The Florida State Seminoles will stay in-state and play the South Florida Bulls on Saturday, September 24th at 12 p.m. ET on ABC. The 14th-ranked Seminoles are 2-1 and the South Florida Bulls are a perfect 3-0 on the season. Florida State is a -5.5 point favorite and the over/under is set at 61.
Florida State:
The big question this weekend is whether or not the Seminoles can regain their swagger after a humiliating beat-down at the hands of the Louisville Cardinals. Florida State’s fans are hoping that a hungry unit comes prepared for this Floridian rivalry.
Things could be looking up for the Seminoles on Saturday. Last year, the two teams played in Tallahassee. FSU’s tailback Dalvin Cook galloped for 266 yards on 30 carries with three touchdowns. As a result, the Seminoles pounded out a 34-14 victory against the Bulls.
Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois has totaled 782 yards passing with six touchdowns and only two picks. Unfortunately, things went south in a hurry for the youngster at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium last week. Francois only completed seven passes on 18 attempts for a measly 101 yards.
Heisman hopeful Delvin Cook is off to a slow start in 2016. The shifty back has 228 yards on 50 carries with two touchdowns. Cook was also stymied against Louisville, gaining only 56 yards on 16 carries, and was a non-factor when Florida State fell behind early.
Wide receivers Travis Rudolph and Jesus Wilson are Deondre Francois’s favorite options. Together, they have almost 30 receptions for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Ryan Izzo will look to get on the board in Saturday’s affair. He has six catches for 70 plus yards and a score.
Florida States defense looked atrocious against the Cardinals last week, but all four defenses that have faced Lamar Jackson haven’t had an answer for him either. They also looked out of sorts in the first half of the Ole Miss game. They will need to be at their best on Saturday as South Florida can score the rock. The Bulls have scored 45 points or more in all three of their contests.
South Florida:
The Bulls are riding high after their 45-20 win over Syracuse in upstate New York. South Florida found themselves down 17-0 early, but regrouped and out-scored the Orange 45-3. In fact, their quick-strike offense has produced 10 victories in their last 12 games. Furthermore, they have amassed over 200 yards on the ground over their last eight contests.
The Bull’s offense is led by quarterback Quinton Flowers. Flowers has blossomed into a productive piece under center, throwing for over 700 yards with seven touchdowns and only one pick. He has the advantage of heading into match-ups with a very balanced attack.
The South Florida Bull’s ground game more than pulls its weight when the Bulls take the gridiron. The Bulls spread the ball around efficiently with four tailbacks seeing significant time. Led by Marlon Mack, the group has racked up 477 yards and eight touchdowns. Throw in Quinton flowers 150 yards and two scores and the production is quite impressive.
Quinton Flower’s favorite targets are Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Rodney Adams. The two receivers have 21 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns. Six other wide-outs have caught at least three balls or more.
The Bull’s defense needs to be assertive upfront. The Seminoles offensive line has underachieved up front so far this season. South Florida will look to apply pressure on Deonte Francois early on and keep Delvin Cook from breaking off big runs. Currently, they are giving up 225 yards a game through the air and another 160 via the ground.
Trends and Notes:
The Seminoles are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
The Over is 4-1 in Seminoles last 5 games overall.
Bulls are 7-1-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.
The Over is 5-2 in Bulls last 7 games overall.
Game Prediction:
Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State squad will come out refocused on Saturday but they will be tested by a scrappy South Florida team. The Bulls could potentially run the table if they find a way to win. Florida State needs this win to keep their championship hopes alive.
Both schools should be able to move the ball effectively throughout this game and the over/under 61 seems a little low for the fire-power that these two teams possess. The South Florida Bulls will give the Florida State Seminoles all they can handle, but the 5.5 point spread against an ACC juggernaut is just to risky to take. Delvin Cook and Quinton Flowers are the real deal and will do their parts to put points on the board.
Take the over 61.
