PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Dexter Williams leads the Fighting Irish on the ground with 568 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Florida State has been vulnerable on defense this season, and Williams has a chance for more big plays.
–WR Chase Claypool is heating up. He had eight catches for 130 yards last week against Northwestern, marking his second career 100-yard performance, and it’s a safe bet that QB Ian Book will look his way again Saturday.
–LB Te’von Coney is coming off another big game in which he had 10 tackles, two sacks and a pass break-up against Northwestern. Coney leads the team with 80 tackles in nine games on the season. Wrote NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Ric Serritella: “Blessed with tremendous speed and athleticism, Coney is an instinct ‘backer with cat-like read-and-react instincts. … With his versatile skill-set, he could be an interchangeable piece in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.”
SERIES HISTORY: Ninth all-time meeting; Florida State leads 6-2.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “For us, we have to play with a better sense of urgency for the entire four quarters and continue to play to our standard.” — Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly