Game Preview: No. 10 Florida State Seminoles vs. Boston College Eagles

Can Florida State rebound from their disappointment in Dublin?

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Florida State University's DJ Uiagalelei looks to hand off the ball against Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports / Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

Florida State is looking to move past their upset loss in Week Zero but the task won't be any easier. Boston College comes to town on a Monday night hoping to follow a game plan like Georgia Tech and run the ball right through Florida State's defense.

What does FSU need to improve on, and what can we expect from Boston College?

For the second week in a row, all eyes will be on the 'Noles as this game will start on Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST from a limited-capacity Doak Campbell Stadium.

READ MORE: FSU Football's Mike Norvell 'Sickened' by Georgia Tech Loss, Previews Boston College

Seminole Headlines

A Fan Favorite Returns To Tallahassee, Just On the Other Sideline

Treshaun Ward was instrumental to Florida State's running game in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Kansas State last season. He had a solid season but is now playing for Boston College in what should be a dynamic rushing attack with him, Kye Robichaux, and quarterback Thomas Castellanos.

Boston College was second in the ACC last year in rushing yards per game, behind only Georgia Tech and we all saw how that turned out last week. If Castellanos has made any improvements as a passer, this will be another dangerous offense to keep up with.

Lackadaisical Defensive Line and Linebackers

Florida State's defensive front was pathetic last week. Their vaunted front four combined for six total tackles and no TFLs. The linebackers didn't help much, as Omar Graham often looked lost in space and others were washed away by blocks. Darrell Jackson, Graham, Cam Riley, Joshua Farmer, Patrick Payton, Marvin Jones Jr., DJ Lundy, and Byron Turner all finished with PFF grades of 60 or below, which can't happen moving forward.

Expect to see more of Sione Lolohea and Blake Nichelson in this game, who hopefully will provide more effort and physicality than we saw out of these positions last week. These groups are far too talented to play with the effort they did.

Renovations in Doak

Doak Campbell is undergoing renovations which means a limited seating capacity of around 55,000, down from the near 80,000 we've seen in recent years. While the Warchant will still be rocking, whether or not the smaller crowd will impact the game will be interesting to watch. Usually, a night game in Doak would be something to fear.

Having Ward on the other sideline also means he knows what to expect from the crowd and he can help prepare guys like Castellanos who have never played in this environment. BC gave the 'Noles a heck of a game last year in Massachusetts and will be hungry for the upset this year.

Burning Questions

Will Florida State's Defense Show Up?

Based on what we saw on film last week, FSU's defense looked disinterested. They weren't willing to get off blocks, and that will not stand against the Eagles. As strong as GT's rushing attack is, BC's Castellanos is much faster and harder to tackle than Haynes King. Robichaux is much more physical than Jamal Haynes and we all know what Ward can bring to the table.

Florida State's defense is super talented but they have to show they're willing to play physical football. Georgia Tech won last week because they could control the ball on the ground and bleed the clock. For FSU to emerge victorious, it starts on defense. Hopefully, Coach Fuller loads the box more than he did last week. More often than not, FSU only had six defenders in the box and that didn't work. I'd expect to see more of three linebackers on the field and Shyheim Brown creeping into the box to provide extra run support.

Will the Offense Open Up the Playbook?

Mike Norvell's play-calling last week was questionable. There was a lot of running into stacked boxes on 2nd and 3rd downs and most of DJ Uiagalelei's passing attempts were around the line of scrimmage. While he missed a few throws, which is understandable since no quarterback is ever perfect, he wasn't really allowed to throw the ball downfield until the second half. That has to change.

If for no other reason than to keep BC's defense honest, Norvell's offense has to utilize the speed they have on the outside and take some deep shots. Jalen Brown, Malik Benson, and Ja'Khi Douglas all need to see more targets than they did last week. If Florida State is just repeatedly running into stacked boxes again, it's going to be a long game and long season.

Can Bill O'Brien Lead BC to an Upset in His First Game Back?

It's been over a decade since Bill O'Brien last was a head coach in college football when he led Penn State to a 15-9 record over the 2012 and 2013 seasons in the wake of the Sandusky sanctions. It's hard to criticize him for that stint, but he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in 2021 and 2022, averaging 41 PPG in that time.

For the rest of the time, he was in the NFL, most notably as the head coach of the Houston Texans when Deshaun Watson actually looked like a good quarterback. Having to play at Florida State for his first game as a college head coach will be an interesting task. BC is mostly the same team on paper that they were last season, but they will likely have a very good running attack once again. His biggest responsibility is helping a defense that allowed the third-most PPG last season in the ACC.

Game Forecast

Florida State opened as favorites by 21.5 points, but that line has dipped considerably to 16.5 on FanDuel. Over/under is set at 50.5, leaving them to expect a score of around 34-17.

It's hard to watch the Georgia Tech film and not be scared of what Boston College's rushing attack could do to Florida State. They also have the benefit of seeing FSU on film while they haven't played a game yet.

Norvell will likely be lighting fires under players all week to make sure they're motivated. Whether that'll be enough...

I think FSU wins but BC should be able to cover that large spread. Their rushing attack is too good and Florida State gave a lot of reasons for us to doubt their ability to stop the run against GT. With both of these teams likely wanting to control the clock and run the football, this could be lower scoring like we saw last week.

Florida State 27, Boston College 17

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READ MORE: Mike Norvell Provides Injury Updates On A Pair Of Florida State Seminoles

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