Everett Golson can hurt defenses with his arm and legs. (Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports)
KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 10/18/14
SITE: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ABC
SERIES: Florida State leads the all-time series with Notre Dame 5-2. The Seminoles won the last meeting in 2011 at the Champs Sports Bowl 18-14.
RANKINGS: Notre Dame 5th, Florida State 2nd
A week ago Notre Dame’s scheduled trip to top-ranked Florida State had all the makings of an epic showdown.
But new controversy has sprouted around Seminole quarterback Jameis Winston, this time over alleged sales of autographs, and Florida State has lost its No. 1 ranking. The Seminoles slipped to second in this week’s major polls behind Mississippi State.
Notre Dame has its own issues with still-unannounced potential sanctions against five players in long-running academic investigation.
The Irish have already played all season without the suspended players and will proceed with personnel on hand to try to extend a season-long winning streak in their first true road game of the year.
“Playing at their place will be a great challenge,” coach Brian Kelly said. “It’s the first time on the road for us, so we’ll have to play in that kind of environment.”
Florida State is looking to extend the school’s — and nation’s — longest winning streak to 23 games in what is expected to be one of the Seminoles’ stiffest tests of the year.
Coach Jimbo Fisher, however, stopped short of calling it the biggest game of the season to date.
“I think we have played some pretty tough teams,” he said. “We have played a team in Oklahoma State who has currently had a great year. They lost their quarterback and still continue to win. We played them with their quarterback.
“NC State was undefeated and spent a couple weeks preparing for us. Clemson has won some very critical games and has a very good team. We have played some extremely good teams.
“But I think Notre Dame is an extremely good team.”
Florida State gets better this week with the return of suspended former five-star linebacker Matthew Thomas, who was cleared Monday by the NCAA to return to action following a six-game ban for reportedly
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fighting Irish
–QB Everett Golson threw for three touchdowns for the fourth time in his career last Saturday against North Carolina. He’s also now one of just four Irish quarterbacks with at least three 300-yard games, joining Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen and Tommy Rees.
–WR Will Fuller had his second career 100-yard receiving day, with seven catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina. He had a 119-yard game against Syracuse in late September and already has seven touchdown receptions this season.
–LB Joe Schmidt had a career-high 11 tackles against North Carolina. His previous best was eight earlier against both Rice and Purdue.
–CB Cole Luke now has three interceptions in his last two games after picking off North Carolina’s Marquise Williams in the fourth quarter.
Seminoles
–TE Nick O’Leary broke out of a midseason slump last week against Syracuse with eight catches for 97 yards and one touchdown. O’Leary now owns team records for career catches (90), receiving yards (1,248), and touchdowns by a tight end (13).
–WR Rashad Greene, who was the hero the last time FSU met Notre Dame in an 18-14 win in 2011, set the school’s career receptions record last week, passing famed wideout Ron Sellers’ 1969 mark. Greene now has 215 catches.
–DT Desmond Hollin has started the last two games and recorded six tackles, including one for a loss. He took over because of injuries to Nile Lawrence-Staple and Derrick Mitchell.
–LB Terrence Smkith ranks second in the ACC in tackles-per-game with his average of 9.8 stops. He has 50 for the season.
