NoleGameday Staff Score Predictions: Florida State Seminoles vs. Boston College Eagles

Our staff provides their predictions and analysis for Florida State's home opener against Boston College.

Aug 24, 2024; Dublin, IRL; Florida State University defensive back Edwin Joseph celebrates a tackle against Georgia Tech with defensive back Conrad Hussey at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports / Tom Maher/INPHO via USA TODAY Sports

Florida State took it on the chin last Saturday in a close loss to Georgia Tech. The Seminoles who were on display for much of the preseason ended up being missing in action when called upon in Ireland. Was it a fluke? Was it a trend? Those questions will start to become more clear when Boston College travels to Tallahassee on Labor Day.

While the Seminoles are 0-1 entering Monday night, the Boston College Eagles have yet to play a game with this being the opening weekend for most teams around the country. The Eagles are returning 15 starters on offense and defense but could look a lot different in 2024 under new head coach Bill O'Brien.

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

FSU played the top-returning rushing attack in the ACC last week and surrendered 190 yards on the ground. They'll match up with the second-best rushing offense in the league with a Boston College offense that presents threats such as quarterback Thomas Castellanos, running back Kye Robichaux, and running back Treshaun Ward.

Our staff provides their predictions and analysis as the Seminoles prepare to take on the Eagles.

Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG)

Well, I didn't expect to go perfect this season but I also didn't foresee snapping my score prediction record in the very first game. I've said before that Florida State could go in a lot of different directions this year. They started off on the wrong foot and never truly looked like the team I saw in four weeks of preseason practice. I believe the Seminoles can begin to turn things around but that all starts with their mental approach to the next challenge.

Boston College is probably going to have a similar gameplan to Georgia Tech on offense - run the ball and control the clock. The Eagles played the Seminoles extremely close a year ago with Thomas Castellanos totaling 400 yards of offense and giving Florida State absolute fits at times. He's a potential problem along with Kye Robichaux, Treshaun Ward, and Lewis Bond. Plus, this is a pretty seasoned offensive line outside of the left tackle spot.

The defense is going to have to be ready to play and that begins with the front four and linebackers. To put it simply, they were overpowered, out of position, and lacked effort at times. That has to change quickly, especially with how talented Florida State is at those spots. I'm looking to players such as Joshua Farmer, Darrell Jackson, Patrick Payton, and DJ Lundy to set the tone. If not, this could get interesting.

Offensively, I'd like to see Florida State open things up earlier. Let DJ Uiagalelei fire deep in the first half and stretch out the Boston College defense. Keep a close eye on Jaylin Lucas, there's a possibility for a big game with Mike Norvell focused on getting him more touches. Lucas is a unique weapon that the Seminoles have to take advantage of.

This game is looking like another slugfust where both teams will try to establish the line of scrimmage. Castellanos isn't going to be easy to slow down but I think the Seminoles will do enough on defense while connecting on a few big plays on offense that will help them survive down the stretch. A close victory for Florida State in Tallahassee.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 27, Eagles 24

Logan Robinson (@LogansTwitty)

I’ve got some interesting concerns on both sides of the ball coming into this game. Can the OL find synergy? Will Mike Norvell let DJ Uiagalelei rip the ball earlier to help him find a rhythm? Will FSU’s defense decide to show up? It’s plain and simple, Florida State’s defense has to prepare for a more lethal rushing attack than what they faced last week and the offense has to use its SPEED we have been hearing since March.

Be happy you have Ryan Fitzgerald as your kicker, FSU fans.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 27, Eagles 24

Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG)

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.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 27, Eagles 17

Dillon Riera (@13d_riera)

After suffering a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the 'Noles had to take a long trip home to Tallahassee and come to terms with their new reality. Immediately upon their return, head coach Mike Norvell and his staff spent the week attempting to address the many holes and flaws that were exposed by the Yellow Jackets and prepare for another dangerous opponent. On the other sideline, the Boston College Eagles roll into town coming off of an entire offseason of preparation for their opening game, fueled by their performance against the 'Noles a year prior and filled with confidence from their new leader, head coach Bill O'Brien. Florida State will return to the confines of Doak Campbell Stadium on Monday night for the first time in 2024, and they will need the full support of their fanbase if they wish to prevent an 0-2 start. 

At present, it appears as though oddsmakers expect a lopsided victory for Florida State with the line floating somewhere around (-16.5) in their favor, but I think the contest will be much closer. FSU's performance against Georgia Tech was, for all intents and purposes, utterly disappointing. The 'Noles struggled to find consistency on offense, specifically, the rushing game, which averaged 3.2 yards per attempt. Granted, QB DJ Uiaglelei avoided any costly mistakes through the air, but the Seminoles scratched and clawed their way to 193 total passing yards and clearly lacked any sort of explosiveness, as well. The issues on offense were only compounded by the bewildering performance from the Florida State defense. DC Adam Fuller entered the year with what many expected to be the most dominant defensive line in the country, but the performance in Ireland showcased anything but. The Seminoles were getting gashed on the ground by the GT rushing attack, and the defense failed to provide consistent pressure in the backfield. Despite these inconsistencies, the 'Noles still had opportunities to win the game, but they will certainly need to capitalize on any opportunities during their upcoming matchup because the Boston College Eagles aren't exactly a pushover. 

Boston College, specifically QB Thomas Castellanos, presents an interesting challenge for a Florida State squad that has already showcased a struggle to defend against the run. The Florida State faithful will remember Castellanos' performance last year against the 'Noles, wherein the quarterback threw for 305 yards and led his team in rushing with an added 95 yards on the ground en route to a 2-point defeat for his team. Castellanos' abilities only improved over the course of the season, and he finished the year with nearly 1,000 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs. Florida State will most certainly need to find ways to contain the shifty quarterback, but even if they do, the Eagles have another rushing threat that the 'Noles are very familiar with. Former FSU RB Treshaun Ward will line up in the backfield for the Eagles, and there's no need to tell the Florida State faithful about the kind of threat he poses. Florida State's defense is going to get attacked from all sides, and if they have not thoroughly addressed the issues present last week, it could be a very long game for the 'Noles. Florida State's offense, however, could have a slight edge if they're able to find some sort of rhythm. Boston College lost some significant players in their secondary, which could entice Norvell to let Uiagalelei showcase some more of that arm this week. What the Seminoles can certainly count on, however, is the increased role of RB Jaylin Lucas throughout this matchup, and the hope is he'll provide FSU's offensive attack with enough variety to keep the Eagles on their toes. 

ESPN's matchup predictor is currently set at 81.4% in favor of the Seminoles, but I expect this game to play out a lot like last week's. Florida State has had a week to address the issues that surfaced against Georgia Tech and the coaching staff has been extremely vocal about their prioritization of said issues, which is a promising sign for the 'Noles. But, the Boston College Eagles are coming off of an offseason full of preparation, and they now possess a coaching staff with decades of experience at all levels. Not only do I expect the Boston College Eagles to be prepared for the challenge, but I believe, much like Georgia Tech, they may end up looking like the better team (at least to start the contest). I just don't know if the short turnaround was enough time for the 'Noles to make the proper adjustments, and QB Castellanos and RB Ward are but two of the weapons that I expect will give the Seminoles fits. Truth be told, this game could go any which way, and I think it's closer to a coin flip than a beatdown. The silver lining, however, is that Florida State will get to play this one in front of a sold out home crowd in prime time, and if it's a close contest all the way through, that could just be the push they need to edge out a victory.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 31, Eagles 28

Tommy Mire (@TommyM3III)

Florida State is seemingly at a standstill with how their season projects. Starting off 0-1 in both conference and regular season play isn’t ideal, but a ton of factors played into the Georgia Tech game in Dublin, Ireland.

Depending on how both teams want to attack, it could resemble last week’s loss but I’d have to imagine that FSU will take bigger shots with Uiagalelei.

The biggest question is how does Florida State attack the Eagles’ defense and counter the second-highest ACC rushing attack from a year ago?

Thomas Castellanos is another dynamic and mobile quarterback who gave the Seminoles everything they could handle up-front in 2023 and will play a major factor in the outcome of the game come Monday.

Still, I’ve got to pick the ‘Noles in this one, although, they are leaning into a ‘prove it’ moment to retain ACC supremacy. It is a bang-or-bust scenario for those in garnet and gold, which is strange so early on in the season.

The receivers have looked good in practice and the deficiencies from the middle of the defense should be corrected heading into Monday. I expect another low-scoring game with a hint of Norvell’s offense generating some explosive plays.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 31, Eagles 21

Kade Kimble (@kadekimble)

Game one being a Week 0 contest against a solid conference opponent left a bad taste in Seminoles fans' mouths. The upset leaves reason for fans to be upset, though there is reason to believe change could come. Boston College is as tough an opponent as the Yellow Jackets were, and the Florida State offense should be improved with Mike Norvell getting a look at the team in the first game. The key to the game will be the front seven of the defense being able to slow the run and get off the field.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 34, Eagles 27

Robert Malcom (@kwrobertm)

After last week's game against Georgia Tech, most of the question marks surrounding the team remain. With that in mind, I have hope that many of the offensive struggles will be fixed in game 2. Similar to Georgia Tech, I feel like the BC offense is going to give the Seminoles a bit of a struggle this weekend. 

I'm going to keep this simple. I think that even though I would expect some defensive struggles, the offense will sharpen up enough to push the ball downfield quicker than they did in Ireland and make the most of their possessions. I also hope that the team's mentality changes this week. 

The one definite advantage Florida State has is the home-field advantage that comes with playing in Doak Campbell Stadium. Even though it is a lesser capacity due to construction, it is still a sold-out, prime-time game on a holiday weekend. Even though some signs point against it, I'm going with the 'Noles.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 31, Eagles 27

Jackson Bakich (@jacksonbakich)

Florida State needs to return to basics. They need to dominate on both sides of the ball as they did all throughout the 2023 season. FSU has the talent in order to do so. They can beat up on bottom-tier ACC teams like BC is projected to be, but with Bill O’Brien, there is a bit of a mystery surrounding this year’s Eagles’ program. Florida State might attempt to stick to the same game plan they enforced in Ireland, and that might very well work. If they don’t, the Seminoles can benefit from the diversion of their previous game plans. Either way, the Noles' talent should be enough to get them across the finish line.

2024 Season Prediction Record: 0-1

Seminoles 37, Eagles 20

CONSENSUS: Florida State (8-0)

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READ MORE: Florida State's Loss To Georgia Tech Brings In Massive National Audience

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