BGI Staff Predictions: Notre Dame Vs. Florida State
Not since Knute Rockne’s debut season in 1918 has Notre Dame had a regular season where it began play and then was idle two consecutive weeks.
That occurred 102 years ago because of the Spanish Influenza epidemic that cancelled the entire month of October games before resuming in November for a 3-1-2 finish.
This year the Fighting Irish opened with victories against Duke (27-13) and South Florida (52-0) before a spike in COVID-19 cases on campus forced the postponement of the Sept. 26 Wake Forest game to Dec. 12. The Irish then had a bye last Saturday (Oct. 3), but would not have been available to play anyway after suspending football operations on Sept. 22 before resuming practice Oct. 1.
Meanwhile, the 1-2 Seminoles remain a huge disappointment under first-year head coach Mike Norvell. They lost the opener (16-13) at home to a Georgia Tech outfit that was 3-9 last year and picked dead last (15th) in the ACC this season, were humiliated 52-10 at Miami the ensuing week, and found themselves down 14-0 to FCS foe Jacksonville State last weekend before a quarterback change propelled a 41-24 win.
Florida State enters as a 20.5-point underdog as of Friday morning.
TODD BURLAGE, STAFF COLUMNIST
Notre Dame 31, Florida State 10
What was once a proud rivalry now features two programs in different places, despite similar recruiting success over the last several years.
Notre Dame remains very much in national title contention if it can control its COVID breakouts and player losses, while FSU — which went 6-7 in 2019 — is revamping and hoping just to reach a .500 record this season after a sluggish start that included the benching of its starting quarterback.
Despite the awkwardness of playing two games and then going 20 days before its matchup with the Seminoles, Notre Dame starts slowly but still rolls.
PATRICK ENGEL, BEAT REPORTER/ANALYST
Notre Dame 34, Florida State 7
Beating Jacksonville State isn’t a season-changer, but it was useful for Florida State. The Seminoles think they found an answer at quarterback with dual-threat Jordan Travis, which is much better than the alternative even if the position remains a roller coaster.
I don’t see whoever is back there, though, cracking double-digits on Notre Dame’s defense. It’s hard to imagine many Florida State successful drop-backs and downfield throws given the offensive line problems for the Seminoles (48 sacks allowed last year, and five in the first half alone versus Miami this season) combined with the potent Irish pass rush. Florida State’s individually talented but underachieving defense has lacked big plays and rarely made the opposing offense work hard to move the ball.
ANDREW MENTOCK, STAFF WRITER
Notre Dame 42, Florida State 10
Given Notre Dame’s unexpected time off, I look for the Fighting Irish to be sluggish on offense early as they struggle to move the ball for a majority of the first quarter (think the Duke opener, although maybe not three straight three-and-outs to begin the contest).
But afterwards they play hard and fast, and eventually the offense will begin to click and explode for six touchdowns in the final three quarters. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame defense looks ready to play out of the gate and capitalizes on several FSU turnovers, which is a major reason why the Seminoles produce just one touchdown.
MIKE SINGER, RECRUITING INSIDER
Notre Dame 42, Florida State 21
Sitting at 1-2 on the season, it’s been an ugly start to the Norvell era in Tallahassee. A 16-13 home loss to Georgia Tech, a 3-9 program a year ago, an embarrassing 52-10 defeat at Miami and a come-from-behind 41-24 victory against FCS Jacksonville State has Seminoles’ fans unhappy through three games — and rightfully so.
Florida State comes to Notre Dame Stadium as a three-touchdown underdog, and I believe the oddsmakers have this one right. Unless the Irish have some major unexpected absences, Notre Dame should roll in this one.
LOU SOMOGYI, SENIOR EDITOR
Notre Dame 31, Florida State 13
My contention since the preseason has been that one of these next three games versus the Seminoles, Louisville (Oct. 17) or at Pitt (Oct. 24) will be a white-knuckler similar to last year’s 21-20 11th-hour victory versus Virginia Tech.
Florida State boasts the most individual talent to provide such a scare, but it also has been the least impressive of the trio so far. If the Irish have the start they did against Duke, the Seminoles are capable of exploiting it and make this a contest while gaining some much needed energy along the way. If Notre Dame comes out of the chute like it did against USF, then one can also envision FSU calling it a night early, and it could get ugly.
Reality might be somewhere in between.
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