Florida State at UNC

Tudor's take

The assumption ordinarily would be that three or four coaching staffs beat one. Mathematically, that works.

Football, however, operates on different math principles.

The Seminoles arrive in Chapel Hill with the staff that Bobby Bowden has, the staff that head coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher might have, the staff that associate head coach Mickey Andrews longs for and the one in charge of rounding up the next batch of five-star recruits.

And, hey, it's not exactly like Carolina is the gridiron equivalent of the Brady Bunch. Of late, it's been more like the Brady Offensive Brunch Hunch. Even so, the Heels have an idea. In Tally Land, it's every coach for himself.

Heels 14-10.

Observations

Get a look at Bobby

This might be Bobby Bowden's final coaching appearance in the Triangle. For the most part, Bowden has hammered all the schools in the Carolinas in his career. As Florida State's coach, he's 14-1-1 vs. the Tar Heels, 16-0 vs. Duke, 12-5 vs. N.C. State, 15-6 vs. Clemson and 14-3 vs. Wake Forest.

Heels on the mend?

For once this season, the injury report seems to favor North Carolina instead of its opponent. Bowden said linebacker Dekoda Watson, who leads the team with 4.5 sacks, won't play tonight because of a groin injury. Meanwhile, there's a chance that tight end Zack Pianalto will be ready to return for the Tar Heels after missing four games with a dislocated bone in his right foot.

Player to watch

Christian Ponder

Florida St., JR., QB, 6-2, 217

Ponder leads all ACC quarterbacks with 1,781 passing yards. His one interception this season (as well as the fact that he's already pursing his MBA) attests to the good decisions he makes. Ponder doesn't have blazing speed but can hurt opponents with his feet. North Carolina coach Butch Davis said Ponder does an excellent job keeping his eyes downfield while scrambling to keep plays alive.

By the numbers