2010 Florida State Seminoles Football: Florida State vs Wake Forest

On Saturday, Florida State (2-1) begins conference play and also sets out on the road to the ACC championship game in Charlotte this December. Many analysts believe the Seminoles will represent the weakened Atlantic Division of the conference against a much stronger Coastal Division foe, but the Noles have a long way to go before that game, beginning with Saturday's contest against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-1) in Tallahassee.

Wake Forest is coming off a blowout at No. 14 Stanford last week that exposed the weakness of the Deacon defense. Stanford scored 68 points while Wake put up just 24 points, a far cry from the 53 and 54 they scored in their first two games.

On the other hand, the Noles are coming off an impressive 34-10 win over BYU in Tallahassee last weekend. After the loss in Norman to Oklahoma, the Noles made several key improvements that led them to victory, proving that even in a loss the Seminoles can learn from their mistakes and better their play. That's a quality that has been missing at FSU for many years.

This week's big news concerns FSU's Christian Ponder and a deep tricep bruise he suffered against BYU. While Ponder definitely was no stranger to injuries last year (suffering a bruised thigh, broken ribs, and a separated shoulder), Seminoles hope their Heisman hopeful at the quarterback spot can recover from the injury and lead his team to an improved record this year.

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Even with Ponder's injury, the Noles are in good position to take their first conference game from Wake Forest. With a rookie quarterback, the Deacons have relied heavily on their running game so far this year. In each of the three games it has played, Wake has rushed at least 50 times. The Demon Deacons are averaging over 283 rushing yards per game and over 5 yards per carry. Compare that statistic with the fact that FSU has not allowed 100 total rushing yards in each of its three games. Even talented rusher DeMarco Murray from Oklahoma only rushed for 51 yards against FSU. The Noles are giving up an average of 82 rushing yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry. The Seminole run defense has definitely improved from the 204 yards-per-game average and the 5.4 yards- per-carry average they gave up last season.

Look for Saturday's match-up to be a battle of the running games. With Ponder nursing an injury, the Seminole running backs will be sure to see much playing time. Also watch for Wake Forest quarterback Ted Stachitas, who is leading the team in rushing (22 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD). While Tanner Price seems to be the Deacons' choice for quarterback, Stachitas can create a defensive problem with his ability to break off long runs at will.

The Noles are looking for a solid win on Saturday before going on the road to face Virginia and then rival Miami. Wake Forest is looking to recover from the embarrassing loss to Stanford and record its second ACC victory. Whoever takes the win will gain a leg up in the Atlantic Division of the ACC.

Florida State Seminoles vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Football Preview