Florida State faces Charleston Southern as it tries to bounce back after firing three assistants

Charleston Southern (1-10) at Florida State (1-9), Saturday, 1:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network Extra)

BetMGM College Football Odds: No Line.

Series record: Florida State leads 2-0.

What’s at stake?

Florida State is looking to snap a six-game losing streak, the program’s longest slump since losing eight straight to start the 1974 season. Coach Mike Norvell and the FSU front office fired offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans at No. 10 the day after a 52-3 loss to Notre Dame. A Power Four program won’t have much to gain against an FCS opponent, but a homecoming win and positive energy going into the rivalry with Florida will go a long way for the Seminoles.

Key match

Charleston Southern’s run game against Florida State’s rushing defense. The Buccaneers run a triple offense, but they struggle to move the ball and average just 15 points per game. Autavious Ison leads Charleston Southern with 767 rushing yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, but has been 51 yards or less in his last three games. Florida State will have the advantage in size and athleticism, but must change its battle for third place (which allows for a 45.9 percent conversion rate, 122nd among 134 FBS defenses).

Players to watch

Charleston Southern: LB Steve Zajaczkowski leads the team with 76 tackles and his three sacks rank among the team’s leaders. Zajaczkowski had four tackles, two sacks and one pass breakup in last week’s overtime loss to Eastern Illinois.

Florida State: RB Lawrence Toafili has 380 rushing yards and 176 receiving yards, representing the Seminoles’ most reliable offensive weapon. Toafili moved up to 19th on FSU’s all-time rushing list after gaining 77 yards in the loss at Notre Dame. He now has 1,819 yards.

Facts and figures

The Seminoles have run nine offensive combinations in 10 games and rank last in the FBS in offensive efficiency (13.3). … Florida State has won 10 straight games. … Charleston Southern has a 0-26 record against FBS teams, but the Buccaneers nearly fell short before losing to East Carolina 31-28 in 2021. … The Buccaneers have lost nine straight games, but five of them came by a touchdown or less.