For the first time in three years, the Florida State Seminoles are looking to win back-to-back road games. FSU is set to play the Pittsburgh Panthers on Friday at Acrisure Stadium, but it won't be easy.
While FSU had a short week to prepare for the game, the Panthers were on a bye last week and had plenty of time to get ready. It also allowed them to get healthier, something that is not the case for the Seminoles.
FSU (4-5, 2-4 ACC) will be without its top three running backs, Ousmane Kromah, Samuel Singleton Jr., and Quintrevion Wisner, all ruled out on Wednesday's injury report. That will force Amari Thomas into the starting role, and while the freshman was excellent last week, that is a lot of pressure on a true freshman. Pitt head coach Pat
Narduzzi expects FSU to lean on Ashton Daniels to help him, whom he compared to a linebacker.
"He's a linebacker playing quarterback," Narduzzi said. "He runs really well, and they'll have designed runs for him. We've got to lay some hits, gang tackle and get him on the ground."
It has been a tale of two seasons for Pitt (6-3, 3-3), who is trying to navigate after losing star quarterback Mason Heintschel against Virginia Tech. While they held on to win that game, they have gone 1-3 since then. Two of the losses were by one possession, as they have been forced to lean on their defense.
Here are our predictions for FSU's game against Pitt.
Jacob Smith
Prediction: Pittsburgh 51, FSU 38
The Panthers have the No. 4 rush defense, but their offense is mediocre. FSU's offense is above average in both passing and rushing. Could be kind of an unstoppable force meets an immovable object game where both teams score tons of points.
Matthew Lenix
Prediction: FSU 28, Pittsburgh 24
Florida State's offense is facing a good Pittsburgh defense, plus the Seminoles' defense will have a challenge stopping the Panthers' offense. However, I feel FSU will get a few big stops defensively and get a couple of key scores to pull out a close win.
Brandon Foster
Prediction: Pittsburgh 27, FSU 24
Florida State showed some much-needed life in its win over Boston College, and I think there’s something to be said about how this team responded in Rick Stockstill’s first game. However, Pittsburgh presents a much tougher challenge, especially on a short week.I expect the Seminoles to come out motivated with bowl eligibility still within reach, but Pittsburgh’s defense and home-field advantage ultimately give the Panthers the edge. I wouldn’t be shocked if FSU pulls off the upset, though.
JD McCarthy
Prediction: Pittsburgh 27, FSU 24
FSU snapped its historic road losing streak last week against Boston College, but they will have a much tougher time on Friday against Pittsburgh. While this game is certainly winnable, the Seminoles are extremely injured and coming in with less time to prepare, something the Panthers will use to their advantage to win a competitive game.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU vs Pittsburgh: Score predictions, analysis from FSU Wire
