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Tale of the Tape: Florida State vs. Auburn
The Florida State Seminoles look to cap a perfect season as they face the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship game Monday night in Pasadena, Califonia.
The Seminoles rolled to the number-one ranking and a spot in the national title game, leading the nation in points per game (53) and fewest points allowed (10.7) while outscoring opponents by a whopping 246 points over their final five contests. They'll face an upstart Tigers team that stunned then-No. 1 Alabama en route to an unlikely spot in the championship game.
Here's the breakdown in our betting tale of the tape:
Offense
No team in college football had an offensive as explosive as the Seminoles, who scored 40 or more points in all but one of their games. That includes dominant performances against ranked teams: a 63-0 walloping of No. 25 Maryland, a 51-14 trouncing of No. 3 Clemson and a 41-14 rout of No. 7 Miami. Quarterback Jameis Winston captured the Heisman Trophy with one of the greatest seasons in school history, throwing for 3,840 yards and 38 touchdowns; the run game was also formidable, producing 5.7 yards per carry and 41 scores.
The Florida State offense has been getting more of the attention heading into Monday's championship game, but Auburn also piled up the points during a remarkable season. The Tigers failed reached the 30-point mark just twice, and scored 136 combined in consecutive victories against ranked foes Georgia, Alabama and Missouri to wedge their way into title contention. Auburn is fueled by the nation's most potent rush offense (4,364 yards, 46 TDs), with Tre Mason leading the charge with 1,621 yards and 22 scores.
Edge: Florida State
Defense
Aside from a shootout win over the Boston College Eagles on Sept. 28, the Seminoles' defense was virtually impenetrable for the entire season. No other team scored more than 17 points against the Seminoles, and Florida State limited seven opponents to seven or fewer points. The Seminoles' 3-4 scheme made life difficult for opposing defenses, leading the nation with 25 interceptions - shared by a whopping 16 players - while compiling 33 sacks.
While it didn't compete with the top-flight offense, the Tigers' defense did enough to push the team into prominence. Difficult matchups against the LSU Tigers (35 points against), Texas A&M Aggies (41) and Georgia Bulldogs (38) sullied Auburn's defensive resume, but with five other opponents held to 20 or fewer points, the Tigers proved more than capable of succeeding on the defensive end. Auburn surrendered 423.5 yards per game, 88th in the nation.
Edge: Florida State
Special Teams
Florida State had only 27 kickoff returns on the season - but made the most of them, ranking third in the nation at 26 yards per return. The Seminoles weren't nearly as effective when it came to punt returns, averaging just 10 yards on 34 attempts with a longest return of 28 yards. Kicker Roberto Aguayo was the busiest kicker in the league when it came to extra points - going 90-for-90 - but also connected on 19-of-20 field-goal opportunities, with a long of 53 yards.
Auburn's return game was impressive, as it averaged 24.1 yards per kickoff-return attempt - ranked 15th in the nation - on 36 opportunities. The Tigers fared better than the Seminoles when it came to punt-return success, averaging 11.8 yards on 29 chances with a long of 85 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Cody Parkey was virtually automatic on extra points - hitting 63-of-64 attempts - but was just 14-for-19 on field goals, including 1-for-4 on 50 yards or longer.
Edge: Florida State
Notable Quotable
"We're excited about playing Auburn ... they're dynamic, they make plays on offense, defense, special teams. (They have) won a games a lot of different ways and (are) very well coached, and it will be a great opportunity and great challenge for our team." - Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher
"We have not been, by all standards, a really good defense this year. But we always know how to play in the moment. When there's a play on the line, we've been good on third down, we've been good in the red zone, we've been good in the fourth quarter." - Tigers defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson
The Florida State Seminoles look to cap a perfect season as they face the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship game Monday night in Pasadena, Califonia.
The Seminoles rolled to the number-one ranking and a spot in the national title game, leading the nation in points per game (53) and fewest points allowed (10.7) while outscoring opponents by a whopping 246 points over their final five contests. They'll face an upstart Tigers team that stunned then-No. 1 Alabama en route to an unlikely spot in the championship game.
Here's the breakdown in our betting tale of the tape:
Offense
No team in college football had an offensive as explosive as the Seminoles, who scored 40 or more points in all but one of their games. That includes dominant performances against ranked teams: a 63-0 walloping of No. 25 Maryland, a 51-14 trouncing of No. 3 Clemson and a 41-14 rout of No. 7 Miami. Quarterback Jameis Winston captured the Heisman Trophy with one of the greatest seasons in school history, throwing for 3,840 yards and 38 touchdowns; the run game was also formidable, producing 5.7 yards per carry and 41 scores.
The Florida State offense has been getting more of the attention heading into Monday's championship game, but Auburn also piled up the points during a remarkable season. The Tigers failed reached the 30-point mark just twice, and scored 136 combined in consecutive victories against ranked foes Georgia, Alabama and Missouri to wedge their way into title contention. Auburn is fueled by the nation's most potent rush offense (4,364 yards, 46 TDs), with Tre Mason leading the charge with 1,621 yards and 22 scores.
Edge: Florida State
Defense
Aside from a shootout win over the Boston College Eagles on Sept. 28, the Seminoles' defense was virtually impenetrable for the entire season. No other team scored more than 17 points against the Seminoles, and Florida State limited seven opponents to seven or fewer points. The Seminoles' 3-4 scheme made life difficult for opposing defenses, leading the nation with 25 interceptions - shared by a whopping 16 players - while compiling 33 sacks.
While it didn't compete with the top-flight offense, the Tigers' defense did enough to push the team into prominence. Difficult matchups against the LSU Tigers (35 points against), Texas A&M Aggies (41) and Georgia Bulldogs (38) sullied Auburn's defensive resume, but with five other opponents held to 20 or fewer points, the Tigers proved more than capable of succeeding on the defensive end. Auburn surrendered 423.5 yards per game, 88th in the nation.
Edge: Florida State
Special Teams
Florida State had only 27 kickoff returns on the season - but made the most of them, ranking third in the nation at 26 yards per return. The Seminoles weren't nearly as effective when it came to punt returns, averaging just 10 yards on 34 attempts with a longest return of 28 yards. Kicker Roberto Aguayo was the busiest kicker in the league when it came to extra points - going 90-for-90 - but also connected on 19-of-20 field-goal opportunities, with a long of 53 yards.
Auburn's return game was impressive, as it averaged 24.1 yards per kickoff-return attempt - ranked 15th in the nation - on 36 opportunities. The Tigers fared better than the Seminoles when it came to punt-return success, averaging 11.8 yards on 29 chances with a long of 85 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Cody Parkey was virtually automatic on extra points - hitting 63-of-64 attempts - but was just 14-for-19 on field goals, including 1-for-4 on 50 yards or longer.
Edge: Florida State
Notable Quotable
"We're excited about playing Auburn ... they're dynamic, they make plays on offense, defense, special teams. (They have) won a games a lot of different ways and (are) very well coached, and it will be a great opportunity and great challenge for our team." - Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher
"We have not been, by all standards, a really good defense this year. But we always know how to play in the moment. When there's a play on the line, we've been good on third down, we've been good in the red zone, we've been good in the fourth quarter." - Tigers defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson
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