Florida Gators vs Florida State Seminoles: Q & A with Chop Chat
By Terry Lane
The Florida Gators face off tomorrow against heated rival Florida State and Hail Florida Hail went behind enemy lines to talk with David Visser, editor of sister site Chop Chat. Here’s how the Seminoles are looking at the match up:
Hail Florida Hail: Florida State has fallen behind against mediocre teams this season. What is causing this trend and how can the Gators continue it?
This has to have been the most negatively received 11-0 start to a season in college football history. Despite 27-staright victories and a national championship, the national narrative continues to focus on the Seminoles’ shortcomings and what they are not (namely, last year’s incredibly dominant team).
As a result, I think the ‘Noles often press early in games, wanting to deliver the jaw-dropping performance that seems to be required of FSU, while others get to drop a game and end up ranked higher. It’s been a really strange year in that regard, and while the Seminoles may say they’re not concerned with public opinion, how could anyone ignore such prevailing negativity?
Florida needs to keep FSU in front of it on defense, and hope Jamies Winston gets greedy. Offensively, the Gators need to find a second dimension to their run-happy offense. But more on the game plan later.
HFH: Florida Facebook pages and message boards are filled up with Jameis Winston crab leg jokes this week. And there was the referee incident last Saturday, creating another story about him. Does his continuing controversy serve as a distraction or is it bulletin board material for this game?
Honestly, the national treatment of Florida State has become somewhat of a joke within the FSU fan community. ESPN, for instance, featured a picture of Winston when reporting about Marcus Mariota receiving a speeding ticket. The degree to which he’s been vilified has really become quite ridiculous.
On the field, Winston is a fierce competitor, and his teammates rally around him. His picks are up this year, but his completion percentage is about the same and he’s actually going through his reads a little better. Losing Kelvin Banjamin and Kenny Shaw was big, and some interceptions have been the responsibility of FSU breaking in freshmen receivers with whom Winston is still establishing a rapport.
HFH: Boston College was able to drive on the Seminoles by using the running game, getting 240 yards on 51 carries. How does Florida State intend to stop the Gators run-oriented offense?
Boston College actually averages over 260 yards per game on the ground, and the ‘Noles did a good job of limiting the big run while also shutting down Tyler Murphy’s running lanes and passing success (48 yards rushing, 73 yards passing).
FSU will need to maintain gap discipline to stop Florida, although, frankly, the ‘Noles don’t really have the shutdown defense they did last year. It’s been a bend-but-don’t-break approach this season, and Florida State’s top-ten red-zone defense has payed big dividends.
HFH: The Gators defense has been successful at getting after opposing quarterbacks. How has Jameis Winston handled pressure and what will he need to do to win on Saturday?
Winston has faced quite a bit of pressure this year. Clemson, Louisville, Virginia, Oklahoma State, Boston College, and Wake Forest all have more sacks than the Gators, as teams all bring their best when they face the Heisman Trophy winner. At this point, Winston’s seen it all.
That being said, the aforementioned first-half interceptions have been an issue that have factored largely into opponents’ quick starts this year. Eliminating that mistake would obviously be very beneficial for Winston and the ‘Noles.
Drops were an issue last week, but FSU played BC in an absolute deluge, so that’s not terribly surprising. Ermon Lane, Travis Rudolph, and Dalvin Cook are as talented a freshman trio as there is in the country, and the offense has looked most dynamic when they’re playing a big part.
HFH: How do you see this one playing out, and what’s your score prediction?
That being said, Florida State is teeming with weapons, and I’m just not certain the Gators have enough firepower to get it done. UF will play inspired football, but I can’t foresee a freshman QB handing Winston his first loss, let alone at home. 30-20, FSU.