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Early look at FSU football's opponent Notre Dame
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- Early look at FSU football's opponent Notre Dame
Florida State football's playoff push begins during Notre Dame week.
The final three nonconference games will be the final test for the Seminoles to make a case for being one of the 12 teams to make the College Football Playoff.
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The Seminoles will make their first trip to South Bend to face Notre Dame since 2020. History will tell that FSU edges out Notre Dame at 6-5, but in the last three meetings, the Fighting Irish got the Seminoles' number.
While FSU has come close, Mike Norvell has yet to win against Notre Dame during his tenure. Maybe this could be the year and enough to impress the playoff committee to make the Seminoles a higher seed.
Let's take a look at Notre Dame.
Who is Notre Dame's head coach
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman watches his players warm up during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in South Bend.
Marcus Freeman will be entering his fourth season at Notre Dame. Freeman is 19-8 in his coaching career and 2-1 in bowl games.
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Freeman took over as head coach after Brian Kelly left for LSU after 11 seasons with the Fighting Irish. Before that, Freeman was a defensive coordinator and linebacker coach for Notre Dame, Cincinnati , and Purdue .
Freeman played all four years at Ohio State as a linebacker and played for three different NFL teams.
He returned to OSU to become a graduate assistant for a year and landed his first coaching job at Kent State, coaching the linebackers.
All-time record between FSU vs. Notre Dame
6-5, FSU
Last FSU vs. Notre Dame
FSU lost to Notre Dame 41-38 in overtime on Sept. 5, 2021, at Doak Campbell Stadium.
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Notre Dame's top players
OffenseRB Jeremiyah Love, 71 rushes, 385 yards, 1 TD; Jadarian Price 47 rec., 272 yards, 3 TDs; WR Jordan Faison , 19 rec. 322 yards, four TDs; WR Jayden Thomas , 21 rec. 310 yards, 2 TDs; TE Mitchell Evans, 29 rec. 422 yards 1 TD; OL Pat Coogan, OL Rocco Spindler
Defense:DL Howard Cross II, 66 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks; LB Jack Kiser , 62 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks; DL Jordan Botelho 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks; S Xavier Watts, 52 tackles, seven interceptions, four pass breakups, three tackles for loss; CB Benjamin Morrison , 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 10 PBUs, three interceptions
Notre Dame's key losses, additions
Key losses:QB Sam Hartman , RB Audric Estime , WR Chris Tyree , WR Rico Flores Jr., WR Tobias Merriweather, TE Holden Staes , OL Joe Alt , OL Blake Fisher , OL Zeke Correll, DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste , DL Nana Osafo-Mensah, LB JD Bertrand , LB Marist Liufau , CB Cam Hart , S Thomas Harper, S Ramone Henderson, P Bryce McFerson
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Additions:QB Riley Leonard , WR Kris Mitchell , WR Beaux Collins , WR Jayden Harrison DL RJ Oben, S Rod Heard II, SJordan Clark, K Mitch Jeter
Outlook on Notre Dame
Both teams are highly favorable of being two of the 12 teams to make the playoffs.
A win in a potential primetime matchup can create style points for either side. Some notable opponents in Notre Dame's schedule include its season opener at Texas A&M and its rivalry game against Southern California on Nov. 30.
The trenches could give FSU the edge. The Fighting Irish lost three starters on the offensive line, including their starting tackles, Joe Alt and Blake Fisher.
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DJ Uiagalelei and Riley Leonard, who transferred from Duke , will battle it out for the quarterback's position. Uiagalelei came from Clemson and Oregon State.
While the Fighting Irish still have questions up front, the game can go either way.
How can I watch FSU football vs. Georgia Tech
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Date: Saturday, Aug. 24
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Time: Noon ET
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Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
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TV: ESPN
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Streaming: ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription needed), fuboTV (7-day free trial ), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)
Florida State football schedule 2024
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Aug. 24 vs. Georgia Tech *Dublin, Ireland at noon., ESPN
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Sept. 2 vs. Boston College at 7:30 p.m., ESPN
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Sept. 14 vs. Memphis
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Sept. 21 vs. California
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Sept. 28 at SMU
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Oct. 5 vs. Clemson
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Oct. 18 at Duke
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Oct. 26 at (U) Miami
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Nov. 2 vs. North Carolina
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Nov. 9 at Notre Dame
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Nov. 23 vs. Charleston Southern
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Nov. 30: Florida
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Dec. 7:ACC Championship
BOLD = ACC
* = Neutral Site
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Sneak preview of Florida State vs. Notre Dame matchup
