NoleGameday Staff Score Predictions: Florida State Seminoles Vs. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

The Florida State Seminoles put on an absolute show to open the season after thrashing LSU 45-24 following a dominant second half. The performance has the program sitting at No. 4 in the country for the first time in a long time and there are plenty of good vibes floating around in Tallahassee.

With that being said, the Seminoles don't have much time to celebrate with Southern Miss coming to town just six days later. The Golden Eagles aren't your typical Group of 5 team as they are coached by a former protege of Mike Norvell (Will Hall) and have a Clemson transfer as their starting quarterback (Billy Wiles).

Plus, everyone remembers what happened the last time Florida State played on Labor Day weekend prior to matching up with an overmatched team six days later. To say the least, expect Norvell to have his team focused coming into this matchup with Southern Miss.

Our staff provides their analysis and predictions as the Seminoles gear up for their home opener against the Golden Eagles.

Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG)

It was fun to see Florida State prove itself on the national stage last weekend. There's no doubt that the victory against the Tigers will be remembered for a long time in Tallahassee, especially if the Seminoles are able to go on to achieve special heights in 2023.

With that being said, championship teams take care of business any given Saturday - no matter the opponent, venue, or situation. That's where the Seminoles find themselves just six days after a statement victory against LSU. Facing a team that everyone is expecting them to dominate, will Florida State come out flat or focused?

Personally, I liked what I saw from the team during their two open practices earlier this week. The coaching staff was pushing harder than ever and it felt like the players were doing what they could to move on to the next opponent on their schedule.

Southern Miss is a talented team and should have a successful campaign under Will Hall. However, I think the Seminoles will make quick work of the Golden Eagles on Saturday night in front of the home crowd. Florida State is simply too deep and will be looking to hone in on a couple of facets on both sides of the ball against Southern Miss.

Expect to see plenty of freshmen and young players in the lineup during the second half. Oh, and watch out for Jared Verse to wreak havoc while the starters are in the game.

How many games did Dustin predict correctly in 2022? 11-2 (wrong against LSU and Wake Forest).

Seminoles 51, Golden Eagles 13

Logan Robinson (@LogansTwitty)

I’ve got this one not lasting too long for Southern Miss on Saturday evening for a late night kickoff. I’d like to see a few things cleaned up for the Seminoles including downfield blocking for some of the wide receivers and tight ends, better run game efficiency, and having a stronger defensive start to begin the game.

FSU and Jordan Travis take care of business early and we get to see a handful of younger guys get substantial playing time.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

How many games did Logan predict correctly in 2022? 12-1 (wrong against Wake Forest).

Seminoles 56, Golden Eagles 13

Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG)

Looking forward to seeing how Florida State responds to their big win Sunday night, I’m pretty sure all of us will pick blowouts in this one.

Southern Miss has a few talented skill players, but I trust FSU’s defensive line will handle business as needed, while the ‘Noles re-establish run dominance and run away with this game.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

How many games did Austin predict correctly in 2022? 12-1 (wrong against LSU, Wake Forest, and NC State).

Seminoles 49, Golden Eagles 13

Dillon Riera (@13d_riera)

Florida State is coming off the high of defeating the No. 5 LSU Tigers and the excitement of its highest AP Poll ranking in nearly six years. However, they'll have to quickly refocus and get locked in during a shortened week, because the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles are coming to town.

The line is set at (-31) in Florida State's favor and ESPN's FPI has given them a nearly 97% chance to pull off a win, but any Seminole fan can tell you that there's history with the Golden Eagles. The Southern Mississippi and Florida State football programs have gone head to head 23 times; the 'Noles lead the series 14-8-1. Despite FSU's ownership of the series, 'Nole fans of yesteryear can tell you about the disappointing losses to the Eagles in the 80s, one of which was at the hands of then-unknown quarterback Brett Favre. If the Seminoles aren't careful, this year's Golden Eagles team could surprise them.

The Eagle offense is helmed by former Clemson quarterback Billy Wiles, who found success in the air during his week 1 matchup against Alcorn State. The quarterback threw for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns, connecting with wide receiver Jakarius Caston for 107 of those yards on the way to a 40-14 victory. This team has the ability to stretch the field and threaten deep, but FSU's DBs have already proven their ability to limit explosive receivers. On the flip side, the Eagles gave up 182 rushing yards to Alcorn State, so keep an eye out for just how aggressive Trey Benson and the Florida State rushing game are out of the gate.

Whatever way you spin it, the Seminoles should leave this matchup with the win. The 'Noles, fueled by the excitement following their Week 1 victory, will return home in prime time to play in front of a sold-out home crowd. Mike Norvell's squad is hellbent on continuing their climb, and I don't expect them to ease up whatsoever. I believe Florida State takes this one with relative ease, and the 'Noles establish their rhythm on both sides of the ball before moving on to their ACC opener the following week.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

How many games did Dillon predict correctly in 2022? 10-1 (wrong against Wake Forest - joined after the season began).

Seminoles 38, Golden Eagles 10

Tommy Mire (@TommyM3III)

The 'Noles are coming off an exciting and landmark victory in the Mike Norvell era, relatively unscathed and healthy, which is a good thing. The Southern Miss game should give them a chance to showcase some of their freshmen and the depth they've built over the past four years.

I expect Jordan Travis to get the team into a position where we see the depth in the QB room get playing time, and this should be one of the four games that the planned redshirts see action. I don't expect Southern Miss to just lay down and take it, and they will be amped to have a shot at the No. 4 Seminoles.

Still, even with a decent running game and a decent defense, this game should most certainly be over by halftime, and most of the Golden Eagles' points will be scored against the backups. I don't see head coach Mike Norvell turning this game into a slaughterhouse, but I do expect them to hang at least 38.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

Seminoles 53, Golden Eagles 14

Kade Kimble (@kadekimble)

The Seminoles put up six touchdowns against the LSU Tigers despite an incredibly slow start. That was – at the time – the No. 5 ranked team in the country on the biggest stage of Week 1. Florida State’s offense will see no issues against Southern Miss, and the only reason they’ll put up seven touchdowns is because they’ll slow things down in the back half of the game.

Evidently, playing Southern Miss will give the Seminoles a good chance to get a look at younger players and backups since Week 1 didn’t pose that much of an opportunity.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

Seminoles 49, Golden Eagles 13

Robert Malcom (@kwrobertm)

I think the Seminoles' offense will begin to score much earlier in the game than they did against LSU in week 1.

Overall I have a feeling that this game will look very similar to the second half against the Tigers, and I'm not sure the Golden Eagles will be able to last very long against the 'Noles, especially considering Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said this FSU team is better than the 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide.

2023 Season Prediction Record: 1-0

Seminoles 52, Golden Eagles 14

CONSENSUS: Florida State (7-0)

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