FSU football: 3 keys to victory for Florida State versus Duke

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TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 14: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles looks on before the start of a game against the Syracuse Orange at Doak Campbell Stadium on October 14, 2023 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /

1. Stay Disciplined

There is a general rule of thumb when it comes to being successful on the football field is being able to stay disciplined and limit penalties. In the Seminoles’ 41-3 victory over the Syracuse Orange, they had six penalties for 50 yards. While the penalties did not impact the outcome of the game, it could hamper their ability to hold a commanding lead and allow Duke to stay around in the contest.

Florida State ranks No. 68 in the FBS where they have had 40 penalties thus far this season. For reference, they had seven penalties against LSU and five against Boston College. As most know, both of the mentioned games ended up in two completely different outcomes. The amount of penalties do not directly sway a result of a game, but poorly-timed mistakes do (just ask Boston College with their 15-yard facemask penalty to give the Seminoles the victory).

Doak Campbell Stadium will be packed. There will be loads of energy by the fanbase, which in turn makes the players motivated to play with emotion. However, they cannot turn that feeling into something that could harm the outcome of the game.

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