Who: Syracuse Orange (3-4, 1-2 ACC) at No. 17 Florida State Seminoles (6-1, 4-1 ACC)
When: Saturday, October 31st at 12:00 P.M. eastern time
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida (ABC)
Both teams will look to bounce back from heartbreaking losses on Saturday as Syracuse visits No. 17 Florida State. The Orange watched Pittsburgh kick a game-winning field goal as time expired in a 23-20 home loss last week while FSU had its potential game-winning kick blocked and returned 78 yards for a touchdown as time expired in a 22-16 loss at Georgia Tech.
The loss for the Seminoles was their first in conference in over three years and their first regular season loss in 31 games. FSU has had its offensive struggles on the road, but at home this season, the Seminoles are averaging nearly 41 points-per-game.
Sophomore running back Dalvin Cook ranks sixth nationally with 1,037 rushing yards on the season and last week, became the first FSU player to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since Warrick Dunn, who did so from 1994-96. Cook has been fighting a hamstring injury and will look to get some help Saturday from senior quarterback Everett Golson.
Golson is completing over 67 percent of his passes this season and has 11 touchdown tosses, compared to just one interception. Golson ranks second in the ACC with 1,659 yards passing this season. Junior Kermit Whitfield has been the team’s leading receiver in each of the last three weeks and leads the Seminoles with 35 receptions for 458 yards on the year.
FSU will be facing a Syracuse defense that ranks just 12th in the ACC in total and scoring defense. Defensive end Ron Thompson leads the team with five sacks on the season while sophomore cornerback Corey Winfield tops the team with a pair of interceptions. Sophomore linebackers Zaire Franklin and Parris Bennett each have 43 tackles on the year.
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Eric Dungey is a threat with both his arm and legs. Despite missing time to injury, Dungey has complete 65 percent of his passes this year and ranks second on the team with 260 yards rushing. He’s accounted for 14 total touchdowns.
6’2″ Steve Ishmael is a tough match-up and the Orange’s leading receiver this year with 372 yards, including a career-high 114 in a loss to Pittsburgh last week. Ishmael and running back Ervin Philips, a fellow sophomore, are tied for the team-lead this year with four touchdown catches. Philips has been used primarily as a receiver with more catches than rushes through seven games.
FSU junior cornerback Jalen Ramsey was named a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist this week and leads a Seminole defense that is yielding just over 16 points-per-game. Senior safety Lamarcus Brutus recorded his second interception of the season last week while freshman defensive end Josh Sweat notched both his first career interception and sack in Atlanta.
The Seminoles are extremely deep up front with junior defensive end DeMarcus Walker headlining the unit with 4.5 sacks this season. Walker and linebacker Ro’Derrick Hoskins each have a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Reggie Northrup tops the squad with 43 total tackles, but Northrup could have more help this week as Terrance Smith looks to return from an ankle injury suffered October 3rd against Wake Forest.
Florida State is 7-1 all-time against Syracuse and 2-0 under head coach Jimbo Fisher. Both of Fisher’s wins over the Orange came against current Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer. The lone Syracuse victory in the series was the first meeting between the schools back in 1966.
FSU defeated the Orange 38-20 last season in the Carrier Dome and 59-3 in their last trip to Tallahassee back in 2013. Florida State became bowl-eligible with its victory over Louisville two weeks ago and would secure a 39th straight winning season with a win on Saturday.
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