USF
at
FLORIDA STATE
Saturday, Sept. 12 • 11:30 a.m. • ESPN
Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300/Grass)
Tallahassee, Fla.
Television
ESPN -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Bob Wischusen, Brock Huard and Shannon Spake
USF Radio - WWBA-AM 820 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between USF and Florida State … It will be the second straight opponent from Tallahassee for USF, which defeated Florida A&M last week … The Bulls were 17-7 winners at Doak Campbell Stadium Sept. 26, 2009, but the Seminoles took the last meeting, 30-17, Sept. 29, 2012, in Tampa.
USF
1-0
Head Coach
Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky ’98)
7-18, third season at USF
25-38, sixth season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
USF unveiled new looks on offense and defense in its 2015 season-opener, and both proved effective in a 51-3 win against Florida A&M … The offense reeled off 556 yards and scored the most points in a game since 2011, while the defense limited the Rattlers to three points and 182 total yards … The Bulls will play Saturday’s game with a heavy heart after they learned of the passing of four-year DT Elkino Watson early Sunday morning … Watson played with the Bulls from 2011-14 and was a teammate of most of the current players … The starting spot behind center went to QB Quinton Flowers, who threw for 141 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 63 yards and a TD before coming out after the first series of the third quarter … QB Steven Bench was 8-of-10 for 80 yards and a TD … RB Marlon Mack, the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year last season, rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries … TE Elkanah Dillon had four receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown to finish as the leading receiver … The Bulls registered four sacks and 15 tackles for loss against Florida A&M.
11/8 FLORIDA STATE
1-0
Head Coach
Jimbo Fisher (Salem ’89)
59-11, sixth season
NOTES
Florida State opened its season with 636 yards of total offense in a 59-16 win against Texas State … The Seminoles, who won the ACC title and played in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, broke open what had been a 14-10 game with a 38-6 margin in the second half against the Bobcats … Florida State has just 11 returning starters from last year’s squad … In 2014, the Seminoles had 11 starters returning from the national championship team, yet still reached the CFP semifinals … Florida State is 40-3 since the start of the 2012 season and has won 24 consecutive regular-season games … The offense was led by QB Everett Golson, a transfer from Notre Dame, who completed 19 of 25 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns … RB Dalvin Cook rushed for 156 yards and two TDs on 19 carries … The defense forced seven punts, held the Bobcats on downs twice and recovered a fumble on 14 Texas State possessions … K Roberto Aguayo was the 2013 Lou Groza Award-winner … Aguayo has scored 304 career points and has a chance to break the NCAA’s career record for kicker scoring, held by former Seminole Dustin Hopkins (466).