For the second straight week, the Florida State football team is playing at home. And for the second straight week, the Seminoles are sizable favorites to remain unbeaten.
No. 4 FSU (5-0, 3-0 in ACC) hosts Syracuse (4-2, 0-2) today at noon on ABC. The Seminoles, who are 13-2 all-time against Syracuse and 7-0 all-time against the Orange in Tallahassee, are 18-point favorites over the Orange with the over/under set at 54. They will be playing in front of a sellout crowd for the second straight week, with two more sellouts already locked in for later this season.
Last season, FSU beat Syracuse 38-3 on the road. The last time FSU played Syracuse in Tallahassee, it won 33-30 on a last-second field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald, a win that totally changed Mike Norvell's FSU tenure. He has a 20-6 record since winning that game.
The Seminoles got quite a few players back from injury for last week's game vs. Virginia Tech, including left tackle Robert Scott, safety Akeem Dent and wide receivers Ja'Khi Douglas and Kentron Poitier. However, there will be a few other injuries to track during pregame warmups this morning. ESPN reported this morning that wide receiver Johnny Wilson will miss this game due to his injury suffered last week and that Bless Harris will be a game-time decision. We'll be monitoring that closely during pregame warmups. Additionally. we'll see if linebacker Tatum Bethune and tight end Jaheim Bell are ready to be back in their full roles after each of the veterans played minimally in last week's game.
We'll have all those pregame updates during warmups here and will also share game updates here once things get underway from Doak.
Here are some additional notes from FSU:
» Florida State hosts Syracuse in the middle game of a three-game homestand. The Seminoles, playing on ABC for the fifth time in six games this season, are 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC after a 39-17 win over Virginia Tech.
» Florida State is No. 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll. It is the sixth consecutive week FSU has been ranked in the top-5, the program’s longest streak since 2013-14 when Florida State was in the top-5 for 27 consecutive polls.
» The Seminoles extended their winning streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the ACC and the 3rd-longest active streak in the country. » FSU has scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games, the longest active streak in the ACC, the 2nd-longest active streak in the nation and the 2nd-longest streak in ACC history, trailing only FSU’s 17 games from 2012-14.
» Florida State jumped out to a 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter vs. Virginia Tech, the most points scored and largest lead after the first 15 minutes for an ACC team against an FBS opponent this season. It was the largest first-quarter margin by an ACC team in a conference game since Nov. 12, 2022, when Pitt led Virginia 28-0 at the end of the first quarter, and FSU’s largest first-quarter margin since a 28-0 lead over Charleston Southern on Sept. 10, 2016. The last time FSU held at least a 22-point lead at the end of the first quarter against an FBS opponent was a 28-0 lead over Syracuse on Nov. 16, 2013.
» FSU is a perfect 20-for-20 in Red Zone trips this season. The Seminoles’ 20 Red Zone trips are 2nd nationally among the five remaining teams that have scored on every Red Zone opportunity this season. FSU’s 80.0 touchdown percentage in the Red Zone is 6th in the country overall and 2nd among teams that are perfect inside the Red Zone.
» The Seminoles are one of four teams nationally to have a receiver and a rusher with a three-touchdown game this season. Keon Coleman caught a career-high three scores vs. No. 5 LSU, and Trey Benson tied his single-game career high with three rushing scores vs. Southern Miss. Coleman is one of 22 receivers nationally with a three-touchdown game this year, and Benson is one of 39 players with three rushing scores in a game.
» Florida State’s defense has faced 35 plays inside their 10-yard line this season and allowed just nine touchdowns. In the 45-24 win over No. 5 LSU, the Seminoles faced 10 snaps inside their own 5-yard line and allowed only two scores. On LSU’s first drive of the game, the Tigers had six plays inside the five-yard line, including four snaps from the 1-yard line, and the FSU defense forced a turnover on downs with a 13-yard sack on 4th-and-1.
» The Seminoles have scored on nine of their 10 opening drives of a half this season. In those half-opening drives, Florida State has scored six touchdowns and three field goals for an average of 5.2 points per drive.
» Florida State made 10 tackles for loss while allowing 0 TFLs, including sacks, in its win at Boston College. It was the first time in recorded program history FSU did not allow a TFL against an FBS opponent and the first time nationally a team had 10 TFLs while allowing 0 against a P5 opponent since Missouri's 2017 win over Florida. The only other time FSU did not allow a tackle for loss in a game was 2012 vs. FCS Murray State.
» FSU scored 31 points after halftime vs. No. 5 LSU, the most second-half points against a top-5 opponent in program history. It also was the most second-half points nationally against a top-5 opponent in a non-playoff game since September 26, 2020, when Kansas State scored 31 second-half points at No. 3 Oklahoma. That has only happened two other times since the beginning of the 2014 season, both in 2018, when Purdue scored 35 second-half points against No. 2 Ohio State and Ohio State scored 38 second-half points against No. 4 Michigan. The only other team to score at least 31 points in a game against a top-5 opponent this season is Texas’ 34-24 win over No. 3 Alabama.
No. 4 FSU (5-0, 3-0 in ACC) hosts Syracuse (4-2, 0-2) today at noon on ABC. The Seminoles, who are 13-2 all-time against Syracuse and 7-0 all-time against the Orange in Tallahassee, are 18-point favorites over the Orange with the over/under set at 54. They will be playing in front of a sellout crowd for the second straight week, with two more sellouts already locked in for later this season.
Last season, FSU beat Syracuse 38-3 on the road. The last time FSU played Syracuse in Tallahassee, it won 33-30 on a last-second field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald, a win that totally changed Mike Norvell's FSU tenure. He has a 20-6 record since winning that game.
The Seminoles got quite a few players back from injury for last week's game vs. Virginia Tech, including left tackle Robert Scott, safety Akeem Dent and wide receivers Ja'Khi Douglas and Kentron Poitier. However, there will be a few other injuries to track during pregame warmups this morning. ESPN reported this morning that wide receiver Johnny Wilson will miss this game due to his injury suffered last week and that Bless Harris will be a game-time decision. We'll be monitoring that closely during pregame warmups. Additionally. we'll see if linebacker Tatum Bethune and tight end Jaheim Bell are ready to be back in their full roles after each of the veterans played minimally in last week's game.
We'll have all those pregame updates during warmups here and will also share game updates here once things get underway from Doak.
Here are some additional notes from FSU:
» Florida State hosts Syracuse in the middle game of a three-game homestand. The Seminoles, playing on ABC for the fifth time in six games this season, are 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC after a 39-17 win over Virginia Tech.
» Florida State is No. 4 in this week’s Associated Press poll. It is the sixth consecutive week FSU has been ranked in the top-5, the program’s longest streak since 2013-14 when Florida State was in the top-5 for 27 consecutive polls.
» The Seminoles extended their winning streak to 11 games, the longest active streak in the ACC and the 3rd-longest active streak in the country. » FSU has scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games, the longest active streak in the ACC, the 2nd-longest active streak in the nation and the 2nd-longest streak in ACC history, trailing only FSU’s 17 games from 2012-14.
» Florida State jumped out to a 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter vs. Virginia Tech, the most points scored and largest lead after the first 15 minutes for an ACC team against an FBS opponent this season. It was the largest first-quarter margin by an ACC team in a conference game since Nov. 12, 2022, when Pitt led Virginia 28-0 at the end of the first quarter, and FSU’s largest first-quarter margin since a 28-0 lead over Charleston Southern on Sept. 10, 2016. The last time FSU held at least a 22-point lead at the end of the first quarter against an FBS opponent was a 28-0 lead over Syracuse on Nov. 16, 2013.
» FSU is a perfect 20-for-20 in Red Zone trips this season. The Seminoles’ 20 Red Zone trips are 2nd nationally among the five remaining teams that have scored on every Red Zone opportunity this season. FSU’s 80.0 touchdown percentage in the Red Zone is 6th in the country overall and 2nd among teams that are perfect inside the Red Zone.
» The Seminoles are one of four teams nationally to have a receiver and a rusher with a three-touchdown game this season. Keon Coleman caught a career-high three scores vs. No. 5 LSU, and Trey Benson tied his single-game career high with three rushing scores vs. Southern Miss. Coleman is one of 22 receivers nationally with a three-touchdown game this year, and Benson is one of 39 players with three rushing scores in a game.
» Florida State’s defense has faced 35 plays inside their 10-yard line this season and allowed just nine touchdowns. In the 45-24 win over No. 5 LSU, the Seminoles faced 10 snaps inside their own 5-yard line and allowed only two scores. On LSU’s first drive of the game, the Tigers had six plays inside the five-yard line, including four snaps from the 1-yard line, and the FSU defense forced a turnover on downs with a 13-yard sack on 4th-and-1.
» The Seminoles have scored on nine of their 10 opening drives of a half this season. In those half-opening drives, Florida State has scored six touchdowns and three field goals for an average of 5.2 points per drive.
» Florida State made 10 tackles for loss while allowing 0 TFLs, including sacks, in its win at Boston College. It was the first time in recorded program history FSU did not allow a TFL against an FBS opponent and the first time nationally a team had 10 TFLs while allowing 0 against a P5 opponent since Missouri's 2017 win over Florida. The only other time FSU did not allow a tackle for loss in a game was 2012 vs. FCS Murray State.
» FSU scored 31 points after halftime vs. No. 5 LSU, the most second-half points against a top-5 opponent in program history. It also was the most second-half points nationally against a top-5 opponent in a non-playoff game since September 26, 2020, when Kansas State scored 31 second-half points at No. 3 Oklahoma. That has only happened two other times since the beginning of the 2014 season, both in 2018, when Purdue scored 35 second-half points against No. 2 Ohio State and Ohio State scored 38 second-half points against No. 4 Michigan. The only other team to score at least 31 points in a game against a top-5 opponent this season is Texas’ 34-24 win over No. 3 Alabama.
