The Deacs suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday by coming up short in a 62-59 home shootout with Louisville. Wake Forest’s defensive ranking against explosive plays is 93rd in the country, so FSU’s top-40 explosiveness ranking should mean some big plays for the Seminoles.
Given Wake’s low ranks in most defensive categories, its top-10 third-down defense may seem surprising, but it’s directly tied to the Demon Deacons’ top-10 stuff rate and its No. 14 rushing success rate, both weaknesses for the ’Noles and their subpar OL.
In a game that Vegas projects will produce about 70 points, this one could come down to Florida State’s top-20 redzone-TD percentage.