Three Key Matchups For Florida State's Road Trip To Notre Dame

The Seminoles will look to snap their three-game losing streak to the Irish dating back to 2018.

Nov 2, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell looks on from the sideline after the North Carolina Tarheels score a final touchdown in the fourth quarter at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images / Robert Myers-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles will face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday at 7:30 ET on NBC. FSU will look to bounce back after their embarrassing home loss to North Carolina over the weekend, 35-11.

READ MORE: Florida State Releases Depth Chart For Road Matchup Against No. 10 Notre Dame

The upcoming matchup between the Seminoles and the Fighting Irish was slated to be a top-10 matchup with College Football Playoff (CFP) implications before the season began, but the 1-8 ’Noles had other plans.

Many fans will be glued to their screens or making the trip to South Bend this weekend to see their Seminoles in action, but if you’re looking for the pivotal matchups – the game within the game on Saturday – NoleGameday has you covered.

1. Florida State Run Defense vs. Notre Dame Rushing Attack

Whenever FSU gives up less than 200 yards rushing, the Seminoles either lose by one possession or win outright. However, of the Garnet and Gold’s nine games so far, they’ve accomplished this feat just four times and only won outright once. They have been one of the worst, if not the worst, rushing defenses this program has seen in a long time. The ’Noles are 114th in the nation in stopping the ground game and give up an average of 191 yards a game.

They are about to face the 13th-best rushing attack in the country. At home. Against a team with a CFP spot on the line. In primetime. In November.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love has just 539 yards this season but only 89 carries, which is good for 6.3 yards a pop.

The most interesting thing about ND’s running game is that their QB, Duke transfer Riley Leonard, is responsible for half of their production and has the most rushing touchdowns of anyone on the team (11).

The ’Noles faced an injured Leonard last season and held him to just 13 yards rushing.

However, with a healthy QB for ND head coach Marcus Freeman, Florida State will have to account for all 11 guys when Notre Dame decides to keep it on the ground.

2. Third Downs

As much as this sounds like a broken record as FSU showcased a common trope on Saturday against UNC. They gave up 11/16 third-down attempts. It’s not necessarily surprising that Florida State is 122nd in the nation in allowing third down conversions, as their run defense allows teams to shorten the distance to the first down marker. However, this past weekend displayed a new level of inadequacy as third down and long attempts were converted with ease.

The FSU defense displayed some improvement on first and second down as the Tar Heels found themselves in less manageable situations. Nevertheless, the Tar Heels persisted and converted four third downs of 10 yards or longer. UNC had fewer punts (3) than third and long conversions.

Notre Dame is 59th nationwide in converting third downs (.411). While that number could go up due to FSU’s horrific third-down defense, it will certainly be a key matchup for the Seminoles.

On the offensive side of the ball, Florida State ranks second-to-last (132nd) in third-down conversions with a success rate of .258. To make it sound even more depressing, FSU has had 120 third downs and has converted 31 of them.

ND, on the other hand, is 11th in the country in preventing third-down conversions (.299). With FSU’s poor running game alongside Notre Dame’s 4th-best passing defense, expect the Irish to get off the field when they want to.

3. Florida State QBs vs. Notre Dame Atmosphere

Quarterbacks one and two on the depth chart consist of a redshirt freshman and a true freshman, respectively. Starting QB Brock Glenn and backup Luke Kromenhoek will be walking into the largest capacity crowd the Seminoles will face all season. They will also be entering one of the most historic stadiums in all of college sports. It can be easy to be blinded by the pinstripes.

They will need to be able to command the offense, manage the noise, and not feel intimidated by the environment.

I’ve been to Notre Dame for a game. The crowd isn’t necessarily hostile, but they are passionate. The Midwest nice continues when toe meets leather, but it certainly doesn’t affect the fervor of the fanbase.

With 80,000 packed into the hallowed ground, Florida State will be dealing with more problems than just their own.

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READ MORE: Florida State Releases Nine 'Notes To Know' For Road Game Against Notre Dame

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