PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

October 23, 2018 at 9:17 pm.

GAME BREAKDOWN

KEY MATCHUP: Clemson running back Travis Etienne vs. the Seminoles’ defense. No one has stopped Etienne so far this year as the senior is leading the nation in total touchdowns with 15, while rushing for 800 yards (10th in the nation) and averaging 114.3 yards a game on the ground. Florida State, meanwhile, isn’t near the top of the FBS in hardly any categories this year, but rush defense is one in which it does. The Seminoles’ run defense is ranked eighth in the country, giving up a stingy average of just 100.4 yards a game. This matchup is good on good. Something will have to give Saturday.

DRAFT SLANT

–Florida State’s highest-rated player is 6-foot-5 defensive end Brian Burns, whom NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler considers a potential first-rounder in the 2019 NFL Draft. Burns leads the team with nine sacks through seven games.

ROSTER REPORT:

–RB Khalan Laborn suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier this year against Samford, but coach Willie Taggart said this week Laborn is making amazing progress. “Now he’s bending it, walking around. You see a smile on his face; he’s (got) a totally different attitude,” Taggart told the Orlando Sentinel. “He’s in a great place right now and I know for me it’s great to see him out there with his teammates on the sideline and excited about just being around.”

–OL Landon Dickerson (ankle) is out this week, coach Willie Taggart said Monday.

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