Florida State To Be Without Veteran Offensive Guard Against SMU

The Seminoles will be missing at least one starter along the offensive line on Saturday night.

Injuries are already piling up for Florida State just four games into the 2024 season, particularly on the offenside side of the football. The Seminoles were without offensive tackle Robert Scott and offensive tackle Jeremiah Byers last week and missed running back Roydell Williams, who will be out for the foreseeable future.

FSU finds itself short-handed once again on Saturday night with the team in Dallas gearing up for its first true road game. According to a program spokesperson, senior offensive guard Richie Leonard IV has been ruled out of the matchup against SMU.

Game Preview: Florida State Seminoles at SMU Mustangs

Leonard IV started in each of the first three games and came off the bench in Florida State's win over Cal last weekend. He's been the most effective of the interior options compared to TJ Ferguson and Keiondre Jones. Leonard IV has played the third-most snaps (230) among any Seminole to see the field on offense.

Without Leonard IV in the lineup, Ferguson and Jones will likely start at the two guard spots for Florida State. It remains to be seen if Byers and Scott will be available but it's probably a good sign that the pair of veterans haven't already been ruled out. Byers has missed three consecutive games due to a lower-body injury while Scott was out last week after playing the entirety of the previous game.

Regardless, the loss means the Seminoles won't be fully healthy upfront once again. Florida State's offense has struggled to get anything going in the early part of the season. The unit ranks seventh-worst in the FBS in total offense, fourth-worst in rushing offense, and eighth-worst in scoring offense. The 'Noles also rank near the bottom of the country with 11 sacks allowed.

NoleGameday will be looking out for Scott and Byers pregame.

Florida State and SMU are scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m. on the ACC Network.

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