Florida State vs. Virginia Tech: Three Players to Watch As Seminoles Look To Start 5-0
After wide receiver Keon Coleman and quarterback Jordan Travis cut the sod in Death Valley and the team celebrated their first win over Clemson in nine years all the way home to Tallahassee, the ‘Noles entered a much-needed respite from nail-biting competition. The week off gave Mike Norvell’s squad an opportunity to get healthy, compose themselves, and make some mid-season preparations before continuing their push for a conference championship, playoff berth, and national title.
With the break now fully in the rearview mirror, fifth-ranked Florida State returns home to begin a three-game home stand with a matchup against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
GAME PREVIEW: Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech returns to Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time since 2018. Last time around, the ‘Noles entered the prime-time matchup riding a wave of hype and excitement. Florida State had hired its first new head coach in nearly eight years, and Willie Taggart was promising to bring a “Lethal Simplicity” to Tallahassee.
The moments leading up to the kickoff of the 2018 season remained burned in the memories of the Florida State faithful. The seats of Doak Campbell Stadium were draped in a sea of black as Florida State fans packed the stands for the “blackout game” and the ground shook as students, alumni and the players on the field swayed back and forth to the tune of “Swag Surfin’” by Fast Life Yungstaz.
What began as a night full of eager anticipation quickly descended into disappointment shortly after the kickoff. Instead of serving as the triumphant emergence of a new era, the night would go on to be remembered as the beginning of the downward spiral for the Florida State football program.
Five long years later, a different kind of hype now fills the air as the Hokies return to town. Mike Norvell — in his fourth season — has brought Florida State back from rock bottom, and his ‘Noles are on the brink of returning to the College Football Playoffs. While it’s not exactly a full circle moment for them, the Seminoles will look to continue their winning streak en route to their main goals.
FSU enters Saturday’s contest as the fifth-ranked team in the nation and they’re positioned to churn out an assertive performance over Virginia Tech, but, as we well know, nothing is ever a foregone conclusion.
Let’s take a look at a handful of Florida State’s guys that could shine on Saturday and help fuel a decisive victory over an all too familiar conference opponent.
1. Akeem Dent, Safety
Florida State defensive back Akeem Dent has emerged as the elder statesman for the position group. Now a redshirt senior in his fifth season with the program, Dent solidified his role in the starting rotation following an impressive 2022 campaign that saw the safety notch 53 tackles, four pass breakups, and one quarterback hurry in 13 appearances (12 starts). Given the scant depth at the safety position, the three-year starter provides a quality that the group sorely needs: experience. Something the group has lacked with Dent absent from the lineup.
Since going down with an injury against Southern Miss in Week 2, Dent has been sidelined for Florida State’s last two games, and it has shown. In his absence, Norvell and company have turned to junior defensive back Kevin Knowles and redshirt sophomore Shyheim Brown. Both have made significant strides in their respective developments, but coach Norvell hit the issue right on the nose.
“We kind of hit one of those perfect negative storms," Norvell said earlier this week. "Kevin Knowles missed a lot of fall camp. It’s just a repetition of all of those things. He kind of got thrust into heavy action there that BC week. You look at other guys that might not have as much experience.”
Unfortunately for FSU, that lack of experience has reared its ugly head in the box score. Through four weeks, Adam Fuller’s defense is giving up an ACC-worst 272.0 passing yards per game. In the past two games alone, the ‘Noles have yielded a combined 588 yards through the air without Dent in the secondary.
Not all is doom and gloom for the defensive secondary, however, because the bye week has given the veteran safety sufficient time to potentially make his return in the days to come. Florida State hasn’t made public the nature of Dent’s availability for Saturday, but Norvell made the following statement during his press conference earlier in the week.
“We’re excited about Akeem coming back but also the positive steps that we’ve seen in those guys the last couple of weeks.”
If Dent does return to action on Saturday, he’ll be a crucial factor in slowing down a Hokies offense that averages 222.2 passing yards per game. Fuller’s defense will have to help him get back into gear quickly in order to turn around their recent passing defense woes, and they will have a prime opportunity to do so against an opponent that will test them through the air.
Put simply, if Dent takes the field Saturday afternoon, keep an eye out for the role he plays in the secondary.
2. Ja’Khi Douglas, Wide Receiver
Akeem Dent wasn’t the only victim of the early-season injury bug. Prior to the start of the season, wide receiver Ja’Khi Douglas was struck by the bug and has since been absent in every one of Florida State’s contests. No definitive timetable was ever given for his return outside of the “a few games” distinction coach Norvell gave during a press conference leading up to the season opener, but recent developments point to a possible return in the very near future.
In the event Douglas does make his return against Virginia Tech, you’ll want to keep an eye on just how he’s incorporated into the offense. The redshirt junior receiver tallied 123 yards with two scores a season ago and 357 all-purpose yards after starting 12 games for the 'Noles in 2021. However, he returns to a wide receiver room that is far more filled to the brim with talent than in past years.
Time will tell if Alex Atkins’ offense has the same role carved out for the veteran receiver, but if he’s given the green light for Saturday, then we could get our first look at the nature of his involvement in this year's iteration of the offense.
3. Dennis Briggs, Jr., Defensive Tackle
I guess the underlying theme of today’s article is coming back from injury because the next athlete on our list has fought hard to return to the field after struggling with various ailments during his career. Redshirt Senior Dennis Briggs Jr. has scratched and clawed his way into the starting rotation ever since he arrived on campus.
Back in 2021, Briggs suffered a season-ending injury within the four weeks of the season. Forced to sit out, the defensive lineman remained a consummate professional, and when he eventually returned, the veteran displayed an unwavering support of the defense despite fluctuations in playing opportunities, available minutes, injuries, etc.
That commitment paid dividends when he made his return to the field in 2022. Briggs appeared in all 13 games for the Seminoles in 2022, started in three of them, and recorded 21 tackles, including 3.5 for loss with 3.0 sacks, one quarterback hurry, and one pass breakup.
Despite the infusion of talent along the defensive line over the course of the off-season, the sixth-year man out of Kissimmee looked to carry that momentum for his return in the 2023 season. Thus far, he’s produced ten total tackles, eight of which are counted as solo tackles, and 1.5 sacks through three games. He may not garner the attention or hype of a Jared Verse or Braden Fiske, but Dennis Briggs has been instrumental in the trenches, in the locker room, and a pivotal member of the culture Mike Norvell has worked to establish.
Look for the Seminole to find ways of disrupting the Virginia Tech offense no matter how many reps he gets. Alongside the likes of Fiske and Lovett, Briggs will have opportunities to make his presence known. Something he has had no trouble with doing so far.
Evidenced by the talented individuals listed above, there exists a unique combination of experience and skill across the Florida State roster that has allowed the Seminoles to find ways to win week in and week out. Regardless of their nature, the victories in the first four weeks of the season have kept Mike Norvell’s squad on the path toward accomplishing their lofty goals for 2023, but all eyes remained focused on the task at hand. The ‘Noles will call on their talent and experience to quell any threat of a home loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.
