be the more confident team, but that is the case. After an 0-2 start, Saturday’s game for FSU against an undefeated Wake Forest team is a must-win or the Seminoles face the realistic proposition of starting 0-3 for the first time since former legendary head coach Bobby Bowden’s first year on the job. The Demon Deacons have played FSU tough in each of the last two years and have managed to win a close game this season while the Seminoles have not. Wake Forest has this game at home and comes in with a lot less to lose.
Game Breaker
Clint: Will the Defense Play Up to Expectations? – It’s pretty ridiculous that it takes a loss for coordinator Charles Kelly to realize what’s wrong with his defense. Even though the Seminoles didn’t play particularly bad last Saturday, they did not meet the expectations that were set after the Alabama game. Questionable secondary play and a nearly invisible pass rush should never happen with the athletes that FSU possesses. They are more talented in every single position match-up they will see against Wake Forest. There are few excuses for them to not dominate this game.
Mike: How Will James Blackman Handle Things on the Road? – BB&T Field isn’t the most hostile of environments, but it will be interesting to see how James Blackman plays in his first road start. Blackman performed admirably last week, passing for 278 yards and a touchdown in the loss to N.C. State, but things did slow down for him once leading receiver Auden Tate left the game with an arm injury. Tate’s status for Saturday at this point is unknown and FSU is unable to block a pretty good defensive line for Wake Forest, Blackman could be in trouble.
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