Florida State Football: Will Seminoles stop bleeding vs. Virginia?
Florida State football has had a disappointing start to the 2019 season. Can the Seminoles pick up a win over surprisingly-ranked Virginia in Week 3?
The Florida State Seminoles have stumbled out of the gate to open the 2019 season. In Week 1 they blew their lead against Boise State and narrowly escaped with an overtime win versus Louisiana-Monroe in Week 2. Their offense is producing solid numbers but the Seminole defense is allowing 520 yards a game.
The Virginia Cavaliers are ranked in the AP Top 25 for just the third time since the 2007 season (one week in 2018, one week in 2011). But the question being raised is why are they ranked? They are 2-0 with wins over Pitt and William & Mary and had little preseason hype, predicted by many to finish in the middle to the bottom of the ACC Standings. But maybe the AP voters see something we don’t see just yet.
A win for Florida State would give them something to build off of, while a win for Virginia could start a run that could end with them in the ACC Championship game.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s game between Florida State and Virginia:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Charlottesville, Va.
Venue: Scott Stadium
TV: ACCN
Live Stream: getaccn.com or FuboTV
Keys to Victory
The Florida State Seminoles are facing the best defense they’ve played all year. The Seminoles’ offense will need to avoid turning the ball over or they could find themselves at 1-2. On the defensive side, the Seminoles take on dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins. He has started off 2019 on a high note following a great 2018 season. Florida State will need to slow him down if they want to stay in this one.
Virginia needs to establish themselves as the better team on both sides of the ball immediately. The Seminoles are one nail away from their coffin being closed this season and the Cavaliers have the team to close it out. Expect a mixture of both run and pass before the Cavaliers determine a preference midway through the game.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Bovada
Point Spread: Virginia -7.5
Over/under: 57.5
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Prediction
Florida State fans will need to turn their head away in this one. The Seminoles have the talent and the ability to take down Virginia but the opening minutes are going to determine the fate of this ACC matchup. Perkins finds the endzone through the air and on the ground in the first half giving the Cavaliers a cushion to use in the second half. The Cavaliers stand tall and turn up the heat on Willie Taggart’s seat.
Final: Virginia 34, Florida State 20