Part 4 in a 10-part online-only series … Game 4, at North Carolina State Sept. 27 in Raleigh, N.C., time TBA, TV TBA — Florida State’s first true road game of the season and 35th meeting between the teams with the Seminoles leading the series 23-11 … Game 5 vs. Wake Forest Oct. 4 in Tallahassee, time TBA, TV TBA — A one-sided series continues at Doak with FSU leading the series 25-6-1 … Participate in #FSUTrivia on Twitter, follow Brad Milner @PCNHBradMilner for your chance to win one of 10 BCS Championship commemorative editions … Click here to read Part 1 ... Click here to read Part 2 ... Click here to read Part 3
It wasn’t long ago when a loss at North Carolina State put pressure on Jimbo Fisher. Oh, how a year can change perception.
Florida State heads to North Carolina State for its first true road game of the season in Week 4. The Seminoles are on the road in the opener against Oklahoma State, but it’s a neutral site (Dallas) and expected to be equal in fan support. The Wolfpack have perennially given the Seminoles fits, even in last year’s 49-17 win when all the points came in the second half to draw Fisher’s criticism of his team’s “finishing” skills.
FSU also plays an Atlantic Coast Conference game at home against Wake Forest a week later. The Demon Deacons have been blasted by the Seminoles in each of the last two meetings after the series was more competitive between 2006-11.
N.C. State
The Wolfpack slid to the depths of the ACC last season, ending 3-9 overall and 0-8 in conference play. Inconsistency plagued the team throughout the lineup and it started at quarterback, where two signal-callers took turns being ineffective. The Wolfpack capped the year with eight straight defeats.
Brandon Mitchell and Pete Thomas combined for 15 interceptions and 11 touchdowns in 16 total appearances. N.C. State averaged a modest 22 points a game on offense while putting up more than 400 a contest. The trouble was in scoring touchdowns with 20 or fewer points in six losses.
Most of the meager production at wide receiver also is gone along with Mitchell and Thomas. Running back Shadrach Thornton is the most productive of seven returners on offense with 768 yards and four scores last season. N.C. State does have four offensive linemen to build behind with 57 combined starts.
FSU could be facing its second former Florida Gator at quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. He transferred and sat out last season while being named the team’s best scout player. He doesn’t have much competition to win the job.
The Wolfpack return seven starters from a defense that surrendered more than 30 points per game. There’s experience there, but the question is how much will they improve?
Wake Forest
New coach Dave Clawson has a few concerns heading into his first season.
He inherited a team coming off a 4-8 season with five consecutive losses. And he also installs a new offense and must compensate for the departure of two big stars.
The first was quarterback Tanner Price, who played admirably on an average to bad team with 2,233 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 10 interceptions, while adding 211 yards and five TDs on the ground. His favorite target, wide receiver Michael Campanaro, also is gone. All Campanaro did was grab 67 passes for 803 yards and six scores.
The next-closest receiver, Tyree Harris, had 23 receptions and 225 yards. In other words, it’s going to take some time to find some playmakers, if at all.
Jared Crump adds some experience on a woefully young receiving corps, the soon-to-be-sophomore finishing with 16 catches for 176 yards. Graduate transfer E.J. Scott has more overall experience playing for Virginia for three seasons and tallying 420 yards on 32 grabs while also returning kickoffs.
Tyler Cameron and Kevin Sousa will battle at quarterback. Cameron played in three games in 2013. Sousa played in two games as a redshirt freshman in 2012 but didn’t appear in a game last season.
Inexperience at quarterback is nothing new for FSU this season. The Seminoles’ defense will face many quarterbacks entering first years as starters. This doesn’t bode well with FSU having one of the best defensive backfields in the country.
Defensively, Wake Forest wasn’t terrible, for the most part. The Demon Deacons gave up 24 points per game, but were gashed through the air for 233 yards per contest.
- FSU’s top returning players: QB Jameis Winston (4,057 yards, 40 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 219 yards rushing, four TDs), RB Karlos Williams (730 yards, 11 TDs), WR Rashad Greene (1,128 yards, nine TDs), TE Nick O’Leary (557 yards, seven TDs), WR Kermit Whitfield (two rushing TDs, 619 kickoff return yards, two TDs), OL Josue Matias (29 starts), OL Cameron Erving (28 starts), PK Roberto Aguayo (21-22 FGs, 53 long, 94-94 XP), LB Terrance Smith (59 tackles, two sacks), DB Jalen Ramsey (49 tackles, one INT, one fumble recovery), DE Mario Edwards Jr. (28 tackles, 9½ for loss, 3½ sacks), DB P.J. Williams (35 tackles, three INTs), DB Ronald Darby (14 tackles, two INTs), DB Nate Andrews (35 tackles, four INts), LB Reggie Northrup (46 tackles).
- North Carolina State’s top returning players: RB Shadrach Thornton (768 yards, four TDs, 16 receptions), OL Tyson Chandler (23 starts), OL Joe Thuney (12 starts), WR Jumichael Ramos (352 yards, three TDs), PK Niklas Sade (19-23 FGs, 48 long, 31-31 XP), LB Brandon Pittman (62 tackles, two sacks), DB Hakim Jones (61 tackles, two INTs), DB Justin Burris (54 tackles, one INT).
- Wake Forest’s top returning players: WR Tyree Harris (225 yards), WR Jared Crump (176 yards, one TD, 7.4 yards per punt return), DB Ryan Janvion (95 tackles), LB Brandon Chubb (88 tackles), DB Kevin Johnson (58 tackles, three INTs).
- First-glance predictions: Going on the road might give FSU some trouble early, but the Seminoles are the better team. They’ll roll in the game just as they will against Wake Forest.
- Next week: A look at an ACC road game at Syracuse, which faced FSU last season for the first time as conference foes.
2014 FSU Football Preview story schedule:
June 25: The Citadel/Boston College
July 2: North Carolina State/Wake Forest
July 9: Syracuse
July 16: Notre Dame
July 23: Louisville
July 30: Virginia
Aug. 6: Miami
Aug. 13: Florida