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Florida State (4-1) at North
Carolina State (2-4),
7:30 EST, ESPN, Thursday,
October 16
Why to watch: Florida
State comes out of its bye with
as much depth as it's had all
year and a chance to get back
into the Atlantic division race.
The Seminoles have no margin for
error, courtesy of a loss to
Wake Forest, but beating Miami
two weeks ago could provide a
catapult for the second half of
the year. In that game, they
racked up 41 points and 310
rushing yards, signs that the
offense may finally be emerging
from its funk. Although North
Carolina State is one of the
ACC’s bottom-feeders, it’s
played the ‘Noles tough in
recent years, especially at
Carter-Finley Stadium. The
Wolfpack will need to
overachieve once again in order
to turn around a season that’s
slowly slipping away. It’s just
1-4 versus FBS teams this
season, and the lone win over
East Carolina doesn’t look as
good as it did last month.
Why Florida State might win:
Line play, especially on
offense, is a problem that
plagued NC State throughout the
first half of the season. The
Pack just doesn’t create much of
a push, a concern that’ll grow
against the Seminole front
seven. Florida State will
dominate up front with ends
Everette Brown and Neefy
Moffett, and linebackers Derek
Nicholson and Dekoda Watson.
State has no running game to
lean on, and hasn’t had any
success navigating quality
defenses. The Seminoles have the
nation’s second-rated D.
Why NC State might win:
Are we really ready to announce
that the Florida State offense
is back? QB Christian Ponder has
run the ball extremely well, but
remains a work-in-progress as a
passer, throwing just one
touchdown and six interceptions
in three games against FBS
opponents. The ‘Noles have been
turnover-prone, and the line is
still a question mark. If
linemen Shea McKeen, Willie
Young, and Antoine Holmes can
get a push up front, it’ll force
Ponder into the kinds of
mistakes that keep the home
crowd in the game.
Who to watch: The most
pleasant surprise for Florida
State in 2008 has been a running
game that’s No. 14 nationally at
231 yards a game. Over the last
two games against Colorado and
Miami, the ‘Noles have cranked
out 569 yards and seven
touchdowns on the ground. The
spark has been provided by
Antone Smith with a little help
from true freshman Jermaine
Thomas. If they keep running the
ball well, it’ll allow Ponder to
develop at a more reasonable
pace.
What will happen: North
Carolina State will come out
pumped and ride the wave of
emotion for a quarter before
reality sets in and talent takes
over. Florida State will
dominate with its defense,
shutting down the Pack running
game and cashing takeaways into
points. The ‘Noles will grind
out yards on offense against an
NC State defense that hasn’t
been the same without injured
star LB Nate Irving.
CFN Prediction: Florida
State 24 … NC State 16 ….
Line: Florida State -11.5
Must See Rating: (5 The
Real Housewives of Atlanta
– 1 Celebrity Rehab With Dr.
Drew) … 2.5
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Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
Wake Forest (4-1) at Maryland
(4-2),
12:00 EST, ESPN GamePlan
Why to watch: Wake Forest
and Maryland meet in College
Park for a game with
implications in the ACC Atlantic
race. The Demon Deacons lead the
division, but the Terrapins can
move into a first-place tie with
a victory. The always
schizophrenic Maryland program
is trying to figure where it
stands at the halfway point of
the season. The same team that
beat Cal and Clemson during a
three-game winning streak also
lost to Middle Tennessee State
and was destroyed by Virginia
before the bye week. The Terps’
season will turn on the outcome
of this game. Wake Forest took
an early lead in the division
race with an emotional win over
Clemson in a defensive struggle.
Back in the Top 25, the Deacons
basically eliminated the Tigers
from contention, and can do the
same to Maryland with a win.
With Florida State also in the
win column, Wake has a chance to
take complete control of the
division this weekend.
Why Wake Forest might win:
Whatever plagued the defense in
the Week 2 close call with Ole
Miss has been solved. The Deacon
D has been sensational over the
last three games, holding
Florida State, Navy, and Clemson
to an average of 254 yards and
11 points a game. It’s been
impossible to throw on Wake
Forest, and the run defense held
Clemson’s James Davis and C.J.
Spiller to 35 yards on 14
carries. With the Robinsons, Boo
and Matt, getting penetration,
the sporadic Maryland offense
will be driven back into its
shell.
Why Maryland might win:
The thing about the Terrapins is
that you never know when they’ll
rise up and deliver a solid
game, like they did against Cal.
Wake Forest is having all kinds
of issues on offense, which is
good news for a Maryland defense
that’s lacked consistency. The
Demon Deacons are next to last
in the ACC in rushing, averaging
less than 100 yards a game, and
the offensive line has
underperformed. The Terps will
press up linebackers Dave
Philistin, Alex Wujciak, and
Moise Fokou, eliminating Josh
Adams and forcing Wake to win
with its passing attack.
Who to watch: The match
up to watch on Saturday pits
Maryland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey
with Wake Forest CB Alphonso
Smith. Two of the best athletes
in the country at their
positions, the two will battle
all afternoon for big plays. The
Terps want to establish the run
with Da’Rel Scott and
play-action downfield to
Heyward-Bey. If Chris Turner is
off the mark, Smith, who has 17
career interceptions, will make
him pay.
What will happen: No one
should be shocked if Maryland
plays its best game of the year
and upsets Wake Forest. It’s
just that type of an
unpredictable program. The Terps
will battle for four quarters
and have chances late, but the
Deacons are well-coached at
winning close games. They’ll
survive on the strength of the
defense and move a step closer
to a division title.
CFN Prediction: Wake
Forest 21 … Maryland 17 ….
Line: Wake Forest -1
Must See Rating: (5 The
Real Housewives of Atlanta
– 1 Celebrity Rehab With Dr.
Drew) … 3.5
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Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
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ACC Predictions, Oct. 18, Part
2 (Georgia Tech vs. Clemson) |