Syracuse (4-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) at No. 4 Florida State (5-0, 3-0), noon ET (ABC)
Line: Florida State by 17 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Florida State leads 13-2.
Florida State looks to win a 12th straight game and improve to 6-0 at the season’s midpoint. The program hasn’t finished the first half of a season with a perfect mark since 2015. Syracuse is coming off a 40-7 loss at North Carolina, and the Orange are desperate to avoid a three-game slide.
KEY MATCHUP
Syracuse’s run game vs. FSU’s run defense. LeQuint Allen has eight touchdowns (10th in the FBS) and 401 rushing yards. Allen is part of a Syracuse ground game that averages 174.2 yards, while the Orange convert on third down 49.3% of the time (17th in the FBS). Florida State’s run defense is 78th in the nation, allowing 144.8 yards per game. The Seminoles’ third-down conversion defense ranks 19th by allowing a conversion on 31.8% of opponents’ opportunities.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Syracuse: QB Garrett Shrader is an inconsistent passer but at 6-foot-4 has the body to pick up some tough yards on the ground, which he did in racking up 178 rushing yards in Syracuse’s loss at Florida State in 2021. He has 29 career touchdown runs and needs just one to break a tie for fourth on the school’s all-time list with James Mungro.
Florida State: RB Trey Benson is coming off a 200-yard rushing game as the Seminoles pulled away in the second half to defeat Virginia Tech. Benson averaged a school-record 18.2 yards per carry but will now be facing a Syracuse defense that is 33rd in the nation against the run (114 yards per game).
FACTS & FIGURES
The Seminoles have scored 30 or more points in 11 straight games, the longest active ACC streak, while Syracuse has given up 31 points (Clemson) and 40 points (at North Carolina) in its last two games. … QB Jordan Travis has 8,939 offensive yards, just 274 shy of supplanting Chris Rix for No. 2 on Florida State’s all-time list … Travis has a streak of 132 passes without an interception … Syracuse freshman DB Jayden Bellamy had 11 tackles in his first career start against the Tar Heels last week. … LB Marlowe Wax has seven games with 10 or more tackles.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
