Boston College vs. Florida St Preview
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida State senior quarterback Christian Ponder has never defeated Boston College, but there’s reason to believe that could change.
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Coming off an impressive victory over an in-state rival, the No. 16 Seminoles look to win their fifth in a row Saturday when they face the Eagles, who are in the midst of their longest losing streak in a dozen years.
Oddsmakers from online sports book BroburySports.com have made Florida State –21.5 point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against Boston College. Current NCAA Public Betting Information shows that 70% of more than 514 bets for this game have been placed on Florida State –21.5.
Since falling to then-No. 10 Oklahoma 47-17 on Sept. 11, Florida State (5-1, 3-0 ACC) has outscored opponents by an average of 25.8 points in winning its last four games. While the first three victories came against unranked foes, the Seminoles easily defeated then-No. 13 Miami 45-17 last Saturday.
Running back Jermaine Thomas scored a career-high three touchdowns – all in the first 21 minutes – and Florida State racked up 298 rushing yards to match its best win streak since opening the 2005 season 5-0. The Seminoles also opened 3-0 in conference play that season, and haven’t had a better ACC start since winning the first six league games in 2003.
Despite being the highest-ranked team in Florida for the first time since October 2005, the Seminoles, who have outscored opponents 124-16 in winning their three home games, aren’t letting the fast start go to their heads.
“We haven’t achieved anything yet,” said Ponder, who has passed for 737 yards with six touchdowns and one interception during the winning streak. “We’re sitting at 5-1, but we’re not going to the ACC championship yet. We’ve won a couple games, but it’s not that big of a deal.
“In our minds, we’re going somewhere, but we haven’t achieved anything yet.”
A win over the Eagles would make Florida State bowl eligible and move it closer to the conference title. The Seminoles, though, have lost two straight in the series since a 27-17 win over then-No. 2 Boston College in 2007.
Ponder threw for 523 yards in those losses, but didn’t have a TD pass and was intercepted three times.
“They always seem to make plays when we play each other,” Ponder said. “I haven’t beaten them yet. They always just play us really tough and I’m expecting the same thing this year.”
Although Ponder is expecting a challenge, the Eagles are struggling and have some concerns at quarterback.
Boston College (2-3, 0-2) has been outscored 94-30 during a three-game losing streak, its longest since a six-game skid in 1998.
There is a chance Chase Rettig could be back under center for this game after spraining his left ankle in a 31-13 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 2. If he’s not ready, Dave Shinskie or Mike Marscovetra will get the nod.
In a 44-17 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday, Shinskie – who had already been benched once this season – started and was replaced by Marscovetra after going 7 of 24 for 89 yards with two interceptions. Marscovetra was 4 for 8 with a TD and interception.
“Every position will be evaluated,” Boston College coach Frank Spaziani said. “We’ve had to start at Square One and move forward.”
It could be difficult for the Eagles to fix their offensive woes against a Florida State team that has yielded 10.3 points over the last four games.
The Seminoles’ rushing attack has also been instrumental to their winning streak, as they have averaged 258.3 yards on the ground during the run.
Chris Thompson has led the charge with an ACC-best 8.8 yards per carry on the season. The sophomore rushed for 158 yards and a 90-yard touchdown on 14 attempts against Miami.
Thompson could have trouble finding room to run against a Boston College team that ranks first in the ACC in run defense, allowing an average of 80.2 yards. If Florida State struggles to establish a ground attack, it could have better the luck moving the ball through the air, as the Eagles are last in the league against the pass at 253.0 yards a contest.
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