No. 13 Miami Hurricanes (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) vs. Florida State Seminoles (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS)
College Football Week 6
Date/Time: Saturday October 7th, 2017. 3:30PM (EDT)
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, F.L.
TV: ESPN
by Jay, NCAA Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: MIA -3/FSU +3
Over/Under Total: TBA
Last Friday night, the Miami Hurricanes conquered the primetime spotlight with a convincing victory at Duke. Despite another impressive performance by running back Mark Walton, it was the Hurricanes defense that made storylines. The Canes defense got pressure on Duke quarterback Daniel Jones and they forced turnovers to stymy a Duke offense, which had previously averaged 40.5 points in the first 4 games of the season, to just 6 points on the night. Now the Hurricanes are gaining momentum as a potential contender in the ACC as they take their undefeated campaign into Tallahassee for a date with rival Florida State.
The Hurricanes have found early success in Coach Mark Richts 2nd season but in order to show true progress; they must beat Florida State. The Seminoles own a 7 game winning streak over the Hurricanes which have become the longest run by either team in the Miami vs. Florida State rivalry. To add insult to injury, the last 3 outings have been decided by a combined 10 points. The Hurricanes have been close but they have just been unable to close the deal. Perhaps this Saturdays game in Tallahassee is the Hurricanes best opportunity to end the streak considering Florida States struggles to start the year.
The Seminoles avoided a 0-3 start last week in a close 26-19 win against Wake Forest. However I will be the first to tell everyone, that the win was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination. The Seminoles struggled to move the football as the growing pains with freshman quarterback James Blackman continued. Florida States offense amassed just 270 total yards and only 121 yards come from Blackman who hit only 11 of his 21 passing attempts. The good news for Florida State, for at least last week, was the fact the defense played big. The Seminoles come up with turnovers and stood solid despite the fact the offense could not sustain drives.
Until the offensive issues are resolved, the Seminoles defense will have to continue to play very well in order for Jimbo Fishers group to keep winning. If you look on paper, the defense does not appear to be playing well. However, the stats are contributed to the fact the offense has been horrible throughout the first 3 games. In all due respect, nobody expected Blackman to have to play this early in his career but Deondre Francoiss injury in the opener to Alabama changed that dynamic. Despite what the statistics may indicate, this Florida State defense is still playing well.
Obviously Florida States defense will be challenged this week by a solid Miami offense. Quarterback Malik Rosier has performed pretty well hitting 65% passing for 820 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 picks in just 3 games. Meanwhile, the emerging star on the offense is running back Mark Walton. Walton has rushed for 403 yards and 3 touchdowns in 3 games this year. Last week in the road trip to Duke, Walton was the difference maker out of the backfield. The junior setup a few big plays to spark the Hurricanes offense by making 4 catches totaling 79 yards. Whether he is running or catching passes out of the backfield, he is Miamis biggest threat offensively and an emerging star.
Overall, this game comes down to the matchup on the other side of the ball. Can James Blackman move the offense down the field? If we see another performance like we saw against NC State and Wake Forest, I dont think the Seminoles can win even with the best defensive effort. Unfortunately for Seminoles fans, I just have not seen any evidence to expect any drastic improvements in such a short time. The Hurricanes defense is very solid and the offense will capitalize if they get numerous opportunities. Therefore, I just do not see many situations playing out in favor of the Seminoles barring a lot of Miami turnovers.
Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: The streak ends. Miami -3. We care about our readers! And THAT is why we promote the hell out of Intertops! Online since the 90’s, never a payout complaint, 50/100% bonus offers, live betting, fast payouts and the best player loyalty program on the web which gives you points every time you bet. Redeem these points for free bets. It’s continuous. It never expires and there’s no limit to how many rewards you can receive! Get signed up TODAY to start reaping the benefits!
