UNC Football vs. FSU: Game preview, info, prediction and more

The UNC Football team hits the road for Saturday’s matchup with the Florida State Seminoles as they meet in primetime

The No. 5 ranked UNC Football program hopes to keep their unbeaten season alive as they head to Tallahassee to take on a Florida State team that is struggling early on in this year.

UNC enters this game at 3-0, fresh off a win over Virginia Tech at home last Saturday in a game where their offense exploded for 56 points in the big win. Although they had to hold off a tough Hokies team, this was the best the Tar Heels have looked all year.

Florida State on the other hand has struggled this year, entering the game with a 1-3 record and fresh off a 42-26 loss to Notre Dame. The Seminoles lone win came against Jacksonville State as they needed a second-half rally to earn the win. It’s clear the program is in a rebuilding phase under first-year head coach Mike Norvel, and they are hoping to play the role of spoiler on Saturday.

The Tar Heels are hoping to keep pace with Clemson and Notre Dame, while staying ahead of the Miami Hurricanes. But they can’t overlook a struggling Florida State team, especially on the road in primetime.

While Florida State is full of talent on both sides of the ball, their defense has really struggled early on. They haven’t been able to get pressure on quarterbacks and are allowing 5.55 yards per cary this season. That’s not a good recipe for success as a UNC team with arguably the best rushing attack in the country comes to town.

The Tar Heels are going to look to play their game by rushing the football and taking the pressure off of Sam Howell. Putting Howell and the offense in good situations, especially when facing third downs will be very key. We should also note this could be a big game for Howell, who originally committed to Florida State before flipping to UNC and joining their 2019 class. Will Howell be able to show the Seminoles what they are missing out on?!

On defense, the Tar Heels are hoping to slow down quarterback Jordan Travis.

The junior is a former three-star quarterback that originally committed to Louisville and then transferred to Florida State after one year. Travis is a true dual-threat quarterback rushing for 235 yards this season. However, we could also see James Blackman receive some reps as well especially with Travis battling an injury.

Either way, UNC is going to have to play a well-rounded game if they want to keep their win streak at Florida State going.

Key to Victory for UNC

Potent offensive attack. The Tar Heels offense exploded last week against Virginia Tech and held off that late rally. That offensive attack was led by the dynamic duo of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams in the backfield. Look for UNC to pound the football early and often, setting up the play action for Sam Howell.

Let’s hope this offense has another big day and turns this game into an ugly one.

Something to watch

Can the defense play better? While the offense had a big day against Virginia Tech, the defense struggled to stop the Hokies. UNC’s defense had to hold off more than one rally from the Hokies in this game and things got way too close for comfort.

It’s hard to blame UNC’s defense for everything in that game as they were absolutely gassed in that second half. But early on they missed too many open-field tackles and couldn’t get many stops as the game went on. That can’t happen on Saturday night.

What you need to know

WHAT?   North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0, 3-0 ACC) AT Florida State Seminoles (1-3, 0-3 ACC)
WHEN? Saturday, October 17, 7:30 pm ET
WHERE? Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida
TV? ABC
RADIO? Tar Heels Sports Network
WEATHER? Sunny with a high of 77 degrees
LINE? UNC -10
LAST MEETING? UNC beat Florida State 37-35
ALL-TIME SERIES? FSU leads 15-3-1
PREDICTION? UNC 38, Florida State 24