Three Key Matchups For FSU Football's Home Matchup Against North Carolina

The Seminoles will look to snap a four-game skid against the Tar Heels.

Oct 26, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Brock Glenn (11) run with the football against the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles will face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday at 3:30 ET on ACC Network. FSU will look to bounce back after its first loss to the rival Miami Hurricanes in four years.

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North Carolina comes into this game with a 4-4 record. Their offense, led by quarterback Jacolby Criswell and running back Omarion Hampton, failed to score 30 points only twice through eight games. Their defense has had its ups and downs, though. The Tar Heels only gave up 14 to a scrappy Virginia team on the road last week (who put up 31 at Clemson two weeks ago) but gave 70 at home to James Madison in late September.

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown began his illustrious coaching career as a student wide receiver coach for Florida State. He won a national championship with the Texas Longhorns in 2005 and is currently serving his second stint as the Tar Heels head coach. From 1988 to 1997 and from 2019 until the present, Brown has never defeated his alma mater. With this game in Tallahassee as well, the 4-4 Tar Heels could end Brown’s 0-8 record against the Garnet and Gold.

Many fans will be glued to their screens or making the trip to the Sunshine State’s capitol 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. North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton

Against Miami last week, the ’Noles gave up 230 yards on the ground on 40 attempts, good for 5.8 yards per rush. Hampton, who has already eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing on the season, averages 5.6 yards a pop. Florida State picked its poison against the Hurricanes and held Heisman frontrunner QB Cam Ward to 208 yards through the air, the first time he’s failed to reach 300 yards on the season. This strategy kept the game within two scores more than halfway through the fourth quarter, but the ’Canes dominated the time of possession and limited the Seminoles to eight possessions the entire contest.

North Carolina, however, has maintained a top-40 passing attack despite Texas A&M transfer QB Max Johnson being out for the season with a broken leg. Jacolby Criswell has come in and averaged a 57th-best 7.65 yards per attempt. Cam Ward is 6th-best at 9.77 yards per attempt.

While Criswell’s passing ability should not be overlooked, the Florida State defense will be able to have more freedom in their game plan against the Tar Heels. FSU has a top-40 pass defense and fared well in man coverage through the air last week. With a threat like UNC’s Hampton on the ground, the Seminoles could get away with attributing more bodies to the run.

Nonetheless, they will still need to execute.

2. FSU Rushing Attack vs. UNC Rushing Defense

Of the eight opponents that Florida State has played this season, UNC has the second-worst rushing defense (65th), only better than Duke (88th).

When facing the Blue Devils, the Seminoles recorded 162 yards on the ground and had a chance to tie the game at the end despite losing the turnover battle by four (including three turnovers on three straight offensive plays).

If Florida State can tie or even possibly win the turnover margin on Saturday, the ’Noles could find themselves back in the win column for the second time this season.

3. North Carolina (Possibly) Needing to Prepare for Two QBs

Redshirt freshman FSU QB Brock Glenn is atop of the depth chart for the fifth straight week, but true freshman QB Luke Kromenhoek has received significant playing time in the last two games.

There’s a saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. However, what can’t be denied is that the Tar Heels will have to prepare for two quarterbacks during their preparation this week. Both have similar skill sets, but Kromenhoek could be more prone to running the ball due to play calls with limited reads.

How UNC looks if Kromenhoek enters the game (and it's likely he does) is certainly a key matchup for Saturday’s contest.

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READ MORE: Luke Kromenhoek's Legs Spark Florida State's First Touchdown Drive Against Miami

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