FSU football: Seminoles are 5.5 point favorite in ACC

After taking care of business against the Florida Gators to finish 12-0 for just the fourth time in program history (seventh undefeated and untied season overall), Florida State is now set to face off against the Louisville Cardinals for an ACC Championship.

According to DraftKings, Florida State is considered a 5.5-point favorite against Louisville, with the over-under for the 2023 ACC Championship set at 53.

The Cardinals (10-2, 7-1 ACC) head into the game after being upset by the Kentucky Wildcats. 38-31. Louisville will be appearing in its first-ever ACC Championship since switching over from the American Athletic Conference in 2014, Florida State will be making its first trip to Charlotte since 2014 (sixth overall).

FSU won last year’s game — the final annual matchup between the two former Atlantic teams — 35-31, a thriller that saw Tate Rodemaker lead the Seminoles to a win after Jordan Travis left the game with an injury.

FSU vs. Louisville kicks off at at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 2 from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

FSU vs. Louisville: Series History

• 9/16/2022 | FSU 35, LOU 31 | Louisville, KY
• 9/25/2021 | LOU 31, FSU 23 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/24/2020 | LOU 48, FSU 16 | Louisville, KY
• 9/21/2019 | FSU 35, LOU 24 | Tallahassee, FL
• 9/29/2018 | FSU 28, LOU 24 | Louisville, KY
• 10/21/2017 | LOU 31, FSU 28 | Tallahassee, FL
• 9/17/2016 | LOU 63, FSU 20 | Louisville, KY
• 10/17/2015 | FSU 41, LOU 21 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/30/2014 | FSU 42, LOU 31 | Louisville, KY
• 9/26/2002 | LOU 26, FSU 20 | Louisville, KY
• 9/23/2000 | FSU 31, LOU 0 | Tallahassee, FL
• 11/2/1991 | FSU 40, LOU 15 | Louisville, KY
• 10/17/1987 | FSU 32, LOU 9 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/25/1986 | FSU 54, LOU 18 | Louisville, KY
• 10/20/1983 | FSU 51, LOU 7 | Tallahassee, FL
• 11/13/1982 | FSU 49, LOU 14 | Tallahassee, FL
• 9/5/1981 | FSU 17, LOU 0 | Tallahassee, FL
• 9/13/1980 | FSU 52, LOU 0 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/6/1979 | FSU 27, LOU 0 | Louisville, KY
• 9/12/1970 | FSU 9, LOU 7 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/2/1954 | FSU 47, LOU 6 | Louisville, KY
• 10/3/1953 | FSU 59, LOU 0 | Tallahassee, FL
• 10/4/1952 | LOU 41, FSU 14 | Tallahassee, FL

Game notes from FSU’s win over Florida, via FSU Sports Info:

• With a 24-15 win Saturday night at Florida, No. 5 Florida State improved to 12-0 and completed its 7th perfect regular season in program history. This is the 4th time FSU has been 12-0 and the 11th time FSU was perfect on the road.
• The win gave Florida State its 16th state championship and its second straight season sweeping both in-state rivals. It is the 12th time since 1993 Florida State has swept the other “Big 3” Florida schools in the same season. In that span, Miami has four state sweeps and Florida has two.
• Florida State is now 29-3 all-time when ranked No. 5 in the AP poll, including 11-1 on the road and 2-0 this season. FSU is 156-29 all-time when ranked in the top 5 (11-0 in 2023) and is 106-6 all-time against unranked opponents when ranked in the top 5, with 26 consecutive wins.
• The Seminoles’ two wins against the SEC in 2023 and four combined in the past two seasons (2 each vs. LSU and Florida) are the most for any non-SEC team. FSU is the third different non-SEC program to earn at least four wins over SEC teams in a two-year span over the last 20 years (Clemson, 2015-19 and Georgia Tech, 2008-09).
• Florida State has won 9 of the last 13 matchups in the series and 5 of the last 7 in Gainesville. FSU’s 18-game win streak is the longest in the ACC and 3rd-longest active streak, trailing Georgia and Washington. The 18-game winning streak is the 2nd-longest in FSU history and 3rd-longest in ACC history. During its current win streak, Florida State has outscored its opponents 718-310.
• FSU did not allow 30 points in the regular season for the first time since 2015. At 12 games, FSU has the 3rd-longest active streak in the country not allowing 30 points. For the season, FSU lowered its scoring defense to 16.75, best in the ACC.
• FSU trailed 12-0 in the second quarter before outscoring the Gators 24-3 the rest of the way. FSU and Appalachian State are tied for the national lead with four wins after trailing by 10+ points this season. It was FSU’s 7th win under Mike Norvell when trailing by double-digits.
• The Noles have a +17 scoring run in every game this season.
• Redshirt junior Tate Rodemaker made his second career start – first since 2020 – and became the 3rd quarterback in FSU history to make his first or second collegiate start at Florida (Billy Prescott made his only career start in a 49-0 loss in 1973; Eddie Feely made his second career start in a 3-0 loss in 1960).
• Rodemaker averaged 11.2 yards per completion and did not have a turnover. FSU was turnover-free in eight games this year and has the fewest turnovers in the country, with five.
• Running back Trey Benson scored three rushing touchdowns Saturday, tying a career high. Benson also scored three rushing touchdowns against the Gators in 2022.
• Benson scored a 1-yard touchdown before halftime to get FSU on the board; a 36-yard run to begin the second half and a game-clinching 26-yard run with 2:48 remaining. His 14 rushing touchdowns this year are tied for 7th on FSU’s single-season list and his 23 career touchdowns on the ground are tied for 11th in FSU history.
• With 1,828 career rushing yards, Benson ranks 18th in FSU history.
• Benson’s first touchdown capped a 90-yard drive, FSU’s second of 90+ this season.
• Johnny Wilson led FSU with six catches for 64 yards. He has led FSU in receiving a team-high six times this season. His six catches give him 100 for his career.
• The Seminoles tied season highs with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
• FSU held Florida to 86 passing yards, the 4th time this year FSU held an opponent under 100 passing yards and 6th time holding an opponent without a passing touchdown.
• The defense allowed three points after halftime. FSU has allowed just 72 points after halftime (6.0 per game) and the defense has surrendered just 4.8 points/game after halftime.
• Jared Verse set a career-high with 2.5 sacks and had a season-high 3.0 tackles for loss. His 7.0 sacks lead FSU, and his 3.0 TFL are tied for the FSU high this year.
• Patrick Payton tied a career-high with 2.0 sacks. It was the second time this season – at Wake Forest – that Verse and Payton both had 2.0+ sacks.
• Braden Fiske split a pair of sacks in the first half to match his season-high 1.0 sacks. His 3.0 sacks on the season have come over FSU’s last four games.
• Keon Coleman returned a punt 34 yards in the fourth quarter, his third of the season over 30 yards and his only return of the day. He began Saturday 11th nationally with 11.2 yards per punt return this season.
• Right guard Keiondre Jones made his first start of the season. D’Mitri Emmanuel started at left guard for the first time this season after starting the first 11 games at right guard.
• Linebacker Kalen DeLoach iced the game with his second career interception. Both of his interceptions have come at Florida (2021). Florida entered Saturday 4th in the country in fewest interceptions with four and had thrown a touchdown in every game this year.
• Safety Akeem Dent forced a fumble and is now tied for the team lead with two this season and two in his career. His first was October 7 vs. Virginia Tech.
• Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald scored six points Saturday to cross the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Fitzgerald is 57-57 on extra points and 15-of-16 on field goals this year, and his 57 PAT are tied for 4th in a season at FSU. He is the first kicker at FSU with 57 made PAT in multiple seasons (was 57-58 in 2022).
• The 2023 team ranks 8th in program history with 465 points scored.
• Miscellaneous: Head coach Mike Norvell is 24-5 in November as a head coach, including 13-2 on the road…FSU completed its second straight perfect November and is 8-0 in the month over the last two years…running back Lawrance Toafili has 2,011 all-purpose yards in his career after rushing for 23 Saturday…Ja’Khi Douglas caught a crucial 4th-down pass for 10 yards and now has 1,003 career all-purpose yards…Florida was 4th in the country in 4th-down defense (.250); FSU was 1-1 on the day…Florida fell to 5-1 this season when leading at halftime.

Odds to win 2023 national championship, via DraftKings