TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State moved up four spots and is ranked 19th in the third College Football Playoff poll of the season, it was revealed Tuesday night live on ESPN.
The Seminoles, who are 20th in the Associated Press and Coaches polls this week, improved to 7-3 overall, 5-3 in the ACC, with a 38-3 win at Syracuse last Saturday. The victory was Florida State’s fourth by at least 30 points this season and, coupled with a 45-3 win at Miami the week before, made FSU the only P5 program in the country with two 30-point wins on the road. The Seminoles also are one of four P5 teams, along with Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee, to have three 30-point wins in conference play this season.
Florida State leads the nation with 75 plays of at least 20 yards and ranks third nationally in explosive play differential, boasting an offensive explosive play rate of 16.62 percent and a defense explosive plays allowed rate of 8.98 percent. Its 15 touchdown drives of 80-plus yards are the most in the country, and the seven touchdown drives covering 90 or more yards are second nationally. FSU leads the ACC and ranks second in the country in passing defense, holding opponents to an average of 155.0 yards per game through the air, and also lead the conference and rank seventh nationally holding opponents to an average of 5.9 yards per pass attempt. FSU’s defense is responsible for the two lowest passing totals by an ACC offense this season after holding Miami to 62 passing yards and Syracuse to 65 passing yards. In records dating back to 1996, Florida State is the first ACC program to hold conference opponents to 65 or fewer passing yards in consecutive games and the first team nationally to hold consecutive FBS opponents to 65 passing yards or less since Appalachian State in 2019.
The Seminoles are one of three teams in the country, along with Georgia and Ohio State, to rank in the top-10 in yards per play on both offense and defense. FSU is 10th with an average of 6.89 yards per play on offense and 10th with an average of 4.62 yards per play allowed on defense. The Seminoles are 11th in the country allowing an average of 293.6 yards per game and 16th in the country with 477.1 yards of total offense per game. Florida State is the only team in the ACC, and one of four in the nation, averaging at least 260 passing yards and 210 rushing yards per game. FSU leads the ACC in yards per rush and rushing yards per game, averaging 5.53 yards per rush…