Syracuse-Florida State Preview

12:00 p.m. Saturday TV: ESPN

Carrier Dome - Syracuse, New York

By Michael Castellano

Photo courtesy: cuse.com

Coming off a third-straight loss, this time at the hands of the Louisville Cardinals, the Orange will once again look to get back on the winning end when they face off against the number one team in the nation in the Florida State Seminoles. It's been an eventful week for Syracuse already as injuries and a coaching shakeup have clogged the headlines for the Orange. Let's take a look at what else lays in store for the Orange on Saturday as it looks to get the season back on track against reigning champion FSU.

Shakeups At The Top

The Orange will have a different look this Saturday both on the field and on the sidelines. Senior Quarterback Terrel Hunt is projected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured fibula suffered in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to Louisville. "I feel terrible for him, but that's the reality." Head coach Scott Shafer said. "Now we have to move forward and develop a new plan." Shafer is expected to turn to redshirt freshman QB Austin Wilson this Saturday. He also hinted that sophomore Mitch Kimble or freshman AJ Long could also see time, though unlikely. Quarterbacks coach Tim Lester will move to Offensive Coordinator starting Saturday replacing George McDonald who previously held the position.

Opportunity Knocking?

Syracuse has gone up against two of the best run defenses the past few weeks in Louisville(58.2 yards-per-game) and Notre Dame(99.0). SU totaled 101 yards on the ground last Friday against the Cardinals. "We played a great defense last week in Louisville." Shafer said. "This defense this week though, boy they're special." Statistically the Orange runners have a chance to fare better this Saturday against the Seminoles. Florida State gives up an average of 142.6 rushing yards to its opponents. With its leading rusher Terrel Hunt(61.40 Avg/G) out for the foreseeable future, Prince-Tyson Gulley(60.4 Avg/G) and Adonis Ameen-Moore(48.2 Avg/G) will have to pick up the slack for the Orange carrying the ball against the 'Noles.

Looking West

Senior wide receiver Jarrod West has been productive for the Orange on the offensive end recently. The Bethlehem, Pa. product has averaged 94 receiving yards the last two games totaling 103 yards against Notre Dame and 85 yards last week against Louisville. His 321 total receiving yards on the year leads the Orange. He will look to increase that total against an FSU defense that has allowed on average 239.6 yards in the air so far this season.

A Rare Treat

Saturday will mark the first time ever the Orange has faced off against a reigning Heisman Trophy winner in FSU QB Jameis Winston. "There's a reason why he was the Heisman Trophy winner last year, and there's a reason why he led that team to a national title," Shafer said. It's not common for a team to have a chance to face the previous year's winner considering that the honor is usually awarded to an upperclassmen(only 24 underclassmen have won the award since it started being presented in 1935). Although FSU remains #1 in both national polls, Winston's numbers have been down compared to his 2013 Heisman Award winning numbers. The sophomore QB has thrown for eight TDs through the team's first five games this season, compared to the 17 he threw for in the Seminoles first five games of 2013.

Beat The Streak

An Orange win Saturday would mark the end of a few streaks it would rather not be a part of. A victory this week would snap Syracuse' three-game losing streak. Its last win came in the second game of the year in a 40-3 rout over Central Michigan. It would also be the Orange's first win over the 'Noles in almost 50 years(last win-1966). "This is what we signed up for." Shafer said. "We've been in this situation before and I look forward to being in it again." Finally an FSU defeat this week would snap the Seminoles' 21-game winning streak which is currently the longest in the nation and an ACC record.