Florida State at Virginia
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
This Saturday the Virginia Cavaliers will open up the ACC portion of their schedule as they are set to host the Florida State Seminoles. After nearly beating USC on the road in their second game of the season, the Cavaliers had no trouble taking care of business against the Virginia Military Institute, as they won easily 48-7. The Seminoles have been on a roll since they were blown out at Oklahoma in the second game of their season, as they have dominated BYU and Wake Forest in each of their last two games. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current odds have the Seminoles favored by 7-points over the Cavaliers on the road.
Florida State (3-1, 1-0 ACC): The Seminoles have been playing well on both sides of the ball of late, as they have scored at least 31 points in each of their last two games, and allowed just 10 points to BYU and shutout Wake Forest last week. It has been a pretty balanced attack on the offensive side of the ball, as the Seminoles average 238 yards passing and nearly 197 yards on the ground per game.
Last week against he Demon Deacons quarterback Christian Ponder threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, both of them going to Willie Haulstead, who finished the game with five catches for 44 yards. Taiwan Easterling was the leading receiver with six catches for 112 yards. The Seminoles used both Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas on the ground, as Thomas finished with 88 yards on 10 carries, and Jones had 64 yards yards on just nine carries. If the Seminoles continue to get this kind of balance on offense they are going to be a tough out for any team the rest of the way.
Virginia (2-1, 0-0 ACC): I have been impressed with how the Cavaliers have looked so far this season, but we will really find out just how good this team is this weekend when they take on the Seminoles. I thought the Cavaliers had no chance against USC, but a strong defensive performance really kept them in the game. So far this season Virginia is allowing just 12.3 points per game, and have been good against both the run and the pass so far this season.
Last week against Virginia Military the Cavaliers racked up 466 yards of total offense, while allowing just 179 yards. Quarterback Marc Verica had a solid day throwing the ball, as he completed 16 of 23 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns before being taken out. Verica will have to be at his best this weekend against the Seminoles defense, as they are going to need him to make some big plays to keep them in the game. Keith Payne and Perry Jones have each rushed for over 200 yards so far this season, but Payne is the only one who has found the endzone, as he has five touchdowns on the season.
Looking at the Odds: I like how the Cavaliers are playing under new head coach Mike London, but they are running into a very tough opponent this week in Florida State. I think the right play in this game is to give the points and take Florida State, as I think they match up very well with the Cavaliers on both sides of the ball. My final score prediction is Florida State 27, Virginia 16.
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