FSU Preview

By: Bradley Smart

There’s a sign hanging in the fourth-floor window of a dormitory on Boston College’s campus that reads, “Still Fire Addazio.” Entering a primetime game on Friday night with a young (and injury-plagued) team sitting at .500 after two big wins against tough opponents, what result do fans need?

A win here, the third ACC victory in a row, would surely result in a sign-free window for head coach Steve Addazio’s sake. He’s helped the Eagles grow, however slowly, into a position where they’re just four-point underdogs against Florida State. The last time they were that close was eight years ago, in 2009, when the Seminoles were favored by 3 1/2.

Granted, Florida State limps into Friday night’s matchup, but they’re not to be taken lightly. After all, this was the preseason No. 3 team in the country, a team now without their starting quarterback, running back, and left guard. The Seminoles had the third-ranked recruiting class a year ago and feature a plethora of NFL draft prospects.

Still, the Seminoles and head coach Jimbo Fisher are in the middle of a rough few weeks. Fisher’s team dropped to 0-3 at home last week with a tough loss to ACC foe Louisville. Fisher, while walking off the field, had a verbal altercation with an angry fan who was calling for coaching changes. The owner of a $40 million buyout, Fisher has reasons to feel comfortable with his job. However, the outcry around Florida State potentially having a 35-year bowl streak snapped is reaching a fever pitch.

The frustration and disappointment sits in the team’s struggles to finish close games — they’re just not making the big plays that launched them into regular national title contention.

“We’ve been one inch away, one play away,” Fisher told the Tampa Bay Times. “You have to continue to dig for them, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

FLORIDA STATE OFFENSE

The Seminoles are averaging just 24 points per game, 112th in the country, thanks to plenty of injuries and inexperience on the offensive front. True freshman James Blackman was thrust into the spotlight after preseason starter Deondre Francois went down with a knee injury in the opener, and he’s had his ups and downs. Blackman’s fumble on a read-option led to Louisville’s game-winning score a week ago, but the freshman is still completing over 60 percent of his passes and has piled up 1,000 passing yards.

Florida State also lost junior running back to Jacques Patrick for the rest of the season, so the rushing attack will now firmly rest on the backs of another freshman in Cam Akers. Akers, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt, has a touchdown and almost 500 yards of rushing.

“We’ll get Cam going,” Fisher said in his press conference. “That’s going to be the role for Cam. We talk about Cam, Dalvin Cook wasn’t even running the ball as much this early.”

Akers entered this season as the No. 1 running back and ranked second overall in the 2017 recruiting class. A slippery back, he leads ACC running backs with less than 100 carries in forced missed tackles (PFF). The Seminoles rushing attack is 39th in S&P+, but frequently run into trouble up front. They’re 93rd in success rate (39.7%) and are stuffed at the line more than almost any team in the country (25.2%, 124th).

There’s a distinct lack of depth in the wide receiver corps. Junior wideout Auden Tate has reeled in five touchdowns and a team-high 374 yards, but he’s been limited this week in practice. Sophomore George Campbell racked up 122 yards on just six catches but is out this week, as is classmate Keith Gavin, third on the team in targets. Wideout Nyqwan Murray enjoyed a breakout week against Louisville, earning PFF All-ACC honors, but they’re still limited.

That spells trouble for Blackman & Co. trying to find success through the air, despite ranking 10th in the country in passing S&P+. The Eagles have a dangerous secondary, limiting opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 99.7, good for eighth in the country. The Seminoles also rank 122nd in the country in sacks allowed, giving up 3.33 per game – which doesn’t look good against an Eagles front featuring capable defensive ends Harold Landry and Zach Allen, who’ve combined for nine sacks.

The Eagles were excellent defensively against Virginia pocket passer Kurt Benkert, and will look to lock down the running game — a tall task. Boston College is currently 115th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game, so if Akers has a big game on the ground, the Eagles could be in trouble.

FLORIDA STATE DEFENSE

Entering this season, the Seminoles looked the part of a national contender, boasting a lockdown defense. They returned a large chunk of a team that finished 10th in defensive S&P+, including a top draft prospect in safety Derwin James.

James was a consensus first-rounder last season, but torn cartilage ruined his sophomore season. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer talked to a scout, who had less than rave reviews about the defensive back’s return. “If he plays like he did as a freshman, yes, he belongs on that list. Right now? No way in hell…he’s not the same.” James has a team-high 31 tackles and has broken up four passes, but it’s not as impressive of a season as his breakout year.

There’s several players besides James to focus on. Defensive linemen Derrick Nnadi has one of the highest run defense grades in the ACC per Pro Football Focus, in addition to finally breaking out as a capable pass rusher. Nnadi has a team-high eight run stuffs to go with 5 1/2 tackles for loss, including a sack. Standing 6-1, 310 pounds, Nnadi is a handful for any offensive line. The Eagles lead the ACC with the fewest sacks allowed, so keep on eye on this matchup.

Cornerback Tarvarus McFadden led the country in interceptions a year ago, and has already broken up five passes. Josh Sweat has emerged as a capable edge rusher, as well, leading the team with 3 1/2 sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for loss.

The Eagles haven’t had much success against Florida State in years prior, which Addazio was quick to point out during his midweek conference.

“We’re playing against an elite secondary and an elite front,” Addazio said. “Like I said, this team is going to try you in every way. And we have to have some balance against this outfit. There’s doubt about that.”

Boston College is 0-7 against the Seminoles since 2010, the last win a narrow seven-point victory in 2009. Fisher’s defense has allowed 20+ points to the Eagles just once during that seven-game stretch, a 48-34 victory for FSU during the 2013 national championship run. Finding success through the air early will be crucial to set up the run, as the Seminoles are a dangerous defensive team that can blanket an offense. They may have struggled offensively in recent weeks, but it’s been the effort of the defense that’s kept them in it.

Photo courtesy of Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America