The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Notre Dame vs. Florida State
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The time has finally come for Notre Dame football to face Florida State in one of the biggest regular-season matchups for the Irish in nearly 20 years.
It’s No. 5 Notre Dame traveling to Tallahassee, Florida, to square off with No. 2 Florida State. The Seminoles opened up as 12-point favorites, per Odds Shark, at Doak Campbell Stadium. Let’s take a look at the key factors for the prime-time tilt.
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Quarterback Showdown
It begins and ends with quarterback play, and Jameis Winston and Everett Golson present a fascinating matchup. Both quarterbacks have experienced remarkable success early in their careers.
Winston, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is completing 70 percent of his passes and has tossed 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
“He's a very accurate thrower of the football, doesn't rattle, is an extremely confident player,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly said Sunday of Winston. “You can see that he's the leader of that offense, and he makes it happen. He's very gifted, and he's a very, very accomplished quarterback in a very, very short period of time.”
Golson, meanwhile, has had an up-and-down stretch recently. On the one hand, his early-season play vaulted him among the top five or so candidates for the Heisman. But nine turnovers over a three-game span have quelled some of the buzz.
“We look at them and we go back to work and find ways to secure the football and do a better job,” Kelly said Sunday of the turnovers.
The game’s outcome won’t rest solely on the quarterbacks’ shoulders, obviously—Notre Dame’s defense will need to be sharp—but Golson cannot continue to cough the ball up. Winston and the Seminoles figure to be quick to translate Irish miscues into easy offense.
Notre Dame’s Secondary
As Kelly mentioned Sunday, the Irish were thinned out in the secondary Saturday against North Carolina, and the Tar Heels’ uptempo attack didn’t help. North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort.
“When it's settled down a little bit and these guys can get their eyes on what the formation looks like, they're okay,” Kelly said of the defense after Saturday’s win, per Notre Dame's athletics website. “We got to get better at that. But that's an inexperienced group that you saw out there today and they've got to get better.”
Notre Dame’s secondary will be tested against the Seminoles. In particular, Irish defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and the defensive backs must find a way to contain Florida State star wide receiver Rashad Greene. The senior has snagged 44 receptions for 683 yards and three touchdowns this season.
“Obviously a guy that can stretch the field vertically, and they're not afraid to throw it against anybody,” Kelly said. “Just a great, great weapon.”
Irish cornerbacks Cody Riggs and Cole Luke must be on top of their games against Greene. Riggs, who was banged up briefly Saturday, should be ready for the Seminoles, and Luke has steadily improved through the first half of the season.
Communication from safeties Max Redfield and Elijah Shumate will be important, especially with graduate student captain Austin Collinsworth out with a dislocated shoulder.
Special Teams
It sounds simple, but special teams play will be crucial in Tallahassee. Two of the top kickers in the country will have their say in Saturday’s outcome with Notre Dame’s Kyle Brindza opposing Florida State’s Roberto Aguayo, the reigning Lou Groza Award winner.
Aguayo is a perfect 13-of-13 this season on field goals, and he’s a reliable safety valve for the Florida State offense.
Notre Dame’s return units have stagnated since a startling start against Rice. The Irish rank 108th in the country (out of 128 teams), per CFBStats.com, averaging 18.54 yards per kick return. If the Irish can gain an edge in the field-position battle, it will help take the defense out of “vulnerable positions,” something Kelly talked about as being an issue against the Tar Heels.
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Mike Monaco is a lead Notre Dame writer for Bleacher Report. Follow @MikeMonaco_ on Twitter.
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