The toughest yards. Amari Thomas ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–24 win at BC. Now the freshman faces the nation’s No. 2 run defense. Ashton Daniels can take some of the short-yardage work.

Where to attack. The Osceola’s Jerry Kutz points to quick throws as a way to make Pitt defend more of the field. With Duce Robinson out, that gives Tim Harris Jr. a reason to get Micahi Danzy, Jayvan Boggs and Jasen Lopez involved early.

On defense. Damon Ferguson ran for 185 yards against Georgia Tech. Slowing him on early downs would put more pressure on a passing game that’s been scaled back since Mason Heintschel went down. FSU picked off two passes at BC.

The picks. Four of six Noles247 writers picked Pitt, and all six expect a one-score game. Chris Nee had the Panthers 28–24 in his Q&A with Panther-Lair.

Defensive help. Linebackers Blake Nichelson and Caleb LaVallee and safety K.J. Kirkland came off the report after being probable Wednesday. Nichelson is in line for his first appearance since Aug. 29. Deante McCray and Jamari Howard remain out.

Pitt’s quarterbacks. Holden Geriner was added as questionable with Mason Heintschel already out. Freshman Corey Dailey, who started against Boston College, is next in line if Geriner can’t go. Pitt moved defensive back Shawn Lee Jr. and linebacker DeMarco Ward to probable.

Final check at 5 p.m. ET. Kicker Conor McAneney was FSU’s lone probable Thursday. No Seminoles were listed as questionable. The final report is due two hours before kickoff.

Wake’s investment. The school kept financial terms private. Demon Deacon Digest reports the deal boosts the assistant salary pool and that sources expect Wake to spend at least $21 million on its 2027 roster.

The ACC names. Duke’s Manny Diaz won the 2025 ACC title and goes back with Jeff Purinton to their early days at FSU. Rhett Lashlee took SMU to the playoff and is under contract through 2032. Louisville’s Jeff Brohm has had a steady run of productive transfer quarterbacks.

The Schumann case. Noles247 reports FSU prefers a sitting head coach. Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann overlapped with Purinton at Alabama and helped build championship defenses at Georgia. This would be his first head coaching job.

Other sitting head coaches. New Mexico’s Jason Eck, Houston’s Willie Fritz and Western Michigan’s Lance Taylor bring experience from different levels. Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris has worked with quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Cam Ward.

The Jimbo question. Fisher went 83–23 at FSU and won the 2013 title. He last coached in 2023, so a return would raise questions about how he’d build a roster now. Warchant found little agreement across prediction markets and bookmakers.

Saturday’s games. Duke visits Miami, SMU hosts Wake Forest and Georgia faces Missouri. Recruits are watching the calendar, too. The early signing period opens Dec. 2.

Where revenue can grow. Learfield’s work spans multimedia rights, licensing, ticket sales and digital content. One former director pointed to women’s basketball and soccer as places to look for new revenue. Purinton mentioned sponsorships and jersey patches at his introduction.

His first month. A former director recalled Purinton stopping by to learn how different departments worked. Purinton said he plans to spend much of his first 30 days at FSU listening.

How much authority he’ll have. President Richard McCullough wants Purinton to run athletics as its CEO and expects FSU to hire a full-time revenue executive. The football hire offers an early look at that arrangement. Purinton is leading the search with McCullough, board chair Peter Collins and consultant Daniel Parker.

What Travis remembers. He said he understood the debate over Norvell’s coaching and player development. Since the firing, several former teammates have been trading memories in a group chat about how Norvell brought players together.

Corey Fuller’s perspective. Norvell hired Fuller as FSU’s director of football relations in 2022. Fuller said players can come away from the same program with very different experiences. Travis said he’ll support whoever FSU hires next.

Ta’Shawn Poole’s commitment. The Macon, Georgia, safety remains committed to FSU. He called having a head coach in place before signing “key” and wants to see how he fits with the next staff. Greg Moss and Blue Adams have kept in touch with him and other defensive back commits in a group chat.

Poole’s visit window. Noles247 identifies Tennessee as the bigger threat, with Miami also in touch. A playoff game rules out a trip this weekend, so keep an eye on Tennessee’s Nov. 21 home finale against LSU.

Joshua Benka-Coker’s first official. The New Jersey edge rusher visits Michigan State for the Washington game after an unofficial to Rutgers. FSU is among five Power Four programs that offered after he racked up 18.5 sacks in eight games in his first season of football.

Why he might wait. Benka-Coker is leaning toward signing Feb. 3 so he can take January visits. He’s comfortable rushing off the edge in his high school’s 4–3 and wants to see how other defenses would use him.

Treveon Lewis to UNC. The three-star East Paulding linebacker chose North Carolina after drawing interest from FSU and Georgia Tech. TarHeel247 reports he has 10 sacks and more than 100 tackles this season.

A deep Islanders rotation. Warchant notes that 13 Islanders average double-digit minutes and nobody averages more than 10.3 points. They’ve won twice since losing their opener to Texas State, including a 67–60 road win over Louisiana.

Watch FSU’s bench. The Noles got six bench points against Florida. Freshman shooters Brandon Bass Jr. and Martay Barnes each played two minutes, all before halftime. Today offers another look at where they fit in Luke Loucks’ rotation.

On deck. The Noles stay home to play Ball State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX.

His path to Tallahassee. The Bratislava native grew up watching his father play professionally and represented Slovakia at the under-18 level. At Colorado, he went from 5.9 points per game as a freshman to 12.3 points and 5.6 boards as a sophomore.

Why Loucks’ offense appealed to him. Rancik told Tomahawk Nation he wanted to handle the ball and make decisions from different spots on the floor.

A hometown two-way standout. Fuller closed out Lincoln’s state title win last spring. The shortstop posted a 1.270 OPS in 54 at-bats at Perfect Game events this season. On the mound, he works at 92–94 mph and throws a changeup.

The other prep names. Dariel Carrion stands out for his throwing arm behind the plate. Bubba Day is Perfect Game’s top-ranked Nebraska prospect, and Gabriel Norman is its No. 4 lefty in Florida. Bishop Gorman’s Justin Rodrigues hit .432 as a junior.

The JUCO additions. The group includes Tyler Correa, Joseph McMurtry and Polk State outfielder Bradyn Potter, who had a 1.032 OPS and stole 20 bases as a freshman.

Addison DeRoche. Rivals’ No. 5 overall prospect can pitch and play the infield. The three-time Maine Gatorade Player of the Year won two state titles at Cheverus High.

Layna Ayala. The catcher and utility player from Melbourne ranks No. 16 nationally and No. 1 in Florida with Rivals. FSU’s staff sees middle-of-the-order power in her bat.

Harleigh Price. The Branford High right-hander gives Alameda a second arm in the circle. Line Drive Media ranks her No. 18 among pitchers.

Team bids. The top two teams in each race advance to the Nov. 21 NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. FSU’s women enter ranked third in the region, and the men are seventh.

Individual bids. The first four finishers in each race whose teams miss the field can advance if they place in the regional top 25. The at-large field will be announced Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.

A tight recent series. FSU leads the series 27–2, and the last two meetings both went five sets.

Player to watch. Reigning ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Kyleene Filimaua had 16 kills against Boston College last season and another 16 against Syracuse.

Her first college win. The sophomore shot six under at the Folds of Honor Collegiate and helped FSU erase a seven-shot deficit on the final day to win the team title.

Two more top 10s. Nakatani tied for fourth at the Schooner Fall Classic with career lows for a round (65) and 54 holes (203). She climbed 21 spots on the final day of the Landfall Tradition to tie for ninth.