The Florida State Seminoles head into Saturday’s matchup at a perfect 6-0 following a blowout of the Syracuse Orange.

This weekend, the Seminoles will host the Duke Blue Devils under the lights in a primetime showdown at Doak Campbell.

Each week, as part of our Line of Scrimmage series, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting all the details from those who know those teams best.

Duke comes into town sitting at 5-1, their best start since 2018. The Blue Devils are led by quarterback Riley Leonard, who is currently day-to-day with a high ankle sprain. Head coach Mike Elko has Duke playing at a high level, which could spell trouble for the Seminoles if Jordan Travis and the offense come out of the gates slow. We’ll dive into what to expect from this veteran-led squad with Donald Wine of Duke Basketball Report.

Well, if we’re going to talk Duke football, we got to start with the reigning ACC coach of the year, Mike Elko. After leading the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record his first season, he has Duke at 5-1, with just one heart breaking loss to Sam Hartman and Notre Dame. What’s been the secret with Elko? We knew he was a great defensive coordinator, but this is largely the same team that was 3-9 just two years ago right? There wasn’t a secret Colorado-esque roster overhaul that everyone ignored?Let’s start on offense and with the signal caller, by now we’ve all seen that Riley Leonard can dunk, but the kid does a great job leading this Kevin Johns schemed offense. But Leonard is also coming off the ankle injury so we need to also talk Henry Belin IV. Where do each of these signal callers stand out and where might they struggle on Saturday night? This running game is led by Jordan Waters but that number is a little deceiving as prior to the injury, it was quarterback Riley Leonard as the rushing leader. Overall, Duke is averaging a shade under 200 yards on the ground each game. What type of back is Waters and what can FSU fans expect from this running game this weekend?Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore both had successful 2022 seasons and they’ve picked up right where they left off halfway through this year. They’ve combined for 49 receptions and nearly 700 yards through the first six games. Just looking at the bios, these aren’t the tall targets like the Seminoles have, where has this duo found success these last two years?The offensive line is anchored by stud left tackle Graham Barton. But it’s not Barton and everyone else. This is an experienced group with four grad transfers. Tell us about this veteran line.Let’s flip over to defense, specifically the defensive line. Another experienced group of two grad students and two redshirt seniors. FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins specifically mentioned defensive tackle Ja’Mion Franklin. But just like the offensive line, it’s not just Franklin, this is an impressive unit with I believe 11.5 sacks among the defensive line. Where has this group excelled and is there an area that the Seminoles could potentially have an advantage? Onto the second line, Tre Freeman is the team leader in tackles. He and Dorian Mausi both have an interception. This is another experienced unit. How have you felt the backers have performed so far this year? Finally, an area that really interests me, the Duke secondary. So much attention has been placed on Florida State receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. How do you expect this secondary to hand out the assignments and which of these guys stand out the most for you?What are your thoughts on how Saturday plays out?

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