September has come and gone, and fans with Seminoles tickets are still feeling very optimistic about the championship aspirations of their team, as Florida State enters October with a perfect 5-0 record. After surviving a tight battle with South Florida, 30-17, FSU travels to ACC Atlantic Division rival North Carolina State in an important conference road matchup. Head coach Jimbo Fisher has his offense humming, particularly with the outstanding play of EJ Manuel. The talented senior is putting it all together in his last year in Tallahassee, and is among the national leaders in quarterback efficiency through the first month of the season. Manuel will have to wary of the Wolfpack secondary, which features one of the most dangerous cornerbacks in the country in junior David Amerson. The 2011 All-American picked off a conference record 13 passes a season ago, and has added three more so far this season. But Manuel has managed to limit his mistakes incredibly well in 2012, and he should find space to throw away from the opportunistic Amerson. Another huge development has been the emergence of RB Chris Thompson, who has established himself as one of the conference’s most explosive playmakers a year after suffering a serious back injury. FSU has lacked a dominant ground game for several years, and his ability to break off long runs has taken a lot of pressure off Manuel.

On the defensive side of the ball, the ‘Noles will look to exploit NC State’s offensive line, which has been a weak point for the team in 2012. The Wolfpack have given up 16 sacks through the first five games of the season, and Florida State counters that with one of the most dangerous pass rushes in the nation. Led by defensive ends Tank Carradine and Bjoern Werner, the Seminoles have posted a conference leading 15 sacks, and Carradine and Werner currently rank first and second in the ACC in individual sacks. Look for the outstanding bookends to have a big day against what appears to be an overmatched NC State front line. With a high-scoring offense and one of the most aggressive, athletic defenses in the country, the Seminoles look to be the class of the ACC, and should continue that success in Raleigh against the Wolfpack.

 

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