NoleGameday Staff Score Predictions: Florida State Seminoles At Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Florida State outscored its trio of opponents 118-40 during a three-game homestand to begin October. Now, the Seminoles will conclude the month on the road with the first half of a two-game trip away from Tallahassee that begins in Winston-Salem. This is a sneaky matchup as Wake Forest has taken a step back in 2023 but head coach Mike Norvell has never defeated Dave Clawson (0-4) in his career.
READ MORE: Florida State To "Probably" Be Without Veteran Defensive Lineman Against Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons snapped a three-game losing streak last weekend after taking down Pittsburgh in the final seconds with a touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Santino Marucci. It's unclear who will be under center in this contest as Marucci and starter Mitch Griffis split snaps throughout the week. Griffis has been dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Wake Forest has been a thorn in Florida State's side as of late despite the Seminoles holding a 30-9-1 edge in the series. The Demon Deacons are one of four programs in the ACC that Norvell has yet to earn a victory against since arriving in Tallahassee. The other three are North Carolina State (0-3), Pittsburgh (0-1), and Virginia (haven't played). FSU came up short 35-14 in 2021 and 31-21 in 2022.
Our staff provides their analysis and predictions as the Seminoles prepare to take on the Demon Deacons.
Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG)
There may be people around the country or within the fanbase who think this game doesn't matter to Florida State. They are wrong as the Seminoles enter this game with a chip on their shoulder after Wake Forest handed them their first defeat last season. Only one player on the roster (Dennis Briggs) remains from the last time the program defeated the Demon Deacons in 2018 and he's not even expected to play.
With that being said, a lot of what made Wake Forest what it is over the last couple of years has moved on. Obviously, I'm talking about former star quarterback Sam Hartman, who is finishing out his career at Notre Dame. Clawson's offense has struggled in the first season without Hartman at the helm in five years. They've only scored 20 or more points in four of seven games, and one of those took a last-second touchdown.
As long as Florida State doesn't lose the turnover battle and plays relatively clean, those could be the type of game that turns into domination for the Seminoles. Wake Forest is allowing 4.4 sacks and 8.7 tackles for loss per game while holding one of the worst turnover margins in the country (-0.7).
In a game that so many are pegging as a potential trap for Florida State, I see the opposite. I think Mike Norvell will have his team focused for this matchup, especially with the recent history that favors Wake Forest. I'll take the Seminoles in a sizable victory.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 41, Demon Deacons 10
Logan Robinson (@LogansTwitty)
Florida State should come into this game a bit ticked off after the last couple of years losing to Dave Clawson and his Demon Deacons. I’ve got the Seminoles winning this and by a favorable margin because of that reason.
If Adam Fuller’s defense plays assignment football, certainly in the linebacker room, FSU should be able to shut down Wake’s offense. 8-0 incoming and the ‘Noles stay undefeated.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 44, Demon Deacons 17
Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG)
As Kirk Herbstreit mentioned, Florida State won't want to mess around in this game. FSU hasn't beaten Wake Forest since 2018, and it's not exactly an electric atmosphere in Winston-Salem. This has a very real chance to be another sleepy noon game, much like the Boston College game was, and you don't want to be the first Top 10 team Wake Forest has beaten since 1946.
There's also a chance Coach Norvell wants to put it on to a Wake Forest team that's given them some fits. I think Florida State starts off slow, much like they have in a lot of these noon games, before turning it on in the second half to get a sneaky backdoor cover.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 38, Demon Deacons 13
Dillon Riera (@13d_riera)
Florida State will once again take their undefeated record and national ranking into the arena against a well-coached Wake Forest football team. That's about where the similarities to last year's contest end, however, because the 2023 Demon Deacon team doesn't have their former leading man: quarterback Sam Hartman. Since Hartman's departure to Notre Dame during the offseason, this Demon Deacon team has been desperately searching for their identity. The once prolific "slow mesh" offense has struggled to lead to points with Wake Forest having only surpassed 24 total points in a game on three occasions (averaging 23.1 per game).
Their offense is averaging 363.4 total yards per game, they have a third down conversion rate of roughly 37%, and they have a -5 turnover ratio on the season thus far. Not to mention, the offensive woes have since intensified following the injuries of both starting quarterback Mitch Griffis and backup quarterback Michael Kern. Despite the decline in production, Wake has still found ways to win games and they currently possess a 4-3 record. On the other hand, the 1-3 ACC record is not as impressive, especially when you look closely at the double-digit losses against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. Nonetheless, it's never wise to underestimate this Wake Forest team, and a three-game win streak is never something to scoff at.
Kirk Herbstreit's comments earlier in the week were absolutely correct. The Seminoles cannot sleep walk their way into this game because, before you know it, you'll find yourself in a close contest on the road. It may sound like a broken record at this point but it still holds true: Florida State has an overwhelming amount of talented players on every side of the ball, all of whom are capable of pushing the 'Noles toward a dominant performance. The offense, helmed by Jordan Travis, is averaging 445.1 yards and 41.6 points per game.
A large portion of that offensive production comes through the air. FSU's talented wide receiver corps, which includes the likes of Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, has pushed their passing yard average upwards of 270 per game. Factor in the multi-headed rushing attack of Trey Benson, Lawrance Toafili, and company, and it's not hard to see why their offense is one of the nation's most explosive. Oh, and we haven't even covered the FSU defense, which is holding opponents to 350 yards of offense per game and getting into the backfield like it's nobody's business. Put simply, Mike Norvell's squad has proven their ability to run with the best, and it stands to reason that they should handle this Demon Deacon team with relative ease. Of course, that's easier said than done.
Last year, I wrote the following in my prediction for this exact game: "Each week comes and goes, and I keep thinking that this is the week something pops out from behind that corner and finally gets the 'Noles. On the contrary, something in my gut is telling me that things are different; that this isn't the same FSU football team. This is a new Florida State program with a desire to win and the resilience and know-how to do just that." Truth be told, I feel the same uneasy feeling each week, but I believe the latter half of that segment holds true now more than ever. Time and again, this Florida State team has proven their ability to win games regardless of the circumstances. Whether they fall behind by double digits or they pull away at the very end, the Seminoles simply find ways to win, and sometimes that's all you can ask for. Although not always the prettiest, the 'Noles are playing inspired ball, and it's the reason Vegas has set the line at (-20.5) in their favor.
Florida State is 7-0, ranked fourth in the country, and fighting for a return to both the ACC championship and College Football Playoff. On the other sideline, Wake Forest is searching for their identity, boasting a 3-game win streak over the Seminoles, and playing in front of their home crowd. Something is eventually going to give in, and I think it's going to be Wake Forest. The Seminoles are battle-tested, finding their rhythm, and far too talented for a Demon Deacon team that suffered losses to less than stellar conference opponents. I believe FSU, aware of the slander they received after the Duke win, will come out with a sharpness and intensity. Wake may hold on for the early moments of the game, but I fully expect Norvell to finally get the monkey off his back and finally defeat Clawson's Deacons on their own turf.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 41, Demon Deacons 24
Tommy Mire (@TommyM3III)
FSU has never beaten Wake Forest during the Mike Norvell era but that record should change this Saturday. The Seminoles are 20.5-point favorites for a reason and have learned their lesson about sleeping on teams in the past.
It's their first away game in the month of October, so there might be some jitters to work out initially, but I believe Jordan Travis and company will handle business and move to 8-0 on the season. Wake is on its third quarterback, and although historically the 'Noles have trouble defending Wake’s slow-mesh offense, I believe they come prepared and avoid the midseason blues.
FSU is hopeful star receiver Johnny Wilson and Destyn Hill will return but if that isn’t the case, the Seminoles have enough firepower to make up the deficit.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 38, Demon Deacons 17
Kade Kimble (@kadekimble)
The Seminoles are going to have no issue eclipsing 30 points, as has been the case all season, and it’ll lead the them being able to cover on the road against Wake Forest. It’ll be a big day for the defense as they’ll open the door for the Seminoles offense to build separation in this game.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 37, Demon Deacons 14
Robert Malcom (@kwrobertm)
While the Seminoles have struggled with the slow mesh offense Wake Forest runs, the offensive talent that the team has had in the past isn't there this year as the team hasn't scored more than three touchdowns since week three.
I also think there is something different about this FSU team compared to the past few years. Despite the 'Noles consistently overlooked prior to this season in the Mike Norvell era, the 2023 Seminoles are the team to beat, and they play like it. After putting up 38 points against one of the nation's best defenses, Florida State has high expectations for this week 8 matchup.
With FSU finally finding a good balance between pass and run plays, as well as an offense that has been putting up big numbers for 13 straight games, I think that Wake Forest simply won't be able to outscore FSU.
2023 Season Prediction Record: 7-0
Seminoles 41, Demon Deacons 17
CONSENSUS: Florida State (7-0)
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