FSU football: 6 most winnable games on 2021 schedule
By Kelvin Hunt
No. 2 Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State gave the Noles a good scare last year when they returned a Tate Rodemaker interception for a touchdown on FSU’s first offensive possession last season.
FSU fans blinked, and it was 21-7 late in the second half, and FSU probably loses this game if Mike Norvell doesn’t insert Jordan Travis in at quarterback.
This is an FCS team FSU football has no business losing to, and it should be an automatic win for the Noles.
It should be a good game to get several young guys into the game for some valuable experience. It’s also the week before the Wake Forest game, so it should give the coaching staff ample time to work on things a week early for the Demon Deacons.
No. 1
UMASS
This game is the long-awaited return of former FSU offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Most FSU football fans will remember Bell as one of the reasons former FSU QB commit Sam Howell ultimately de-committed and decided to stay in-state with North Carolina.
Bell was only at FSU football for one season with Willie Taggart before leaving for the head coaching job at UMASS. That program has been an unmitigated disaster, going 1-15 under Bell since the 2019 season.
This game is in a solid position in the middle of two tough games with North Carolina and Clemson. FSU should win this game by at least 30 points.