Orange Extra: Tallahassee Tussle
10/23/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – This Saturday's Syracuse-Florida State pairing features two ACC teams with 3-4 overall records. The Orange are looking to secure their first conference win of the campaign while the Seminoles have their sights set on a fourth straight Doak Campbell Stadium triumph.
KEYÂ MATCHUP I: SYRACUSE PASS OFFENSE VS. FSU PASS DEFENSE
Statistically speaking, one of the "games within the game" is how Florida State will deal with Syracuse's aerial attack. The Orange rank 43rd in passing offense (261.1 ypg.) while the Seminoles pass defense is 122nd (293.0 ypg.).Â
Syracuse redshirt sophomore Tommy DeVito has posted two 300-yard passing games in his seven starts. He has completed 146-of-229 passes for 1,635 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. DeVito has been intercepted five times, but has not thrown a pick in either of the last two games. One reason for his success has been his ability to spread the ball around. Seven Syracuse players have double-digit catch totals for the season and four of those have at least 20 receptions. Redshirt junior Trishton Jackson leads the way with 38 catches and is followed by senior Sean Riley (27) and sophomore Taj Harris (21).Â
Florida State will attempt to disrupt Syracuse's passing rhythm by creating pressure with its massive defensive line. Redshirt sophomore Cordy Durden (3.5 sacks) stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 305 pounds, while junior Marvin Wilson (3.0 sacks) is his equal at 6-5, 311. Pressure will come from all over – the Seminoles have 11 different players who have at least one sack. Wilson has 35 total tackles, including 4.5 tackles for losses.
The Seminole secondary has been busy. Junior defensive back Hamsah Nasirildeen is the unit's top tackler (41 tackles). Junior defensive back Cyrus Fagan has 33 tackles in six games. Nasirildeen and Fagan each have an interception.
TWO TEAMS TAKING TURNOVERS
One thing Saturday's combatants have in common is the ability create turnovers. Syracuse ranks 13th nationally in turnovers gained (14), while Florida State is 36th (12). Both the Orange and the Seminoles have recovered seven fumbles, and are tied for 12th among FBS programs, in that category.
Syracuse now owns the nation's longest streak of consecutive games with a takeaway. The Orange recovered a fumble in last week's encounter with Pittsburgh to push its run to 21 straight contests. During the streak, Syracuse has caused 46 turnovers (21 fumble recoveries, 25 interceptions).
KEY MATCHUP II: CAM AKERS VS. SYRACUSE RUN DEFENSE
In junior running back Cam Akers, Florida State has one of the top ball carriers in college football. He has run 154 times for 773 yards (5.0 avg.)Â and eight touchdowns to date. Akers has already surpassed his yardage and touchdown total from a year ago. He is averaging a career-high 110.4 yards per contest. Florida State averages 125.4 yards per game on the ground, which means Akers is responsible for 88 percent of the Seminoles' weekly total.Â
Syracuse's defense may know who is getting the ball (Akers), but his lofty yardage total indicates that hasn't slowed him down. The Orange defense ranks 59th nationally in run defense and has yielded an average of 148.4 yards a contest. Senior linebackers Lakiem Williams (51 tackles) and Andrew Armstrong (50 tackles) will be counted on to plug whatever running lanes the Seminole line opens up for Akers. It will be important for interior linemen Josh Black (26 tackles) and Kenneth Ruff (20 tackles) to occupy FSU blockers at the line of scrimmage.
ANOTHER DATE WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS NETWORK
Syracuse will make its third straight appearance on one of ESPN's primary networks this week. The game between the Orange and the Seminoles will be shown on ESPN2.
Syracuse has already logged three games on ESPN this fall – at Maryland (Sept. 7), at NC State (Oct. 10) and versus Pittsburgh (Oct. 18). The Sept. 14 clash with then-No. 1 Clemson was televised on ABC.
This weekend's telecast features Syracuse graduate Beth Mowins G '90 on the call. A member of the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, Mowins will be joined by Anthony Becht, a former standout tight end at West Virginia and in the NFL, and Rocky Boiman, a Notre Dame product. Boiman was a linebacker for the Irish and four different NFL teams.
HOMECOMING IS WHERE THE SEMINOLE HEART IS
To say Seminole success resides on Homecoming is one of college football's great understatements. Florida State is 58-12-1 (.824) overall in Homecoming games and the Seminoles have claimed victory in consecutive Homecoming clashes. Since becoming a member of the ACC in 1992, the FSU record on Homecoming is 21-4 (.840).
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