TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State's season has not come anywhere close to expectations, but its campaign may have been somewhat salvaged when the Seminoles extended their winning streak over arch rival Florida to five with a 38-22 triumph last week.
Now, amid concern that eighth-year head coach Jimbo Fisher may leave for Texas A&M, the Seminoles need to remain focused for Saturday's regular-season finale against visiting Louisiana-Monroe in a rescheduled game from September due to Hurricane Irma.
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TV: Noon. ET, ACC Network Extra. LINE: Florida State -27
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The Seminoles still have something to play for, although it's small consolation for a team used to competing for national titles and positioning in the polls each year. But with a victory over the Warhawks, the Seminoles will have the six wins needed to reach bowl eligibility for the 36th straight year and give them a chance at a 41st consecutive winning season.
To do so, they can't afford to be distracted by the coaching rumors and get complacent against a 4-7 ULM team that is sitting dead last in the Sun Belt conference in points (40.9) and yards (534.6) allowed per game.
"When you come off a rivalry game, there's a natural tendency to ease yourself up," Fisher told reporters at a press conference. "Not because (the next game is) a lesser game, but because of the emotion you spent (the week before). "Now we got to process and move on. That's what mature teams do, and hopefully we've learned that lesson."
ABOUT LOUISIANA-MONROE (4-7)
Putting points on the board has not been a problem as the Warhawks are averaging 36.1 points per game and have scored at least 50 points four times, including last week's 67-50 shootout loss to Arkansas State that broke the school mark for 50-point games in a season.
Sophomore quarterback Caleb Evans is the leader of the Sun Belt's second-best offense (472.6 yards per game), proving dangerous as both a runner and passer, and he threw for 454 yards and four touchdowns while rushing 17 times for 61 yards and two more scores against Arkansas State.
Defenses have to be equally fearful of the conference's top all-purpose threat Marcus Green, who last week set school records with 206 kickoff-return yards, including a 95-yard touchdown, and 418 all-purpose yards as he also hauled in eight passes for a career-best 193 yards and another score.
ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (5-6)
True freshman quarterback James Blackman has suffered plenty of growing pains at the helm of the Seminoles attack, but he is showing signs that he may be ready to challenge injured QB Deondre Francois for the starting job next season as he has thrown seven touchdowns and just two interceptions over the last four games.
All eyes will be on another true freshman as well, as tailback Cam Akers needs 196 yards to break Dalvin Cook's freshman rushing mark of 1,008 set in 2014.
That kind of production isn't out of the question against a ULM defense giving up an average of 226 yards rushing per game, as it has been feast or famine for the Seminoles' ground attack in the last five games, with the team held to under 90 yards three times while eclipsing 200 yards twice.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Under Fisher, Florida State is 35-8 (.814) in November, December and January games.
2. The Seminoles averaged 39 points a game in November, up from 18 in September and 17 in October.
3. This is the Seminoles' first December home game since they hosted Georgia Tech on Dec. 1, 2001 in a game postponed due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
PREDICTION: Florida State 45, Louisiana-Monroe 26