The Florida State Seminoles head into Shreveport LA’s Independence Stadium to face the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles on Wednesday, December 27th. Florida State is entering bowl season with a respectable 8-4 record and a 6-2 mark in C-USA action, while Southern Mississippi posted a less respectable 6-6 record, going 3-5 in ACC play. Florida State leads the all-time series against Southern Mississippi by a total of 13-8, but it has been over two decades since these two squads have met so that record doesn’t mean all that much, on its own. Register to bet and wager with your pick.
Betting Preview for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs. Florida State Seminoles Independence Game on Dec 27 2017
Where: Independence Stadium
When: Wednesday, December 27 2017, 1:30 PM EST
Line: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+16.5) vs Florida State Seminoles (-16.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Mississippi Golden Eagles +16.5(8-4)
The Eagles put together a nice little 8-4 campaign in 2017, good enough to meet one of the more prestigious college football programs in the country during bowl season. For a program that has often been known for little more than being the alma mater of legendary Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Brett Favre, the Eagles’ eight wins must be considered a success. Southern Miss finished tied for second in the Conference-USA West division with the resurgent Alabama-Birmingham program, which made for a great narrative this year. A 6-2 conference record and finishing one win shy of division-winning North Texas is nothing to sneeze at.
The Eagles have made things happen with two dominant skill-position players in RB Ito Smith (1,321 yards, 13 TDs and adding 36 receptions for 360 receiving yards) and WR Korey Robertson (72 catches, 1,070 yards, 11 TDs). Southern Miss has utilized that duo to compile passing and rushing offenses ranking in the top half nationally to pair with a respectable defensive unit. The Eagles also eagerly await the arrival of CB Jemaurian Jones, a highly-touted freshman who committed in his home state for 2018. It is fair to say the arrow is pointing upward in Hattiesburg.
Betting on the vs Florida State Seminoles -16.5(6-6)
It says enough about the program that a .500 season is considered an abject disaster that drives an iconic head coach and requires the reset button in Tallahassee. A 6-6 campaign does not adequately represent the talent on FSU’s roster, which is why Southern Miss is likely in tough in Louisiana on the 27th.
It’s fair to say, however, that Taggart’s harping on mixing up the offense is not falling on deaf ears. The ‘Noles averages in passing, rushing and points scored near the bottom of not just the ACC, but the entire Bowl Subdivision. Despite finishing second-last in the ACC’s Atlantic division, FSU is in good form lately, albeit with slaughtering two lousy programs in Delaware State and Louisiana-Monroe and a skeleton Florida Gators squad. Still, when you’ve struggled like the Seminoles have in 2017, wins are wins, and FSU is trending in the right direction at least and should likely get a boost with the good vibes from their new head coach.
Florida State could open up a truly large margin if it gets a dynamic performance out of DE Josh Sweat, who had 5.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss on the season. If the ‘Noles can force some turnovers due to pressure, look for a healthy dose of freshman RB Cam Akers, who put up 930 yards and seven TDs in his maiden campaign.
Writer’s Prediction
The Golden Eagles have been impressive and could yield some large gains on a merely average Seminoles defense this year – a unit that is generally among the toast of college football. Still, I expect the embarrassment of riches on the Florida State recruiting trail to eventually catch up to Southern Miss in the Independence Bowl, and gradually bite them in the backside. The Eagles may score some points, but I think the Seminoles will continue their recent strong form and cap the 2017 season off with a bowl victory. Pick: Florida State Seminoles (-16.5)
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