Wake Forest Football: Florida State Players to Watch
No. 23 Florida State (4-0) will take on No. 22 Wake Forest (3-1) in Tallahassee this Saturday.
READ: Wake Forest at Florida State: Odds, Preview and Predictions
The Deacs cruised to a 35-14 win over the Noles last season, and will look to win their third in a row against this program. However, a Dave Clawson-led team has never won in Tallahassee.
Hurricane Ian is causing serious damage to the state of Florida, but all signs are pointing toward this game being played on Saturday. A typically sized home crowd would be significant for the Seminoles chances.
The Noles’ offense is clicking on all cylinders, and it could not come at a better time, as they will go toe-to-toe with the Deacs’ up-tempo offense this weekend.
“The team that we’re watching right now on tape doesn't look anything like the team that we saw last year,” Dave Clawson said on Tuesday. “They’re playing with a different energy this year, with a different confidence, a different sense of purpose. They’re playing at a high level.”
READ MORE: Florida State Cancels Class
QB Jordan Travis
Leading the offense, Jordan Travis is a player to watch as he has shown significant improvement from last season. Completing 65.9% of his passes, Travis has thrown for 945 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception in four games.
Displaying significant improvement from last season, the Noles have passed for 45.9% of their 2021 total passing yards in just four games. Jordan Travis is throwing for an additional 2.5 yards per completion, netting 10.4 yards each completion (7.9 in 2021).
Travis, in his fifth year of college, logged one of his best games in his NCAA career last week against Boston College. Passing for 300+ yards for the first time in his collegiate career, Travis led the Noles to a 30-point victory over the Eagles.
Travis will look to take advantage of a banged up Wake secondary that Clemson's D.J. Uiagalelei looked unstoppable against.
RBs Treshaun Ward/Trey Benson
Running backs Treshaun Ward and Trey Benson have toted the ball 91 times for a combined 618 yards through four games. If these guys keep playing how they have been to start the season, they will wreak havoc on the Wake Forest defense.
Benson has rushed 37 times for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns (7.2 YPC), while Ward, a former walk-on, has toted the ball 54 times for a total of 350 yards and 3 touchdowns (6.5 YPC).
In the Noles’ season opener versus Duquesne, Ward and Benson each eclipsed 100 rushing yards on 9+ yards per carry and combined for 3 touchdowns.
Benson and Ward have done an exceptional job of replacing Jashaun Corbin’s production from last season (887 yards), with both backs on pace to eclipse that mark individually.
Wake Forest was efficient in slowing down Clemson RB Will Shipley last week, holding him to 104 yards on 20 carries, which is even more impressive if you take out the 53 yard rush Shipley had early in the game. If Wake hopes to win on Saturday, they will need to key in on these backs and limit their impact as much as possible.
DB Jammie Robinson
A standout defensively for the Noles in 2021, Jammie Robinson enters his junior year with the goal of being a 2023 draft pick.
His 84 total tackles last season (42 solo), led the team. Robinson also has a knack for creating turnovers, as he tallied four interceptions and two forced fumbles last year.
The 5’11” defensive back from Georgia has been critical in leading the Noles’ defense to surrender less than 19 points a game. Robinson has contributed 21 tackles (11 solo) along with 3 pass deflections to the Florida State defense.
After allowing Hartman to throw for 259 yards and two touchdowns in Wake’s 34-point effort last season against the Noles, Robinson will be critical in disrupting Wake’s passing attack. Hartman was able to expose Clemson’s weaker secondary last week and if Florida State wants a fighting chance, their secondary will need to eliminate long competitions downfield.
LB Tatum Bethune
The team's leading tackler this season, Tatum Bethune has been vital to Florida State’s defensive improvement. Transferring in from UCF this offseason, Bethune already might be the Noles’ best defensive player.
Compiling 108 tackles (60 solo), two sacks, and two interceptions in 2021, Bethune was a dominant force for UCF. As a highly-sought after transfer, Bethune opted to finish his career at Florida State over the likes of Auburn and Miami.
Paired with junior Kalen DeLoach, the Noles’ linebackers are likely the best unit in the ACC. This season, Bethune has tallied 25 tackles (16 solo) and a sack, while DeLoach has tacked on 22 tackles (10 solo) and 1.5 sacks.
After facing a dominant Clemson defensive line last week, once again, Wake will be tested up front against the commanding linebacker corps of DeLoach and Bethune. If Bethune’s contribution in Saturday’s game can be mitigated, Wake can have success running the ball, while giving Hartman enough time to air the ball out.
Follow @DeaconsDaily on Twitter and Instagram for more Wake Forest content
