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College football games today?. Week 5 schedule includes Florida State, TCU
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- College football games today?. Week 5 schedule includes Florida State, TCU
The loaded college football schedule in Week 5 is too big for just one day. Fortunately, there are a couple of tantalizing contests slated for Friday night involving ranked teams to whet our appetites for the busy Saturday to follow.
One of the Friday tilts features a top-10 squad hoping to avoid a road trap on the eve of its huge rivalry showdown, while the other is a key conference clash in the wide-open Big 12. OK, there's also a late-night pairing of unbeaten Houston at winless Oregon State, but we'll concentrate on the other two here. Here are the particulars.
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No. 8 Florida State at Virginia
Time/TV:7 p.m. ET, ESPN.
Why watch:The Seminoles would like to put this one on ice quickly and turn their attention to the looming battle with the archrival Miami Hurricanes, who have the weekend off. The Cavaliers, however, will have other ideas. UVa improved from 3-9 in 2022 and 2023 to 5-7 last year and is now trying for its first winning season since 2019. Well-traveled QB Chandler Morris has established a good rhythm with big-play WR Trell Harris, and is getting solid ground support from RBs J'Mari Taylor and Harrison Waylee. Morris has eight scoring tosses and has only been picked once, but that interception came at a bad time in the closing moments of a four-point loss at North Carolina State. FSU QB Thomas Castellanos is good to go after a brief injury scare in last week's romp over Kent State. His arsenal includes flashy freshman RB/WR Micahi Danzy, who has 299 yards from scrimmage on just nine touches, and RB Gavin Sawchuk, with a team-high six TDs.
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Why it could disappoint:Florida State's dominance in the trenches against Alabama last month portends a physical mismatch. The Cavaliers' home-crowd energy might carry them for a while, but they probably won't be able to keep it up for four quarters.
No. 25 TCU at Arizona State
Time/TV:9 p.m. ET, Fox.
Why watch:Despite an early setback in SEC territory at Mississippi State, the Sun Devils' defense of their Big 12 title began on a high note last week at Baylor. They now return home looking to regain a foothold in the Top 25. The Horned Frogs have handled hostile environs before, spoiling Bill Belichick's collegiate debut at North Carolina in the process. But they'll face a more accomplished group in Tempe, where returning Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt has been growing more comfortable with some new offensive teammates. Having top WR Jordyn Tyson back has helped, and RB Raleek Brown is finding his stride. TCU also has a veteran at the controls in QB Josh Hoover, whose principal ball handlers are expected to be WR Eric McAlister and RB Jeremy Payne
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Why it could disappoint:It seems far less likely that this one will – Big 12 games are rarely dull. Neither team is prone to a turnover barrage, so viewers should be treated to a back-and-forth affair.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What college football games are today? Week 5 schedule for Friday
