FSU Football: Southern Miss player called most intriguing of bowl

FSU football will face a Southern Miss team that will bring their best for the Independence Bowl – with one player being singled out as the one to watch.

For the first time since the 1996 season, the FSU football team will face off on the field of battle with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. While the schools were never traditional rivals, they played over 20 games in a 50 season period of showdowns that took place before almost every member of both rosters were even born.

While the Seminoles are a heavy favorite in this game, the Noles know all too well that they can not afford to take the men from Conference USA for granted if they want to extend their streak of winning seasons that dates back to the 1977 season.

Of the ways they are going to be victorious is if they can shut down a Golden Eagles passing game that ranks 47th in the country entering bowl seasons – putting them right in the middle of passing offenses FSU football will have faced this season. The main target will be their 1,000 yard receiver, junior Korey Robertson, who Sports Illustrated says in the most intriguing player in Shreveport:

"The Golden Eagles’ top receiver has crossed the 100-yard mark five times this season, helping him rank 15th in the country in receiving yards (1,070) and tied for ninth in receiving TDs (11). Robertson will test the Florida State secondary, which will be without star safety Derwin James."

Now, not to disrespect Robertson in anyway after having a heck of a season, but one look at the numbers show that the whole story. So far this season, the junior pass catcher has faced four defenses better than FSU football – who rank 47th in pass defense entering bowl season. In those games, Robertson averaged 87 yards receiving and only scored two touchdowns.

His biggest game of the season – 159 yards receiving and two touchdowns – came against a Rice team ranked 78th in pass defense. Against 113th ranked Kentucky, he had 111 yards receiving and two scores while going for 127 yards and two scores against 53rd ranked Louisiana Tech.

Against a common opponent this season – a Louisiana Monroe team ranked 128th against the pass – Robertson had 72 yards receiving and two touchdowns in a one point victory over a Warhawks team that averaged giving up 300 yards passing each game.

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Without a doubt, the departure of James to prepare for the pro game is going to have an effect on FSU football in this one and force the other players in the secondary to step their game up in his absence. However, at the risk of sounding like a Power Five conference snob, the level of competition Robertson and the Golden Eagles doesn’t match what they will see in Shreveport.