It's been a rocky start to the Mike Norvell era at Florida State. The Seminoles are 1-3 on the season after falling at Notre Dame last Saturday, and the schedule doesn't get any easier this week as No. 5-ranked North Carolina comes to Tallahassee. This will be the third time in four games that the 'Noles take on a team ranked in the top 12.
North Carolina is riding high under second-year head coach Mack Brown and sophomore quarterback Sam Howell.
Here's our in-depth look at the position matchups for both sides of the football and special teams. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Florida State may have finally found its quarterback. James Blackman started the first two games but was replaced by freshman Tate Rodemaker in Game Three against Jacksonville State. However, Rodemaker struggled and was quickly benched for Jordan Travis. The redshirt sophomore led FSU to a come-from-behind victory in that game, and he followed that up with a solid performance at Notre Dame, putting up 300 yards of total offense. There's no doubt that Travis is now firmly entrenched as the Seminoles' starting quarterback, as long as he can stay healthy.
The reemergence of first-team All-ACC wideout Tamorrion Terry was one of the few bright spots in the passing attack the past two games. Unfortunately, he is undergoing a knee procedure this week and is expected to be out of action for a couple weeks. There isn't a ton of experience in the unit after Terry. Juniors Ontaria "Pokey" Wilson and Keyshawn Helton are the only other wide receivers that have seen extensive action. Other players that could see increased playing time in Terry's absence are sophomore Warren Thompson, who is slowly working his way out of the coaches' doghouse, and sophomore Jordan Young. Tight end Camren McDonald has also been a receiving target in the passing game.
North Carolina's secondary had three major contributors -- D.J. Ford, Javon Terry and Bryce Watts -- all opt out of playing in 2020. Without these players, the defensive backfield has been nothing special so far and has recorded just one interception through three games.
The Tar Heels rank No. 29 in pass defense but have yet to face a team with a top-notch passing attack. Last week, Virginia Tech's two quarterbacks combined for 235 yards and two scores. The week before, Boston College's Phil Jurkovec threw for 313 yards and had two touchdown passes. As long as FSU's offensive line can hold up, Travis should be able to have some success through the air.
It's a very close matchup, and Florida State might have held a slight edge prior to Terry's injury. However, that's no longer the case without Terry, especially given the lack of other proven receivers, a still-questionable offensive line, and a quarterback making his second career start.
WINNER: EVEN
