The 2019 regular season comes to an end this Saturday in Gainesville, with Florida State taking on in-state rival Florida. The Seminoles have won four straight games in The Swamp, but they are 17-point underdogs this time around. Odell Haggins will also put his perfect 4-0 record as interim head coach on the line.
Here's our in-depth look at the position matchups on both sides of the football and special teams.
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Florida State has gone back and forth at quarterback for most of this season. With Alex Hornibrook banged up, James Blackman made the last two starts, including an impressive performance in FSU's win at Boston College. No definite starter has been named for Saturday, but most signs point to Blackman continuing in that role.
In addition to Blackman and/or Hornibrook, there could be other players lining up behind center this Saturday. During the latter part of the season, tailback Cam Akers has taken a good number of snaps in the "Wildcat." Redshirt freshman Jordan Travis has also seen action at quarterback and has been very effective running the football.
Regardless of who is behind center, there are plenty of weapons to target, starting with preseason All-ACC receiver Tamorrion Terry. The redshirt sophomore is the Seminoles' home-run threat and leads the unit with 44 catches for 892 yards and eight touchdowns. Four other receivers have 20 or more receptions -- D.J. Matthews, Ontaria Wilson, Tre'Shaun Harrison and tight end Tre' McKitty. Unfortunately, Wilson is not expected back after suffering a shoulder injury at Wake Forest.
Florida ranks No. 23 nationally against the pass, giving up 193 yards a game through the air. The Gators have been especially stingy at home, surrendering just 139 yards a game and have allowed just one passing touchdown all season. The defense is also adept at creating turnovers with 15 interceptions on the season. Junior safety Donovan Stiner leads the way with four picks, followed by safety Shawn Davis and cornerback Marco Wilson, who have three each. However, cornerback C.J. Henderson, who leads the defense with 10 pass break-ups, is probably the best of the bunch and is projected to be a first-round draft pick next spring.
An excellent pass rush has also aided UF's pass defense. The Gators currently rank No. 10 nationally with 3.1 sacks per game. The defense has also accumulated 194 pressures (according to Pro Football Focus) on opposing quarterbacks. On the other side of the ball, FSU ranks No. 123, giving up an average of 3.4 sacks per game.
Florida State's passing game has been more consistent as of late, but it will be severely tested against an experienced and well-rounded defense. The Seminoles will need to greatly reduce protection breakdowns, penalties, poor throws and drops if they hope to move the football through the air this Saturday.
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WINNER: Florida
