The Final Five: Scouting the foes standing between FSU and a bowl berth

After the game, head coach Willie Taggart and several players said they remained optimistic about their chances of salvaging a winning season. With five games still on the docket, FSU will need to win at least three games to avoid missing a bowl game in back-to-back years for the first time since 1975-76.

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Here’s a deeper look at the Seminoles' final five opponents:

Syracuse: 3-4 (0-3 ACC), Oct. 26, Doak Campbell Stadium

The Good: After losing dual-threat quarterback Eric Dungey to graduation, Tommy DeVito has stepped in and performed admirably as a passer. The sophomore has thrown for 1,635 yards, which is good for third in the ACC. Special teams have been solid for Syracuse, as the Orange rank fourth in the conference in both field goal percentage (82 percent) and net punting average (45 yards). Turnover margin has been another bright spot at plus-three, which is third in the ACC. Junior wide receiver Trishton Jackson currently stands at second in the conference in receiving yards with 575, and his six touchdowns is tied for third-best in the ACC.

The Bad: The Orange have struggled against Power 5 competition this season, with their only wins coming against Western Michigan and two FCS programs. Offensively, the team has failed to replace the production on the ground from Dungey; the Orange rank No. 117 in the nation with just 110 rushing yards a game. Defensively, the ‘Cuse has been average against the run and poor against the pass (12th in the conference). Also, penalties have been a major issue for head coach Dino Babers’ squad. Syracuse has been flagged 64 times this season for 522 yards, which is fifth worst in the NCAA. Finally, protecting DeVito has been a huge problem area. The offensive line has given up an ACC- and NCAA-worst 35 sacks so far in 2019.

Miami: 3-4 (1-3 ACC), Nov. 2, Doak Campbell Stadium

The Good: The Hurricanes' defense has been solid, ranking third in the ACC in both total defense and scoring defense (although their season stats have been bolstered by a weak out-of-conference schedule). The quarterback duo of Jarren Williams and N’Kosi Perry has passed for more than 280 yards a game, which is good for third in the conference and 28th in the NCAA. Miami ranks 14th in the country in punt return yardage. The Hurricanes are tied atop the ACC standings with seven recovered fumbles.

The Bad: A weak kicking game has contributed to the Hurricanes' current last-place standing in the Coastal Division. Miami is just 6-of-13 on field goal attempts, and The U is the only school in the ACC to miss more than one extra point. Penalties have been an issue as well, with their 58 flags placing them 118th in the country. And Miami's pass-protection has been poor; the 'Canes' 31 sacks allowed places them 127th in the country, and they rank 12th in the ACC in tackles-for-loss allowed. While the defense has been steady, they have just three interceptions on the year. Finally, the offense has been atrocious on third down, converting just 24 of 81 attempts, which ranks 125th nationally.

Boston College: 4-3 (2-2 ACC), Nov. 9, Chestnut Hill

The Good: Now in his seventh year as head coach, Steve Addazio is relying yet again on stellar play from his running backs, offensive line and linebackers. It may be easier to list the statistical categories for which running back A.J. Dillon isn’t leading the ACC. The junior star leads the conference in rushing yards (968) by nearly 200 yards; the Eagles lead the conference and rank No. 6 nationally in rushing offense. Behind Dillon, the Boston College offense ranks third in the ACC in scoring offense and third in total offense. Addazio’s squad is also No. 1 in the ACC and 10th in the country in turnover margin at plus-seven. The Eagles' OL also has given up just three sacks all season, which is tied for the best in the country. Defensively, junior linebacker Max Richardson leads the ACC in tackles for loss (11) and total tackles (73). He ranks in the top 10 in both categories nationally.

The Bad: As well as Richardson has played, Boston College could use a few more guys like him on defense. The Eagles are last in the ACC in total defense, and they are 116th in the NCAA in that category. A paltry seven total sacks on the year is also worst in the conference and 120th in the country. And in a stat that seemingly defies logic, Boston College ranks 12th in the ACC in time of possession despite having a dominant rushing attack.

Alabama State: 3-3 (2-1 SWAC), Nov. 16, Doak Campbell Stadium

The Good: The Hornets have had a respectable season so far at the FCS level and within the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In the opening week of the season, Alabama State went on the road against Group of Five member UAB and posted a respectable 24-19 loss. That same UAB team has gone on to start the season 6-1. Second-year head coach Donald Hill-Eley has ASU on track for possibly its first winning season since 2015. Receiver Michael Jefferson has over 400 yards receiving and five touchdowns receptions.

The Bad: The Hornets have already lost two SWAC games by 28 or more points. Quarterback KHA’Darris Davis has thrown nine interceptions in six games. Alabama State’s leading rusher, junior Erza Gray, is averaging only 3.3 yards a carry. On defense, ASU has surrendered 28 points a game.

Florida: 7-1 (4-1 SEC), Nov. 30, Gainesville

The Good: Despite only making five starts so far -- to the other SEC quarterbacks' seven -- Kyle Trask ranks third in the conference in passing touchdowns and quarterback rating. Even more impressive, Trask ranks only behind Heisman Trophy favorites Joe Burrow of LSU and Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama in both categories. Second-year head coach Dan Mullen has orchestrated a balanced passing game that has seen eight receivers catch at least 12 passes and a touchdown so far in 2019. The Gators have also played well on the other side of the ball, ranking second in the SEC and tied for 11th nationally in scoring defense. Florida leads the SEC in sacks (29) and tackles for loss (58). With 12 interceptions on the season, the Gators lead the conference and are tied for the second-most in the country. (A minor caveat to the Gators' impressive stats is that they have already played eight games this season thanks to their "Week 0" matchup with Miami.)

The Bad: Statistically, there isn’t much to complain about right now in Gainesville, where the Gators are 7-1 and ranked No. 7 in the country. Florida is tied for ninth in the SEC for sacks allowed. The Gators' 38 yards of punt returns on the season places them 13th in the conference.

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