FSU football: 3 keys to Noles defeating NC State in 2021
By Kelvin Hunt
No Turnovers
FSU football has two games where the offense didn’t turn the ball over(UNC and UMASS), and they won both games convincingly.
The other win was against Syracuse, where they won on a field goal on the last possession. The offense had one turnover in that game(special teams had another).
The Noles had 11 turnovers in the first four games of the season and went 0-4. If FSU turns the ball over in any phase, it dramatically decreases their chances of winning against good teams. The offense isn’t good enough to overcome them, and NC State will feature the third-best defense FSU has faced this season.
However, NC State is missing two of their better players at linebacker due to injury. Ironically, 50 percent of FSU’s turnovers have happened in Doak Campbell Stadium.
NC State will likely move the ball against the FSU defense, so wasting possession isn’t conducive to keeping pace if it becomes a shootout.
The over/under total is 55.5, with oddsmakers expecting around 30 points from NC State. NC State only has six turnovers all season, so the likelihood of forcing a turnover to even things is low. Every possession will count in this game.