In the first game since firing coach Mike Norvell, the Florida State Seminoles are the favorites to win in Chestnut Hill against Boston College this weekend. Leading the team into the game will be interim coach Rick Stockstill, who is no stranger to calling the shots.
Stockstill spent 18 years with Middle Tennessee as the coach, amassing a record of 113-111 that included an upset win over Miami in 2022. Stockstill has been there, done that, and seen just about everything football has to offer. Now, he will get back in the saddle for the first of four games as the interim coach.
Florida State is in the middle of a three-game losing streak to the likes of Louisville, Miami, and Clemson. Stockstill needs to stop the bleeding, and Boston College should offer a chance to do so after suffering a crushing loss to Duke last week.
Whether it be due to the loss or the Seminoles' change in leadership, the public is backing Florida State to end the losing streak with a win over the Eagles this weekend.
Florida State vs. Boston College Week 10 early odds, spread, and total
Game odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- FSU -230
- BC +190
Spread
- FSU -6.5 (-110)
- BC +6.5 (-110)
Total
- 50.5 (over -110/under -110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
Initial Reactions
Stockstill made things clear in the first press conference as the interim coach, noting that the team is not "broke", but there are many things that need to be improved upon. The first thing Stockstill needs to find a fix for is the running game, after Clemson allowed just 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Ashton Daniels found plenty of success through the air against Clemson, partially due to necessity, as the Seminoles were losing. Daniels recorded 350 passing yards and two scores against a secondary that had been allowing 206.3 passing yards per game. That number will likely be harder to reach against a strong Boston College secondary.
The Eagles allow 188.5 passing yards per game, which is third-best in the ACC this season; a pretty amazing accomplishment for one of the lowest budgets in the FBS. Boston College also leads the ACC with 11 interceptions, fueled by sophomore defensive back Charlie Comella. There are, however, a few potential flaws in the defense that Florida State could expose that would make it difficult for Boston College to win.
Duke handily beat Boston College by a 45-point margin, and that was largely due to the quarterback play. Walker Eget completed 61.1% of his pass attempts against a defense that typically allows opposing quarterbacks to complete around 64.9% of their attempts. Boston College typically does an excellent job at collapsing on the receiver and limiting big gains, but Duke was able to consistently slip the Eagles' defenders.
Daniels needs to get the ball out quickly because there will be open receivers, but the longer he waits, the better chance there is of an interception.
Duke wasn't one-dimensional against Boston College either, with a powerful run game that helped turn the passing gains into scoring drives. If Florida State can find a way to revive the run game against the Eagles, the team should be able to pick up the win without any serious issues.
Stockstill is as experienced a coach as they come, and while making big improvements in the same week the head coach was fired is difficult, he just might be able to pull it off. Another factor involves Norvell, because although he was not necessarily a fan favorite anymore, the coach still had tons of players who respected him that will likely want to win that much more in Week 10.
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