Q&A: Meet SMU's Week 5 opponent, Florida State

The SMU Mustangs take on the Florida State Seminoles at 7 p.m. CT inside Ford Stadium. To better get to know Mike Norvell’s team, we turned to Warchant’s Matt LaSerre to give us an inside look at Florida State.

1. Where do things stand in the passing game? What does DJ Uiagalelei do well and what’s been his weaknesses for Florida State this year?

ML: The passing game so far this year has been shaky for FSU, really the whole offense has been disappointing. I will say, the guys on the team have made comments recently that they feel they are close to clicking, and with SMU’s corners/secondary really being their weak point, this could be that game. 

As for DJ , I think a lot of his issues have come in decision making and maybe hesitating a little too much. You see this a lot on RPOs and when he looks at the defense before plays having trouble seeing what they are giving him. I think that mainly comes with a lack of confidence, that plays huge when it comes to the QB. He can throw a really pretty ball and we’ve seen him do that, but the consistency is what needs to show up. 

2. What does the injury to Roydell Williams mean for Florida State’s run game? Do you see the Seminoles trying to pound the rock big-time on SMU’s defense?

ML: I actually see the loss of Roydell as a slight positive for FSU right now, giving this stacked running back room a chance to really prove itself and give the guys who have been here a chance to show what they are amde of. Lawrence Toafili has really shown to do well when they need him to be a workhorse. This was seen last week when he had 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and in the ACC Championship game where he won MVP with the only touchdown.

Kam Davis, while he is a freshmen, has always shown a lot of maturity, and he’s much bigger then most freshmen coming into their first year of college football. His running style is also similar to Williams so there is a chance they do not miss a beat here. One thing I do worry about when it comes to Davis, while he is huge, is his ability to keep taking hits as he plays more. This is a kid who played QB in high school so he wasn’t used to taking hit after hit like he will as a college running back.

Sam Singleton is also someone that you should watch out for, he hasn’t gotten many carries in games, but did show throughout fall camp this year he has that big play speed and ability.

3. Shed some light on why Florida State’s defensive line is so dominant from what it seems so far this year. Who are the key players for that group and what makes them special overall?

ML: This defensive line is just full of freaks. The biggest thing that happened for the drastic improvement we saw from the 0-3 start was DC Adam Fuller actually simplified the defense for them. The point of that was he wanted them to just go attack. The whole team was pressing and very hesitant the first three weeks so narrowing down that defensive scheme really helped them finally play with speed and confidence leading to the showing they had against Cal.

In general, the d-line is just full of freaks, Darrell Jackson just looks like a monster and is one of the biggest guys in college football. Pat Payton and Joshua Farmer finally having a breakout game was huge for the Seminoles, who I think really needed that confidence boost to kind of provide a spark for the whole team. The last one is Marvin Jones Jr who was probably the most disappointing one through the first three week as you have this five-star kid from Georgia who’s Dad is an all-time great at FSU just wasn’t playing with the energy we expected. Now that he had two sacks last week, at critical points in the game, you are starting to see him lighten up a bit. Defensive ends coach John Papuchis even said he is starting to see him smile more around the facility. That new mood and spark could cause him to play with more confidence now against SMU.

4. Are there any key injuries you’re watching for Florida State?

ML: The main injuries to watch for is probably at tackle with Jeremiah Byers and Rob Scott. Byers has been out the last couple of games, and Rob Scott has been plagued with injuries throughout his career and did not play last week either. Norvell did say on Monday that he felt good about both of them being available Saturday, they normally split snaps. 

If they are unable to go, look for redshirt sophomore from Duncanville, TX, Jaylen Early to make a start in his homecoming to Dallas. He has started the last two games, the first after Darius Washington got hurt in pregame warmups and he got shoved in there at the last second, without his offensive line coach on the sideline. Safe to say, the second start against Cal was much better.

5. How do you see this game playing out? What are the keys to victory for Florida State and what can the Seminoles not do in this one? Do you have a prediction?

ML: I don’t really like the matchup on paper for FSU. Even with the secondary being SMU’s weak point, it’s not like Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson are the FSU receivers anymore. I feel both teams will try to pound the rock and establish the run. Which is why I think the trenches is what will really matter in this game. 

If the FSU defensive line plays the way we know they can, that matchup against a good SMU offensive line will probably be the most fun part to watch.

With that being said, the key to victory is this FSU defense. That is what will continue to win FSU games down the stretch. It sucks that this team is basically Iowa now, but that is the reality at this point. 

I have a trend of thinking FSU is going to lose at the start of the week, and then by Thursday I warm up a little bit, but it is still Tuesday as I write this so I am going with a 20-17 SMU win right now.