Nevada Non-Conference Preview: Florida State Seminoles

Following the home opener against UC Davis, the Nevada Wolf Pack must make a cross-country trip to face the Florida State Seminoles. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 ET and be aired on either ESPN or ESPN2.

Coach: Jimbo Fisher (4^th year)

2012 Record: 12-2 (7-1 ACC)

2012 Season in Review: The Seminoles came into the season with high expectations, which each and every year seem to surround the program. Whether the season actually was a success is up for interpretation. An ACC championship, an Orange Bowl berth, and finishing 10^th in the AP poll would be considered a wonderful year for most programs, but many Seminole fans believe that at Florida State it is national championship or bust.

Although a national championship was not delieverd, there were many positives to take away from the campaign. First, E.J. Manuel was one of the most successful quarterbacks in the nation, leading the offense to average 39.3 ppg. Three running backs combined to carry the ball 212 times for a total of 1,987 yards, which took pressure of Manuel in the passing game. The offense though went as Manuel did; the losses to NC State and Florida were Manuel's statistically worst games. The defense, like the offense, was one of the most productive in the nation, only allowing 14.7 ppg. Bjorn Werner and Cornellius Carradine led the Florida State defensive line, which was one of the best in the nation with a combined 112 tackles and 24 sacks.

Returning Offensive Starters: 7

Returning Defensive Starters: 4

Key Returning Starters: WR Rashad Greene, C Bryan Stork, LB Christian Jones, SS Lamarcus Joyner

2013 Strengths: The strength of the entire Florida State team will be the offensive line. The unit returns four out of the five starters from 2012, three of which made a 2012 All-conference team. The unit is led by senior center Bryan Stork, but also has experience at the other positions as the other three returning lineman are juniors. On defense the secondary, with their speed and athleticism, will be the strength with three out of four players returning. With the loss of productive pass rushers from 2012 the pressure will be more focused on the secondary's ability to have solid coverage downfield to give the defensive line time to get to the quarterback.

2013 Weaknesses: Whenever a program loses an NFL first round quarterback like E.J. Manuel, the quarterback position becomes a weakness. This position will likely be turned over to either Jameis Winston or Jacob Coker, but nothing has been decided.

On defensive, there isn't much of a stand out weakness. Even though there were a lot of starters who left, the backups got lots of time in a rotation like system with the linebackers and defensive line. The one spot with less experience than the others is the defensive line with Giorgia Newberry and Mario Edwards. But these players could end up becoming a strength for the Seminoles.

For more on Florida State visit Tomahawk Nation.

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