Avoid the trap

Numbers aside, Miami defense not underestimating FSU’s ‘excellent personnel’ and ‘fast tempo’

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — After an exciting comeback win against Louisville last week, Florida State’s offense got a much-needed dose of confidence ahead of its trip south to face the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Seminoles will take the field Saturday hoping momentum is something to build on. But there’s no doubt FSU has put together some lackluster showings during the first five games of the Willie Taggart era.

As the Seminoles prepare for their Saturday afternoon showdown with the 17th-ranked Hurricanes, FSU’s offense is averaging 372.8 yards per game, which ranks 12th among the ACC’s 14 teams. The Seminoles’ meager 97 rushing yards per game rank last in the conference and their paltry 29.7 percent third-down conversion rate (22 of 74) is 13th in the ACC.

And yet in Coral Gables, where Miami’s defense is coming off one of its most dominant performances of late in a 47-10 win over North Carolina, no one seems to be taking FSU’s offense lightly.

“They have excellent personnel. Their quarterback (Deondre Francois) is probably the best we’ll have played in the last two years. Great arm, quick release to make any throw. … The emergence of (Tamorrion) Terry at wide receiver. We know about (Nyqwan) Murray, but Terry has really become the deep threat with two deep balls in the last two games. Then the backs, everybody knew going in the year they had the best backs in the ACC. I don’t think anything has changed that with (Cam) Akers and (Jacques) Patrick,” Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said.

“From a fantasy football standpoint, they have guys at every skill position to make it go. Then, they’re going to go at a fast tempo. They’ve got a lot of high-deception type plays. They’re going to force your eyes to be in the right spot and to make the right decisions.”

The Hurricanes (4-1, 1-0) enter with some stellar defensive personnel of their own to counter that, especially with the expected return of preseason All-American safety Jaquan Johnson, who has missed Miami’s last two games because of a hamstring injury. Shaq Quarterman, who was hurt against North Carolina and still put together one of the best performances of his UM career against the Tar Heels, is expected to play, too.

As a whole, the Hurricanes forced six North Carolina turnovers, scored three defensive touchdowns and added to their nation-leading tally of 60 tackles for loss with 14 stops behind the line.

And while Francois — who did not play in last year’s Miami-FSU game because of a knee injury — leads the ACC in both completions (110) and passing yards (1,377), Miami will counter with the nation’s top pass defense, allowing an average of just 139 passing yards a game with opponents throwing seven interceptions to just four touchdowns.

Still, while the numbers may trend in the Hurricanes’ direction, the last four games in this rivalry series — three of which FSU (3-2, 1-2) has won — have been decided by a combined 14 points. Going back even further, eight of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by a touchdown or less, proving that in rivalry games, teams almost always put their best foot forward, even if they struggle the rest of the season.

That point has been driven home in Coral Gables, where the Hurricanes are well aware that they haven’t beaten the Seminoles in Miami since a 16-10 overtime win in 2004 at the Orange Bowl.

“They have talent. We have talent. It’s going to be a clash of titans,” Hurricanes safety Sheldrick Redwine said. “It’s a rivalry game. They’re probably going to pull it all out. That’s how it’s going to be.”

Added linebacker Mike Pinckney, “It’s a rivalry game. Of course it’s going to be a big atmosphere. We’ve just got to be focused on our job.”