Notre Dame vs. Florida State: Key Battles That Will Determine Top-5 Matchup

Tallahassee, Florida will be the site of the the biggest matchup in college football Week 8, when No. 2 Florida State takes on No. 5 Notre Dame in a contest that will see one team leave Doak Campbell Stadium with it's first loss of the season.

It's easy to pit this as a battle between quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Everett Golson. The anticipation of these two going back and forth making gutsy throws, marshaling scoring drives and ripping of chunks of yardage on scrambles is undoubtedly what whets fans' appetites for this contest.

Alas, the battle is more of a spiritual one designed to easily fit preconceived narratives. Both signal-callers and their repertoires of skill players will do battle with the opposing defenses, and that is where the intrigue truly lies and the number-crunching must be done.

Let's take a look at three battles that will be key to determining the outcome of this highly anticipated Week 8 contest.

Notre Dame's Secondary vs. Rashad Greene

Jameis Winston is throwing the ball much more often this season, opening up the opportunity for him to make mistakes. Through his first five starts of the 2013 season, Winston had 123 pass attempts; in 2014, that number stands at 180. It's a much bigger load for the Heisman-winner, but that's what happens when you have a wide receiver like Rashad Greene in the fold, who is far and away Winston's favorite target.

Player	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Rashad Greene	44	683	15.5	3
Nick O'Leary	24	275	11.5	2
Jesus Wilson	21	262	12.5	4
Travis Rudolph	11	152	13.8	1
Christian Green	6	120	20.0	1

It makes sense, since ESPN's David Hale noted on Oct. 3 that Greene is a menace once he gets the ball in his hands:

It will take a concerted effort from the entire secondary to keep him from breaking away and making big plays, although it's mainly up to cornerback Cole Luke to keep him in check. Few teams have had that much success against Greene, who happens to be Florida State's all-time receptions leader.

It will be up to safeties Elijah Shumate and Matthias Farley to make sure he doesn't get behind the defense for big plays. Winston's thrown five picks this season; taking away his best playmaker should limit his effectiveness.

Karlos Williams vs. Notre Dame's Front Seven

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

This key battle dovetails neatly with the aforementioned matchup. 

Williams has carried the ball 74 times for 353 yards and five touchdowns this season. Dalvin Cook and Mario Pender may average more yards per carry, but it's clear that Williams is the lead man in the backfield.

Just because he has a leading role for one of the country's best teams doesn't mean he's always been successful. Williams has broken the 100-yard rushing mark this season and is yet to break off a run longer than 30 yards. He also missed the 'Noles Week 7 contest against Syracuse. 

NBC Sports' Josh Norris has pointed out his inability to break tackles this year:

There should be immense pressure on him to perform this week, as Pender is reportedly out for the game, per Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel. Open gridiron could be tough to come by at Doak Campbell Stadium, as Notre Dame's rushing defense is ranked 18th in the nation and is giving up just 3.23 yards per carry this season, per NCAA.com.

Should Notre Dame contain at least one of Greene or O'Leary and bottle up the rushing attack, Winston could struggle and could be apt to throwing a pick against a ball-hawking secondary led by Luke, who has three of the team's 10 interceptions this season.

Everett Golson vs. Florida State's Pass Rush

The Seminoles pass rush—chiefly its defensive line, but the linebackers will contribute as well—has two ways to disrupt the Notre Dame offense: cause turnovers and keep contain.

Golson's battle against the pass rush might more accurately be described as the quarterback's internal battle to keep his wits about him. His uptick in turnovers in recent weeks has been well documented, and he cannot afford to make too many mental mistakes in this one. 

Golson has tossed four interceptions in his last three games after starting the season with three pick-free performances. To make matters worse, he lost two costly fumbles in Notre Dame's 50-43 win over North Carolina. 

The Seminoles pass rush, led by defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., will be key to maintaining pressure on Golson and forcing him to rush his throws. They only have eight sacks as a unit on the season, so Golson should ostensibly have time to throw from the pocket. He's also excellent at buying time with his legs, but this does leave him open to fumbling the ball should defenders get around to his blind side. 

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

"Everett's a very, very special player," FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said, via Sonnone. "We'll have to definitely contain him. He can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his arm, his competitiveness, his toughness. . . . I mean, the guy's a heckuva football player."

Sonnone notes in that piece that Florida State has improved against dual-threat quarterbacks after getting ripped apart by Oklahoma State's J.W. Walsh in the beginning of the season:

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FSU has faced fast quarterbacks like Clemson's Deshaun Watson and NC State's Jacoby Brissett since beating Oklahoma State, but it has not surrendered just one rushing touchdown to signal callers.

With four rushing scores this season, Golson will test FSU's ability to stay disciplined, especially with freshmen defensive ends Lorenzo Featherston and Jacob Pugh taking on bigger roles.

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If the pass rush can force turnovers and keep Golson from racking up rushing yards, it could stifle the offense. Fighting Irish running backs Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant are solid, but aren't very explosive. Neither player has a run longer than 20 yards this season, per ESPN.com.