2013 ACC Championship Game
#20 Duke Blue Devils vs #1 Florida State Seminoles
Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, North Carolina
Saturday, December 7, 2013, 8:00 pm Eastern, TV: ABC
Opening Line: Florida State -30
Current Line: Florida State -29 1/2
Opening Total: 61 1/2
Current Total: 62 1/2
Opening Money Line: FSU -8000 / Duke +3375
Current Money Line: FSU -7000 / Duke +3000
The 12-0 Florida State Seminoles won the ACC Atlantic Division with an 8-0 record. The Seminoles will play in the ACC Championship game against the 10-2 Duke Blue Devils who won the Coastal Division with a 6-2 record. For Florida State, not only is a second straight ACC title on the line, but they can also clinch a berth in the BCS Championship game next month in Pasadena. A loss will still likely send them to the Sugar or Fiesta Bowls. Duke has been projected to go to the Sun Bowl with a loss, but will go to the Orange Bowl with a win.
The Seminoles are looking for their 14th ACC title since they joined the league in 1992. For Duke, a conference title would complete a magical run but it has already been the best year in program history. Duke has won 7 ACC titles but none since 1989 when a young Steve Spurrier was the coach. The Blue Devils won 10 games this season for the first time in program history. Until this year, Duke had never gone to back-to back bowl games. Florida State leads the series 18-0 against Duke. The Seminoles won last year in Tallahassee 48-7. The two teams did not play each other in the regular season.
Duke is coached by David Cutcliffe, who could be the national coach of the year. The Blue Devils are on an eight game winning streak. Duke lost their first two ACC games of the year at home to Georgia Tech 38-14 and Pittsburgh 58-55. The Blue Devils have home wins over North Carolina Central 45-0, Troy 38-31, Navy 35-7, North Carolina State 38-20 and Miami 48-30, along with road wins at Memphis 28-14, Virginia 35-22, Virginia Tech 13-10, Wake Forest 28-21 and last week at North Carolina 27-25. Duke is 10-2 ATS and the total is 5-7 this season. The Blue Devils have covered 7 straight games. Duke was a 5 point underdog against UNC and the total was 62.5.
Duke and North Carolina were tied at 7 at the end of the first. After a Duke field goal in the second quarter, The Tar Heels scored a touchdown and successfully went for two to make it 15-10 with 1:30 left in the first half. However, the Blue Devils ran back the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for the touchdown to make it 17-15 going into the locker room. The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third to make it 24-22 going into the fourth. The Tar Heels kicked a 37 yard field goal with 7:03 left in the fourth to take a 25-24 lead. After a touchback on the kickoff, Duke drove from their 25 to the UNC 9. Duke would kick the go ahead field goal to make it 27-25 with 2:22 left. The Tar heels would drive to midfield but threw an interception with 13 seconds left. Duke took a knee to secure the division title. Duke had 461 total yards including 187 rushing yards. UNC had 448 total yards including 225 rushing yards. The two teams combined for 14 penalties for 140 yards. The Tar Heels had two turnovers and the Blue Devils had one.
Duke is outscoring teams 34-23 this season. The Blue Devils are #39 in scoring and #37 in points allowed nationally. Duke is averaging 422.2 yards per game on offense, including 242.2 passing and 179.9 rushing yards. The Blue Devils allow 395.2 total yards per game on defense, including 225.2 passing and 170 rushing yards. The Blue Devils are +2 in turnovers with 21 takeaways. Duke averages 42 penalty yards per game and opponents average 54. The Blue Devils are 76/184 on third and fourth down conversions and opponents are 84/219. Duke has forced 22 sacks and allowed 14 this season. The Blue Devils are 44/52 scoring in the red zone along with 36 touchdowns and opponents are 29/37 with 21 touchdowns. Duke has 2 punt returns for touchdowns, 2 pick sixes, and 2 kick returns for touchdowns, and has allowed 2 punt returns for touchdowns, 2 pick sixes and a fumble return for a touchdown.
Duke uses two quarterbacks. Anthony Boone has completed 66.2% of his passes for 1,695 yards with 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, along with 58 carries, 192 yards and 4 touchdowns. Brandon Connette has completed 61.8% of his passes for 1,210 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, along with 98 carries for 329 yards and 13 touchdowns. Back-up quarterback Thomas Sirk is out indefinitely with a torn Achilles’ tendon, but hasn’t taken a snap this season.
Running back Jela Duncan has 108 carries, 546 yards with 3 touchdowns, along with 12 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown catch. Josh Snead has 83 carries for 530 yards, along with 3 catches. Juwan Thompson and Shaquille Powell will each get some carries and catches. Powell has 2 rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. Little used running back Eric Adams is questionable with an upper body injury.
Receiver Jamison Crowder has 88 catches, 1,131 yards and 7 touchdowns, along with 67 rushing yards and a touchdown. Crowder also has 2 punt returns for touchdowns. Braxton Deaver has 36 catches, 467 and 4 touchdowns. Brandon Braxton has 36 catches, 344 yards and 2 touchdowns. Max McCaffrey has 24 catches for 268 yards and 4 touchdowns. Isaac Blakeney has 16 catches, 199 yards and 4 touchdowns. Three defensive players are listed on the injury report.
Florida State is coached by Jimbo Fisher. The Seminoles have home wins over Nevada 62-7, Bethune-Cookman 54-6, Maryland 63-0, NC State 49-17, Miami 41-14, Syracuse 59-3, and Idaho 80-14. Florida State has road wins over Pitt 41-13, Boston College 48-34, Clemson 51-14, Wake Forest 59-3, and last week against Florida 37-7. Florida State is 10-2 ATS and the total is also 10-2 this season. The Seminoles were 28 point favorites against Florida and the total was 50.5.
Florida State scored the first 27 points of the game before Florida even got on the board early in the fourth quarter. The Seminoles would add 10 more points to cover the spread 37-7. FSU had 456 total yards including 327 passing yards. Florida had 193 total yards with just 8 first downs. Each team had six penalties. The Gators had two turnovers and the Seminoles had one.
Florida State is outscoring teams 54-11 this season. The Seminoles are #2 in scoring nationally and #1 in points allowed. FSU averages 526.1 yards per game including 321.3 passing and 204.8 rushing yards per game. The Seminoles are #7 in total offense, #14 in passing, and #30 in rushing nationally. On defense, Florida State is allowing 271 total yards including 153 passing and 118 rushing yards. The Seminoles are #4 in total defense, #1 in passing and #13 in rushing. FSU is +18 in turnovers with 31 takeaways. The Seminoles average 47 penalty yards per game and opponents average 48. Florida State is 76/137 on third and fourth down conversions and opponents are 62/196. FSU has forced 31 sacks and allowed 28 this season. The Seminoles are 62/64 scoring in the red zone with 50 touchdowns and opponents are 19/25 with 13 touchdowns. FSU has 8 defensive touchdowns and a kick return for a touchdown.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is the likely Heisman winner despite being the subject of a sexual battery investigation. Yesterday, it was announced that Winston will not be charged in the December 2012 incident that Winston and his attorneys called consensual sex. Winston, a redshirt freshman, has completed 68.8% of his passes for 3,490 yards with 35 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, along with 67 carries for 134 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Running back Devonta Freeman has 144 carries for 852 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 18 catches for 235 yards and a touchdown. Karlos Williams has 79 carries for 650 yards and 10 touchdowns, and 7 catches for 63 yards. James Wilder, Jr. has 73 carries for 517 yards and 8 touchdowns, plus 3 catches. Ryan Green has 32 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown, plus a receiving touchdown.
Receiver Rashad Greene has 61 catches for 914 yards with 9 touchdowns. Kenny Shaw has 48 catches for 855 yards and 5 touchdowns. Kelvin Benjamin has 45 catches for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns. Nick O’Leary has 30 catches for 509 yards and 7 touchdowns. Christian Green has 13 catches for 157 touchdowns. Three receivers and two tight ends are out for the season.
Duke is 7-0 ATS in ACC games, after a straight up win, and overall, 6-0 after a cover, and on grass, 5-0 after gaining more than 450 total yards, and 4-0 against teams with winning records.
Florida State is 5-0 ATS after a straight up win, after allowing 100 rushing yards or less, overall, after a straight up win of 20 points or more, and after allowing less than 20 points, 4-0 after a cover, against teams with winning records, and after passing for 280 yards or more, 10-1 on grass, 11-2-1 in neutral site games, 5-1 in ACC games, after allowing less than 275 total yards, and less than 170 passing yards, and 6-2-1 in December. The Seminoles have covered the last five against Duke and were favored in each of those contests.
Look, Duke has had a great season, but it would almost take a miracle to win this game. There is no pressure on the Blue Devils as they are playing with house money. Still, the Seminoles simply have too much talent on both sides of the ball. The game is in Charlotte, so there will be plenty of Duke fans making the 142 mile trip from Durham. That won’t be enough as Florida State rolls into the BCS Championship game.
