FACTS & STATS: Site: Doak S. Campbell Stadium (82,300) -- Tallahassee, Florida. Television: ABC. Home Record: Miami-FL 4-1, Florida State 2-0. Away Record: Miami-FL 0-2, Florida State 1-2. Neutral Record: Miami-FL 0-0, Florida State 1-0. Conference Record: Miami-FL 1-2, Florida State 1-2. Series Record: Miami- Florida leads, 29-22.

GAME NOTES: A battle of ACC teams and state rivals will ensue this weekend, as the Miami-Florida Hurricanes take on the Florida State Seminoles. Miami began the season with wins in four of its first five games, but losses in the last two outings have dropped the squad to 1-2 in league play. Last Saturday, the Hurricanes suffered a 17-14 home loss to Georgia Tech in front of a disappointed crowd. Both of their road games have ended in defeat thus far, not a good sign as they invade Tallahassee. Florida State reeled off four consecutive victories after losing the season opener. Unfortunately, the Seminoles failed in their effort to extend the winning streak to five last week, as they dropped a 24-21 decision to Wake Forest. Like the 'Canes, they enter Saturday's tilt with a 1-2 ACC record. Florida State has won the last two meetings with Miami, but the Hurricanes still own a 29-22 series lead.

Gone it seems are the days when Miami used to dominate the opposition with an explosive offense. The Hurricanes are averaging a lackluster 23.7 ppg and 339.1 total ypg. The ground attack, which is posting 157.7 ypg on 4.2 ypc, is paced by Graig Cooper and his 484 yards. As for the passing attack, Kyle Wright has taken the majority of the snaps, with Kirby Freeman pitching in. Wright has completed a solid 62.1 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns, but he has been picked off eight times. There is no standout receiver in the mix, disappointing considering the long history of great pass-catchers for the program. The offense was largely ineffective against Georgia Tech last weekend, posting a poor total of 223 total yards, including 56 passing yards. Wright completed 8-of-17 passes, failing to impress once again.

Opponents are scoring 20.6 ppg against Miami, which is allowing 318.6 total ypg. The Hurricanes have been solid against the run, yielding only 3.3 yards per attempt. As for the pass defense, it has surrendered its fair share of big plays, as opposing quarterbacks are averaging 12.6 yards per completion. A total of 22 sacks have been mustered by the defense, and Vegas Franklin leads the way with five. Three of his teammates have recorded four sacks apiece. As for Tavares Gooden, he leads Miami with 66 total tackles, 19 more than his closest teammate. The Hurricanes allowed 378 total yards to Georgia Tech last weekend, and while the 'Canes were outstanding against the pass, they permitted 264 rushing yards on 50 attempts by the Yellow Jackets.

Florida State has featured an explosive offense during much of Bobby Bowden's reign as head coach of the program, but this year's team has been inconsistent when it comes to moving the ball and scoring points. The Seminoles were limited to 47 rushing yards on 24 attempts by Wake Forest last week. Quarterback Xavier Lee, who scored a rushing touchdown for FSU, completed 24-of-45 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He was, however, intercepted twice in the contest. Florida State is scoring 22.8 ppg while gaining 343.0 total ypg this season. The Seminoles have struggled to move the ball on the ground, as they are posting just 108.7 ypg on 3.2 ypc. The quarterbacking duties have been split between Lee and Drew Weatherford, and while both players have been solid, neither has been spectacular.

Wake Forest scored three offensive touchdowns against Florida State last week, all on drives spanning at least 80 yards. Considering that the Seminoles yielded an 80-yard touchdown run and a 35-yard touchdown pass, there are obviously big plays to be made against the defense. FSU came up with three total takeaways, but those big plays weren't enough to offset an otherwise lackluster effort. Opponents are scoring 17.0 ppg this season against the Seminoles, who are yielding 318.0 total ypg. Stopping the run has been an area of strength for the defense, as FSU is permitting only 98.2 ypg on 2.9 ypc. Derek Nicholson and Geno Hayes are tied for the team lead with 44 tackles apiece, and 12 of Hayes' stops have been TFLs. Everette Brown has registered five sacks.

Florida State is the pick in this matchup, as the Seminoles have the advantage of playing at home. It wasn't long ago that these two program sat atop the college football world. Clearly, that is no longer the case.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Florida State 23, Miami-Florida 20