Independence Bowl: Florida State looks to finish strong against Southern Mississippi

Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com Published 3:53 p.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017 | Updated 4:00 p.m. ET Dec. 26, 2017

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Sizing up the Walk On’s Independence Bowl between Southern Mississippi (8-4) and Florida State (6-6):

Time, TV: Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Site: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.

Analysis

A little more than three months ago, Florida State was ranked third in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll, was playing Alabama in the opener and had the talent to be the Atlantic Coast Conference’s shining star on the way to a berth in the College Football Playoff.

But the Seminoles lost starting QB Deondre Francois in the opener, had to reschedule a date with Louisiana-Monroe for a sixth win and saw head coach Jimbo Fisher leave for Texas A&M.

But give Florida State a little credit for not giving up after a 2-5 start. Interim coach Odell Haggins has talent, though safety Derwin James has declared for the NFL draft and won’t play. The offensive line play has to improve, the ACC’s worst offense has to show the spark from the final three games and the defense must play up to its level.

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Southern Mississippi roared through its final three games to get a shot at a Power Five team.

The defense was Conference USA’s best on third downs, thanks to a front seven that averaged nearly eight tackles for loss per game. The offense was able to run enough to help control the clock and, outside of a fumbling problem, there were few issues in a solid season.

Players to watch

RB Ito Smith, Southern Mississippi: A do-it-all, all-purpose machine, he is 5-9, 195, but can handle the workload with close to 270 touches. The slippery runner had 1,321 yards and 13 scores, taking over late in the season with three consecutive games topping 150 yards. He also caught 36 passes with two touchdowns.

QB Korey Robertson, Southern Mississippi: The 6-2, 210-pounder became the main man for the downfield attack with a team-leading 72 catches for 1,070 yards and 11 scores. He had three 100-yard receiving games and four touchdowns in his last four games.

QB James Blackman, Florida State: The lone positive from Deondre Francois’ injury in the loss to Alabama was the experience Blackman received in his freshman season. The rail-thin 6-5, 169-pound true freshman made his share of rookie mistakes with 11 interceptions and lacked consistency, but he also showed decent poise at times, throwing for close to 2,000 yards with 15 touchdowns.

RB Cam Akers, Florida State: The superstar true freshman wasn’t Dalvin Cook right away, but that’s because no one believed the passing game could do anything and loaded up to stop the ground attack. Akers had a hard time shaking loose, but he still managed to lead the team with 931 yards and seven scores, highlighted by a 199-yard, two-touchdown day against Syracuse.

Who wins?

Florida State’s athleticism and skill will shine through. The defense will close down the Golden Eagles’ ground game, but Southern Mississippi’s line will hang out in the Seminoles backfield enough to keep this close.

Pick: Florida State, 27-13

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Independence Bowl: Florida State looks to finish strong against Southern Mississippi

Analysis

Players to watch

Who wins?

Posted!

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