The NC State offense led by redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman showed out in primetime Friday night in a close 44-41 loss to then-No. 11 Miami. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Wolfpack offense will have a chance to put up big numbers against Florida State, a team that gives up the second most points in the conference, at 36.5.
The Seminoles have given up at least 41 points each of the past two weeks, including against Pittsburgh last week on their home field, leading to a 41-17 loss. If the Wolfpack does not turn the ball over, it should feast on homecoming weekend.
Florida State secondary
In seven games, the Seminoles have four interceptions to their name. However, the secondary has not forced an interception in its last two games. Hockman, who threw a pick that was not entirely his fault at the end of the game against Miami, will look to be aggressive against a suspect secondary.
If there is one person Hockman will need to be wary of, it is Asante Samuel Jr. In his third year with the Seminoles after being ranked No. 25 in the ESPN 300 rankings out of high school, Samuel has three picks to his name, to go along with his interceptions and 30 tackles on the year.
A school that produced Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams could have its next big star in the NFL soon.
The fact that NC State has an abundance of solid receivers means that, even if Samuel shuts one down, Hockman will still have other options to look to.
Florida State linebackers
The Seminoles rank 11th in rushing yards allowed, just behind NC State, by allowing 193.5 yards a game on the ground. This bodes well for the running back duo of junior Ricky Person Jr. and sophomore Zonovan Knight. That duo will be looking to bounce back after struggling to make its presence known in the second half against Miami.
Besides Samuel, the best player on the Florida State defense is Amari Gainer. The linebacker has 48 tackles to lead the team, including 4.5 for loss. With seven tackles against Pittsburgh, he earned some national recognition from Pro Football Focus.
Gainer’s partner in crime patrolling the defense is Emmett Rice. The senior has 45 tackles to his name and five tackles for loss. Stephen Dix is another name to look out for, as he is third on the team with 35 tackles.
Florida State D-line
The Seminoles average just over one sack a game with nine sacks through seven games. In the game, the Florida State defensive coordinator will look to constantly try and get pressure on Hockman. When Hockman has bodies in his face, he gets indecisive and that’s where he gets into trouble with his accuracy throwing the ball.
The biggest threat to the NC State offensive line is Marvin Wilson. He has one sack and two tackles for loss on the year. However, the big man did not play last week against Pittsburgh, and it is not yet known if he will play Saturday.
Other names that could do some damage and have breakout games include Robert Cooper, who has two tackles for loss on the year and Joshua Kaindoh, who has 1.5 of his own.
