Nov 273 min read

Gators Aim to Beat FSU for First Time Since 2021

The Florida State Seminoles (2-9, 1-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) will host the Florida Gators (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in Tallahassee, Fla. The Seminoles come into this matchup after getting just their second win this season, defeating the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Nov. 23. The Gators come into the matchup on the back of two upsets: the Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 23 and LSU Tigers on Nov. 16, ending both of their College Football Playoff bids in The Swamp.

What's at Stake

For Florida State, its season has been full of pitfalls. This past week, that continued. Two top recruits decommitted from the Seminoles and flipped to the Gators. This will likely continue for many other recruits if the Gators stroll into Doak Campbell Stadium and crush the Seminoles. Unfortunately for Florida State students and alumni, head coach Mike Norvell's buyout is just over $64 million, meaning they likely will be stuck with him for a while even if the school wanted to buy him out.

For the Gators, their win against the Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 23 cemented their status as a bowl team in 2024. However, the Gators still have a very important game against Florida State before they even look toward the postseason. The Gators will be expected to win the game as they open up as 14.5-point favorites. Gators star quarterback D.J. Lagway and the rest of the Gators offense will be ready to take on the Seminoles in another edition of this great in-state rivalry.

Key Players: Florida State Seminoles

The Seminoles are led by QB Brock Glenn, who replaced D.J. Uiagalelei after just a handful of games. Glenn hasn't been much better and was replaced during the middle of the Charleston Southern game by freshman Luke Kromenhoek. He is expected to make his first career start against the Gators. It will be the first game in the rivalry's history that both teams will start freshman QBs. When it comes to the running game, it has been a one-man show for the Seminoles.

Running back Lawrance Toafili leads all Florida State rushers in carries and yardage (100 carries for 413 yards). Despite the constant change at QB, the wide receivers have kept up their play all season long. The two top targets have been Ja'khi Douglas and Malik Benson, who have combined for 52 receptions, 792 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Key Players: Florida Gators

The Gators will be led by Lagway and his offensive weapons. Those are running backs Jaden Baugh (522 yards) and Montrell Johnson Jr. (494 yards), along with star WRs Elijhah Badger (778 reception yards) and Chimere Dike (624 reception yards). In recent weeks, the offense has exploded into a juggernaut team, beating the then-No. 15 LSU Tigers and No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels.

However, it was the Florida defense that led the way, getting crucial stops and shutting down the opposing offenses when it mattered most. Against LSU, they got 7 sacks. The Tigers had only allowed 6 all season prior to that game. Against the Rebels, they added another 4 sacks. Defensive back Bryce Thornton also picked off Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart twice to seal the win. The Seminoles will have to be weary of the entire defense if they are not careful as they start a freshman QB.