TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — North Alabama (3-7) at No. 4 Florida State (10-0, No. 4 CFP), Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET (The CW)
Line: No line.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
After wrapping up an 8-0 mark in the ACC, Florida State gets a break with a matchup against FCS opponent North Alabama as the Seminoles honor their seniors. Florida State is looking for its 17th straight win. While the Seminoles lost a Sept. 2021 game to then-FCS program Jacksonville State, that FSU team was among the youngest in college football’ these Seminoles are loaded with veterans at every position group. North Alabama will be paid a $400,000 guarantee.
KEY MATCHUP
UNA’s pass offense vs. Florida State’s pass defense. Lions quarterback Noah Walters has thrown for 19 touchdown passes, tied for 10th on the school’s all-time single-season list. UNA likely won’t challenge Florida State too much, but Walters had a five-touchdown game against Austin Peay and has thrown for 2,281 yards while completing 59.2 percent of his passes. The Seminoles have recorded 27 sacks (27th in the FBS) and the pass defense allows a 46.9 percent completion rate — the only FBS team since 2018 to force more incompletions.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
North Alabama: WR Takairee Kenebrew has 25 touchdown receptions, tied for the school record after he hauled in two TDs in last week’s loss to Central Arkansas. The redshirt senior has nine touchdown receptions, one away from the single-season school record — Ed Gant had 10 in 2008 and Dre Hall had 10 in 2015.
Florida State: QB Jordan Travis will play his final game inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The redshirt senior owns the school records for touchdowns (97) and total offense (10,516), while he is second in passing yards (8,622) behind only 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke (9,839).
FACTS & FIGURES
Florida State is 10-0 for the eighth time in program history and the first time since 2014 … The Seminoles are 15th in the FBS in scoring defense (17.3 points), and they haven’t allowed 30 points in a game … Florida State is also 13th in scoring offense (38.3 points) … The Seminoles have committed just five turnovers, the second-fewest in the FBS … UNA has not played a Power 5 opponent since 1959 at Vanderbilt.
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