Opponent preview: SMU welcomes Florida State for ACC opener

[PonyPride]

Opponent preview: SMU welcomes Florida State in ACC opener
Mustangs, Seminoles kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday

Posted on 09/26/2024 by PonyFans.com

It’s here … finally.

After endless speculation and a wait that felt like an eternity, the SMU Mustangs are playing an official Atlantic Coast Conference game. The school joined the ACC over the summer, and has played four games — winning three, including Saturday’s 66-42 beatdown of TCU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet — as a member of the ACC.

But this Saturday marks the start of a new era for the Mustangs: the first game in the new conference against a new conference opponent, a game that counts in the ACC standings.

The Ponies’ first step into the new realm is against the team that has been the ACC’s football flagship program for decades: the Florida State Seminoles. The question is: what kind of FSU team is rolling into Gerald J. Ford Stadium for Saturday’s 7 p.m. game? The game will be the Seminoles’ first true road game of the season — a fact that is relevant because of Florida State’s success when playing in other teams’ stadium; FSU has won seven consecutive road games.

The Seminoles started the season still wondering what might have been last season had they been rewarded with a trip to the College Football Playoff after an undefeated regular season and a victory over then-No. 14 Louisville in the ACC Championship Game; FSU was left out, several key players opted to protect their draft future by opting out of the Capital One Orange Bowl and the season ended with a 63-3 slaughter at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Some suggested FSU was primed for a rebound, perhaps even an ACC championship … and maybe it is, but that version has not emerged in four games, as the ’Noles now head to Dallas under the weight of a 1-3 record. Florida State opened the 2024 season with a 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, followed by home losses to Boston College and Memphis before getting into the win column Saturday via a 14-9 home win over Cal.

Head coach Mike Norvell and his team have languished under the lens of public scrutiny through four games, absorbing the barbs of media and fans alike who are less than impressed with the start for the team that was picked to finish the season atop the ACC in a preseason vote by the conference’s coaches.

“We have to go on the road … the first ACC game for SMU,” Norvell said during his weekly press conference. “I know it’s going to be a great atmosphere for them, kicking off their new start in the conference. I have a lot of respect for their coaching staff, the guys that are there, and you know, they’ve got a talented team coming off a big win for them in a rivalry game this last weekend. So we’ve got to have a great week of preparation. I know our guys are excited to build off some of the things we saw and experienced this last week, but there’s no question about it: we’ve got to go and get better in every area.”

The Seminoles are 1-3, but it’s not like they’re being blown out. As disappointing as they were, two of their three losses (to Georgia Tech and Memphis) have been decided by a single score; of course, their lone victory (over Cal) also was settled by a margin of just five points. Through the first four games, Florida State has been outscored by an average of 20.25-15.

The most glaring discrepancy has come in the running game. Even with a stable of talented running backs, and a big, powerful quarterback (D.J. Uiagalelei) who can move, Florida State is being outrushed by nearly 100 yards per game: 156.3 to 65.8. Even more telling: opponents are averaging 4.0 yards per carry, while FSU runners are mustering just 2.3 yards per attempt. Four games into the season, the Seminoles has just one player — redshirt senior Lawrance Toafili (6-0, 196) — who has rushed for more than 100 yards this year; he has 30 carries for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His average of 4.9 yards per carry is impressive, but he leads the team with an average of just 36.75 rushing yards per game.

The owner of a 31-12 record as a starting college quarterback, Uiagalelei has completed 72 of 126 passes (57.1 percent) for 843 yards, but also has thrown three interceptions and just two touchdowns. Uiagalelei is a mountain of a man (6-4, 252) who has had a nomadic college career: in 2020, he was the top quarterback prospect in the country and signed with Clemson, where he was billed as the eventual replacement for — and, to some, even an improvement over — Trevor Lawrence, who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After three seasons, he transferred to Oregon State, where he completed 180 of 315 passes (57.1 percent) for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns against just seven interceptions in 2023.

His performances for the Seminoles this season have been … consistently inconsistent. In the Seminoles’ first three games, he fans and some media to call for a change under center — a swap that Norvell said will not happen, at least not this week.

“We all have the opportunity to go out and get better, and that’s going to be the push throughout the course of this week,” Norvell said. “You know, there were some good things that D.J. did in some very critical moments, and there were things that he has to be better, and it’s the same for guys across the board. We’re going to continue to push, continue to evaluate what we have to do in every area — not just at quarterback… We’ve got to go score points. We’ve got to be better offensively than what we’ve been. It’s a challenge for every person — coaches, players … all of us — and so we’re going to continue to push to do everything in our power to make sure that’s the reality of how we operate.”

Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins, who will be back on the sideline after serving a three-game suspension imposed by the NCAA for violations that occurred in 2022, said that part of the reason Uiagalelei has had difficulty getting fully on track this season is DJU’s desire to be as close to perfect as possible.

“He needs to stop stressing … you know what I mean?” Atkins said. “He’s been through it, but I think also he takes full ownership and responsibility, and sometimes you try to force those big plays and force those moments. I thought we did a good job converting some third downs, which was positive, but just take what they give you, and also understand that everything has a reason and a setup for something else. But you don’t have to force the issue — let it come to you.

“Our job is to keep him inspired and keep him positive, and I think he’s finding more comfort level with that, but also the understanding that it will come.”

Uiagalelei’s top target in the passing game has been Malik Benson, the 6-1, 195-pound senior who transferred to Tallahassee over the offseason from Alabama, is the only player on the roster with double-digit receptions, leading the team with 12 grabs for 171 yards (14.3 yards per reception). Senior receiver Ja’Khi Douglas (5-9, 195) is next with nine receptions for 138 yards (15.3 per catch), followed by Toafili, who has seven catches for 44 yards (6.3 yards per grab). Senior wideout Kentron Poitier (6-3, 202) has just four receptions for 94 yards … but he does have the Seminoles’ lone receiving touchdown.

The game marks something of a homecoming for Norvell, who was born in Irving and played at Grace Prep in Arlington. The Seminoles’ coach readily admits the obvious when he said the offense needs to improve, in consistency and also in chunk plays that can strain a defense but putting up yards and points in a hurry.

“You have to be able to extend drives, sustain drives — you know, the explosive plays help that,” he said. “But you have to get into that rhythm, and it’s one of those things that I think is important for us to be able to establish. It’s something we’re working hard at, because I think you can see the success that we can have when we get into that rhythm. It’s still a consistency of execution, to make sure that we’re taking what the defense is giving us, and then, you know, when we get our opportunities to have an explosive play, an opportunity to push the ball down the field, whether it's in the run game or the passing game, we’ve got to be able to take advantage of that… I see progress, but it’s about the final execution of it.”

Mock the Seminoles’ 1-2 start all you want, but it would be shortsighted to suggest that the defense is an inept unit. The preseason expectation that the defensive line could be the best in the entire nation might have been a bit optimistic … but the defensive front definitely is a team strength.

Uiagalelei and the offense operate behind the most experienced offensive line in the country. The group has combined to appear in 387 college games, the most in the country, and the 230 combined starts are the second-highest national total. The group is led by redshirt senior left tackle Darius Washington (6-4, 310), a first-team All-ACC honoree last year, all-conference center Maurice Smith (6-3, 298) and redshirt senior right tackle Jeremiah Byers (6-4, 331). Washington and Byers both have missed games this season but are expected to be available Saturday.

The ’Noles operate out of a 4-2-5 as their base alignment, and the defense, especially up front, is athletic and effective. FSU has recorded season-high tackles for loss in the last two games, with nine in the loss to Memphis and 12 in the victory over Cal.

Defensive tackles Joshua Farmer (6-3, 318) and Darrell Jackson, Jr. (6-5, 330) are big but agile, while defensive end Marvin Jones, Jr. (6-5, 255) is trying to live up to the name of his father, the former star linebacker who holds a spot in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. Farmer has 14 tackles and a sack, and leads the team with six tackles for loss in the last two games, including 3.5 against Cal. Through four games, the ’Noles have collected 13 sacks, the seventh-highest total in the nation — seven of which came in the win over Cal. The fourth starting defensive lineman, redshirt junior defensive end Patrick Payton (6-5, 250), leads the team with four sacks.

There are obvious positives about the Florida State defense — in addition to the sacks and tackles for loss, opponents have averaged just 15 points per game and have yet to score a touchdown from within the red zone — but that has not led to many takeaways, as the Seminoles have picked off just two passes and have yet to recover an opponent’s fumble this season. Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller wants more from his group, but said his group has shown abilities this year that often lead to victories, so he remains positive and optimistic.

“We haven’t done a good job of taking it away,” Fuller said. “The ball has been on the ground, and we’ve have forced some (five) fumbles — not enough — but the ball has been on the ground some times in the first couple games, and we haven’t been able to get on it. So we need to do a better job with that.

“But no touchdowns in the red zone, no touchdowns in general … that usually bodes well in winning the football game.”

Senior linebacker Cam Riley is big (6-5, 237) and fast, and ranks second on the team with 22 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Fellow linebackers D.J. Lundy (6-1, 241) and Blake Nichelson (6-3, 224) are tied for third on the team with 21 tackles.

They trail only redshirt junior “Buck” safety Shyheim Brown (6-2, 208), who leads the Seminoles with 32 tackles through four games. Only the three linebackers have more tackles than Brown has solo stops.

Backup linebacker Justin Cryer (6-1, 232) and nickelback Edwin Joseph (6-0, 190) have the team’s two interceptions.

It’s not uncommon to write a preview without getting into special teams, but that would be a mistake in this case, as it is an area of heavy emphasis for the ’Noles, who have blocked 10 kicks (five field goals, three extra points and two punts) since Norvell took over as head coach. Ryan Fitzgerald has made all six of his field goal attempts this season and is one of just two kickers in the country with two or more successful field goals from at least 54 yards (his long is 59), and one of three with at least three field goals of 50 or more yards.

Punter Alex Mastromanno is an equally powerful weapon: his average of 49.7 yards per punt leads the ACC and ranks second in the nation.

[Vitale]

Great preview. Their defense is really solid -- looked great against Cal and Memphis. I just hope DJU takes another week or two to get on the same page with his receivers, and the running games doesn't suddenly get sorted out this week.

[PonyTales]

Our defense can hold up against the run, so it's all about whether we can keep DJU uncomfortable in the passing game, and if we can protect Jennings and the RBs. FSU has the best defense we've seen this year.