Florida State broke its nearly three-year-long road losing streak last week when it beat Boston College. They did it with interim head coach Rick Stockstill in the same week they fired Mike Norvell.

Is it crazy to end the season on a two-game road winning streak? They'll have a chance to do so against the Pitt Panthers on Friday night.

Pitt looked to be one of the better teams in the ACC early in the season, but then starting quarterback Mason Heintschel went down with a torn ACL in their win over Virginia Tech in October. They've gone 1-3 since, finally breaking the losing spell with a smackdown of Georgia Tech on Halloween.

They've now had a week off to prepare for a Friday game, while Florida State had to travel to play BC, get back to Tallahassee, and will now have to travel again on a short week for this game. That rest difference alone could be the difference, even if the vibes are a lot better in Tallahassee.

Here are some things that I am watching for in this game.

FSU's Run Defense

Pitt has a fine but lackluster rushing attack, led by running back Damon Ferguson Jr., who has 662 rushing yards and six touchdowns. La'Vell Wright has been useful as well, with 305 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

FSU has allowed an average of 173 rushing yards per game and nearly 5 yards per carry, and it's going to be even more difficult now that Kevin Wynn is expected to miss the rest of the season. They already didn't have a lot of size on the interior of the defensive line and have lost their biggest piece.

Ernie Sims may have to get a little more exotic with his defensive fronts to keep Pitt from running the ball, especially since they're on a backup quarterback.

FSU's Rushing Attack Takes ANOTHER Hit

Florida State had a breakout performance from true freshman running back Amari Thomas in last week's game against Boston College, as he put up 107 total yards (98 rushing, 9 receiving) and two touchdowns.

Tre Wisner started, but it became clear that Thomas was just more effective, and they rolled with him down the stretch. Wisner will be out for this game, and even if he hasn't been the best this season, he's at least a warm body.

The running back room is now Thomas, walk-on Zay Parks, and converted walk-on tight end Gavin Markey. Could we see some looks of Jasen Lopez or Micahi Danzy in the backfield? It wouldn't be surprising.

Starting center Bradyn Welch-Joiner suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Saturday, which will impact the operations up front. There's a lot of belief in Sandman Thompson to step in, but don't be surprised if there are more procedure penalties or a mishandled snap.

How Much Will the Rest Difference Matter?

As mentioned earlier, Pitt had last week off, while Florida State played a road game at Boston College, went back to Tallahassee, and will now travel for a Friday game in Pittsburgh.

Florida State is also entering this game without its best wide receiver, its top three running backs, its starting center, its best defensive lineman, and a starting cornerback. Pitt may be down some big pieces too, but attrition seems to be really hitting the Seminoles, and on a short week, that might show.

Game Prediction

Pitt has lost at Boston College, where we just saw Florida State go into a win. Quick math says FSU should win this game, right?

I do think the rest disadvantage is going to catch up at some point to FSU in this game, especially with it being a Friday night. They're already not a deep team, so these injuries hurt them more than most.

I'll take Pitt.

Pitt 24, Florida State 17

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