3 Florida State Players that Need to Be Impactful vs. SMU

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Florida State Seminoles and the SMU Mustangs will face off for only the second
time ever on Monday, and for the first time within the
friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium.

The
Seminoles have the advantage of having played a game already, a week zero
victory over New Mexico State. The Labor Day battle will be the first game of
the season for SMU, in addition to being a road game and the conference opener
for both teams. The pressure tr is on the Mustangs.

SMU is ranked
No. 19 in the country, and considered by many to be the second-best team in the
ACC this season, behind the Miami Hurricanes. In their first meeting, in 2024, SMU
scored 28 points in the second-half to beat the Seminoles 42-16.

To avoid a
repeat of that subpar performance, three Seminole players will be need to step
up and be impactful if Florida State is to secure a victory over the talented Mustangs
squad on Monday.

QB
Ashton Daniels

Daniels
completed 63 percent of his passes against New Mexico State, and threw for 202
yards and accounted for two touchdowns. A solid performance. But for Daniels to
be the impactful player he must be against SMU, Daniels needs to repeat his best
performance from last season when he was at Auburn, against the No. 15 Vanderbilt
Commodores.

On the road
against the Commodores, Daniels accounted for 442 total yards and four
touchdowns in a seven-point losing effort. That kind of dominance could propel
the Seminoles to victory over the Mustangs.

WR
Duce Robinson

As one of
the best receivers in college football, and the ACC, Robinson is a talented 6-foot-6
weapon that coach Mike Norvell must unleash on the SMU defense. Robinson was a
1,000-yard receiver and averaged 19.30 yards per catch last season, and was a first-team
All-ACC performer. Against New Mexico State, Robinson caught three passes for
50 yards, but did not score any touchdowns. In the offensive game plan against
SMU, Robinson needs more targets.

He is a
mismatch made in heaven against opposing defenders, and pulled down 18
contested catches a season ago. That is the most of any returning receiver in
the ACC, and that is how Norvell should exploit the SMU defense.

Robinson
must conjure up a repeat performance of his best game against a conference opponent from last
season, Wake Forest. Against the Demon Deacons, Robinson caught five
catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, and averaged 29.60 yards per catch,
shredding the Wake Forest pass defense.

DL Mandrell
Desir

Will the
2025 version of Mandrell Desir please stand up? Last season as a true freshman,
Desir led the team in tackles (57), sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (7.5). Desir
was uncharacteristically quiet against New Mexico, borderline non-existent, and
posted just four tackles with zero sacks and zero tackles for loss. Norvell and
the Seminoles need the defensive monster inside Desir to manifest itself and
terrorize the Mustangs into submission.

As stated
above, all three of these players have the talent to produce and dominate on
college football’s biggest stage. It is imperative that they step up and make their
presence felt early and often if Florida State is to come away with a victory
over the No. 19 Mustangs.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos