Florida State at Miami preview: Breaking down the Seminoles

Florida State football arrives at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Oct 17, needing a more complete performance against the University of Miami Hurricanes, a team that has yet to lose this season. The Seminoles also look to snap an 11-game road losing streak.

FSU is coming off a 44-20 defeat at the University of Louisville after letting a 14-point first-quarter lead slip away. The No. 3 Miami enters the rivalry game following a bye week and a 41-13 victory over Clemson University.

"These are the games why you come to Florida State," offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said in a press conference on Oct. 12. "These are the ones you think about."

For the 'Noles, the matchup is another chance to prove their best moments can last beyond the opening quarter.

"It's not a motivational issue," head coach Mike Norvell said in a press conference on Oct. 12. "It's handling the emotional swings that you see and they've shown the capability to do that really well."

Daniels presents a challenge beyond the pocket

Fifth-year quarterback Ashton Daniels has given the Garnet and Gold a different dimension with his mobility. Through six games, he has thrown for 1,320 yards and rushed for a conference-leading 10 touchdowns.

His biggest rushing performance came against the University of Virginia on Oct. 3, when he ran for 136 yards and five touchdowns, a program record for a quarterback, in a 38-7 victory. Florida State also benefited from a defense that registered 10 sacks and limited Virginia to 37 rushing yards.

Against Louisville, Daniels completed 21 of 37 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score. However, the Seminoles went scoreless in the second half, making an encouraging opening stretch feel distant by the final whistle.

Offensive supporting cast needs greater consistency Saturday

Sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah leads FSU on the ground with 565 rushing yards, second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He has gained at least 80 yards in all six games, including 88 on 19 carries against Louisville.

The 'Noles have additional options through the air. Sophomore wide receiver Jayvan Boggs leads the team with 299 receiving yards, while sophomore wide receiver Micahi Danzy caught both of Daniels' touchdown passes at Louisville.

Senior wide receiver Duce Robinson, who led the Garnet and Gold with 1,081 receiving yards last season, remains another potential difference-maker.

"We need Duce Robinson to be a major impact for this team and I feel he is," Norvell said. "It's about being able to get him more opportunities as well as making sure we're capitalizing on all things as it plays out throughout the course of that game."

Explosive rushing plays expose ongoing defensive problems

Florida State showed its defensive potential against Virginia, holding the Cavaliers to seven points and 205 total yards. Six days later, the same unit gave up 397 rushing yards to Louisville.

Louisville junior running back Isaac Brown finished with 235 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown immediately after the Seminoles turned the ball over on downs at Louisville's 3-yard line. Instead of stretching a 14-0 lead, FSU allowed a big play that helped swing the game.

"It always starts with me," defensive coordinator Tony White said in a press conference on Oct. 12. "It takes one guy to be in the gap or get cut out and a 50-yard touchdown run. Some of that is situation in the game and some of that is playcalling."

The 'Noles will have to limit explosive plays and avoid giving Miami short fields to keep the game close into the second half. Norvell also stressed the need to improve the team's fundamentals against the run.

"We want to be a defense that sets the edge," Norvell said. "We're not doing that good enough."

Miami's passing attack adds another difficult matchup

The Garnet and Gold will also face junior quarterback Darian Mensah, who completed 18 of 27 passes for 227 yards in Miami's win at Clemson. The Hurricanes have shown the ability to score quickly, including a 61-yard touchdown pass on their first offensive play in that game.

"[Mensah] is tough to pressure, he's really good against the blitz," Norvell said. "He's good versus zone coverage, man coverage."

Florida State therefore faces a difficult balance: generating pressure on Mensah without surrendering another game-changing play. Miami also held Clemson to 55 rushing yards and recorded six sacks, creating another challenge for Daniels and Kromah.

The Seminoles enter the weekend with the weight of an 11-game road losing streak on their backs. Ending that streak against an undefeated rival would require the consistency that has been missing in recent losses.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Valentina Vasconcellos is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com .