Florida State @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 4, 2006 ) Virginia 0, Florida State 33

Immoveable object meets irresistible force when Florida State visits Virginia in Saturday’s ACC matchup in Charlottesville, the teams' first meeting at Scott Stadium in four years.

The matchup pits an aggressive Seminoles defense that leads the nation in sacks with 19 – including a season-high eight in a Sept. 18 win over BYU – against a sturdy Cavaliers offensive line that has surrendered just five sacks in three games.

Whichever team win that head-to-head battle likely will win the game, getting an early leg up in the Atlantic Division.

FSU boasts a talented, but very inexperienced secondary that has looked suspect at times. Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops knows he must constantly pressure opposing quarterbacks before they have the chance to pick apart his defensive backfield.

Eleven different players have registered at least one sack as the Seminoles inch closer to last season’s total of 26 just a third of the way into this season. Sophomore defensive end Brandon Jenkins has done the most damage, pacing the team in tackles for loss (6.5) and sacks (4.5). He ranks fourth nationally in sacks at 1.22 per game.

Jenkins is a big reason why FSU heads to Charlottesville ranked 21st nationally in total defense, 12th against the run.

The Cavaliers must protect quarterback Marc Verica because he has not always displayed poise under pressure. This season, the fifth-year senior has completed just under 61 percent of his passes this season while benefitting greatly from a power running game led by Keith Payne.

Verica faces a stiffer challenge following this week’s news that sophomore wide receiver Tim Smith needs ankle surgery and is done for the year.

Virginia’s defense will try to slow down a versatile Seminoles offense that produced a season-high 485 yards of total offense in last week’s win over Wake Forest. Quarterback Christian Ponder threw for two touchdowns while completing passes to eight different receivers and running for another score.

Florida State ranks third in the ACC in scoring at 35.2 points per game and first in total offense at 434.5 yards per game.

Virginia boasts the conference’s top scoring defense, allowing just 12.3 points per game.

The Seminoles are 13-2 all-time against the Cavaliers, the losses coming in Charlottesville in 1995 and 2005, respectively. The epic 1995 loss – a 33-28 decision that went down to the game’s final play - was FSU’s first-ever ACC defeat.