#18 Wake Forest at #24 Florida State: Preview

Two years ago a Demon Deacon team on the way to winning an ACC championship went down to Tallahassee and defeated Florida State 30-0. A year later, on a Thursday night in Winston-Salem, the Deacs proved it wasn't a joke, this time winning 27-24. Can the Demon Deacons make it three in a row?

The Facts:
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Broadcast: ESPN2, ESPN360, ISP Radio Network

Florida State obviously has the advantage of playing this game at home, but other factors may help nullify some of that advantage. Although Preston Parker is back this week, several significant suspensions still remain on the defensive side of the ball for Florida State. Furthermore, Wake is coming of a bye week which provided plenty of time to get healthy and prepare for this game.

Florida State basically started the season with two exhibition games, playing Western Carolina and Tennessee-Chattanooga, meaning they're still fresh and healthy at this point, but they also haven't really been tested. The Ole Miss game was a challenging, physical outing for the Demon Deacons, and I think that experience will serve them well down in Tallahassee.

When I first looked at this game back in July I wasn't so convinced that the bye week would be a good thing, but I'm definitely singing a different tune now. Considering the magnitude of this game, as well as the opportunity it provided to get healthy, I think the bye week worked out very well.

Here are this week's pressing questions:

1. Will Florida State be prepared to play a game of this magnitude
I really think the fact that Wake has played two games againts FBS opponenents while FSU has played none is a big deal. The begining of the season is always a difficult time for teams because of the lack of real game experience. I realize the Noles have played a couple of games, but neither will rival the level of competition they'll face against Wake. I think we'll see FSU come out a little bit slowly, maybe make a few dumb mistakes and allow Wake to grab an early advantage. If this happens I feel very good about Wake's chances.

2. Will Wake get to Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson?
Much like the Demon Deacons, Florida State has a young and inexperienced offensive line. Even against the two FCS foes they allowed a few sacks. If Wake's defensive line can exploit that weakness and get consistent pressure on the quarterback it could reduce some of the load on the secondary. Since the secondary has given me some cause for concern so far this year I wouldn't mind that at all. Of course, FSU's quarterbacks also have the ability to run the ball themselves, and Wake will have to watch out for that as well if they want to be successful.

3. Can the offensive line and running backs build on their second half success in the Ole Miss game?
The third quarter drive against Ole Miss that saw Brandon Pendergrass break of back-to-back big runs was a huge step for the running game. The question is, was it a fluke or can the performance be repeated? I'm hopeful, but not confident, that it can be done. Florida State has a very talented defensive front that can definitely make things difficult, so the running game will really have to be on top of things to be successful.

Predictions:
I think I may be in the minority here, but I see this game as a high scoring affair. Both offenses are potent, and with what we've seen from the defenses so far, they could easily give up a bunch of points. I think there will be several lead changes, but ultimately Wake will come out on top, 41-37. With this prediciton I expect the same number of scoring drives from each team, but I trust that Riley Skinner will lead the Deacs to one more touchdown than FSU comes up with. It may end up being one of the most exciting ACC games of the season.

I'll be running a live blog here during the game, and trial runs have indicated that it should be a whole lot of fun. If you've got internet access while watching the game (or can't see the game for whatever reason) then plan on hanging out here to talk about it with other Wake fans. I'm looking forward to it!

Any other questions you're looking to see answered? Have a different prediction for the game? Leave a comment!