The Florida State football team finishes up a two-game home stand this Saturday night against conference foe N.C. State.
The Wolfpack are off to a 3-1 start but have yet to face a conference opponent.
Here's our in-depth look at the position matchups on both sides of the football.
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Starting quarterback James Blackman sustained an MCL sprain in his left knee in the second half of last week's game versus Louisville. Graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook came on in relief and turned in a stellar performance, completing 15 of 20 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns in a little over two quarters of work. Even more impressive was his 91 grade according to Pro Football Focus, good for third-best among FBS quarterbacks last week. Unless Blackman makes an incredibly quick recovery, Hornibrook will make his first start for the Seminoles this Saturday.
There are plenty of weapons for Hornibrook to choose from, led by All-ACC receiver Tamorrion Terry. The redshirt sophomore is the Seminoles' home-run threat and leads the unit with 16 catches and 307 receiving yards. Three other receivers have 10 or more receptions so far -- D.J. Matthews, Ontaria Wilson and Keyshawn Helton. Led by Cam Akers and Tre' McKitty, the tight ends and backs have also been major contributors in FSU's fast-paced pass attack.
As James Blackman and Florida State learned last season, N.C. State was awful defending the pass. The Wolfpack finished No. 108 in the country in this category. Five starters from the secondary return, so the unit should be improved. However, the level of competition so far makes it impossible to ascertain whether the defensive backfield is any better than it was in 2018. Sophomore safety Tanner Ingle and junior cornerback Chris Ingram lead the team in both tackles and pass break-ups (three each). But the potential absence of top cornerback NIck McCloud, who is recovering from an injury, will impact the secondary.
Against West Virginia, the only Power 5 opponent the Wolfpack have faced this season, the secondary didn't offer much resistance. The Mountaineers threw for 272 yards and had three passing touchdowns. Considering that West Virginia is currently ranked No. 85 nationally in passing, it doesn't say much for N.C. State's ability to defend the pass.
Alex Hornibrook looked very comfortable running Briles' offense last week. All signs point to him continuing to have success against an overmatched secondary. The only concern might be the Wolfpack's ability to pressure the quarterback, but only one of their 10 total sacks came against West Virginia.
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WINNER: Florida State
