Our first full weekend of NCAA Football wraps up with No. 11 Ole Miss taking on No. 4 Florida State. It’s been a weekend of upsets and season-ruining losses. Can Florida State avoid a fall?
As always, scroll on down for the live blog. Keep reading for the press release from Florida State.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It’s been exactly one year, nine months and 20 days since Florida State and Ole Miss announced that they would play each other in the newly-renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl. A lot has happened since then. The Seminoles polished off a 29-game win streak, appeared in the first ever College Football Playoff game and tacked on another “New Year’s Six” bowl game appearance to boot. The Rebels, meanwhile, put together two of their best seasons in recent memory, building on a 9-4 campaign in 2014 with a 10-3 season in 2015, capped off by a big win over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl. Even the Citrus Bowl got a new name – Camping World Stadium – in April.
But the game is finally here, and with it come the eyes of the college football world. FSU-Ole Miss is the only game in town on Monday night and, given the national rankings and playoff implications, it’s sure to be one of the marquee matchups of the early season.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the names, numbers and notes you need to know before the Seminoles kick off their season against the Rebels.
Note: As of now, Hurricane Hermine’s only effect on the game has been to alter FSU’s practice schedule by a bit. FSU’s campus is closed on Friday, but the team is still scheduled to practice Friday and Saturday before departing for Orlando on Saturday evening. This page will be updated to reflect any changes that come between now and Monday night.
Camping World Kickoff: No. 4 Florida State (10-3, 6-2 ACC in 2015) vs. Mississippi (10-3, 6-2 SEC)
When/Where: Monday, 8 p.m., Camping World Stadium (70,000) in Orlando, Fla.
TV/Radio: ESPN/Seminole IMG Radio Network (103.1 FM in Tallahassee)
Mississippi Rebels
Coach: Hugh Freeze (34-18 in four seasons at Ole Miss, 64-25 overall)
Last game: The Rebels routed Oklahoma State, 48-20, in the Sugar Bowl. QB Chad Kelly threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns.
Last game vs. Florida State: Ole Miss won the only meeting between the two schools, cruising to a 33-0 victory in Oxford, Miss., in 1961. The Rebels were ranked No. 2 in the country at the time.
Florida State opens the season in primetime, with the eyes of the college football world fixed on Orlando for the Seminoles’ Labor Day showdown with Ole Miss. After an opening weekend that features three top-25 matchups, as well as games pitting cross-conference heavyweights against each other, the Seminoles and Rebels will have the spotlight come Monday night.
Deondre Francois, a redshirt freshman quarterback and an Orlando native, will make his debut in his hometown. Fisher confirmed last week that Francois would start after taking the majority of first-team reps in both spring and fall camps. Fifth-year senior Sean Maguire had surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot nearly three weeks ago, and although he has since returned to practice, his availability for Monday’s game is not yet known.
The game is on ESPN at 8 p.m. We’re going to watch it together, you and me.
