The Hurricanes have many candidates, but few healthy bodies. TB Charlie Jones proved capable when Tyrone Moss went down last year, rushing for 97 yards in the win at Virginia Tech. However, a problematic hamstring has plagued him in camp.Even if Moss wasn't suspended, he's still working back from ACL surgery. , too, has hip and groin soreness. UM's best option might be , though it might be asking a lot of a true freshman. Four new line starters also raise concerns.

The defensive interior is FSU's strength, with DT and NT backed by MLB . Fluellen figures to be the next in FSU's lineage of premier D-linemen, but keep an eye on Griffin. The juco transfer has big shoes to fill ( ), but has turned heads.

Davis (91 tackles) is at his best in the middle, but versatile enough to man either outside spot in a pinch. Soph steps up if that happens. OLBs and are sideline-to-sideline pursuit defenders.

UM: QB Kyle Wright is widely considered to have the best tools in the ACC, but finds himself with surprisingly thin support. With WR Ryan Moore all but gone, it leaves Lance Leggatt and Darnell Jenkins as the only experienced wideouts. Next come true freshmen Sam Shields and Ryan Hill.

TE Greg Olsen becomes Wright's primary weapon, and FSU won't forget his eight-catch night a year ago. Expect to see plenty of two-TE sets, with Chris Zellner lining up on the opposite side. UM's 36 sacks last year ranked worst in the ACC, a far cry from the old days.

FSU: The Seminoles sacked Wright nine times last year and see a chance for more havoc against UM's retooled line. A big push up the middle set things in motion then, and FSU is counting on DT Andre Fluellen and NT Paul Griffin to do the same. Then it's up to DEs D.J. Norris and Darrell Burston to clean up.

SLB Lawrence Timmons draws the night's spotlight matchup against UM's Olsen. Timmons has the speed to hang with wideouts and hits like a truck. CBs Tony Carter and J.R. Bryant survived the fires a year ago and should be better with a year's experience.

FSU: The worst rushing year of the Bobby Bowden era prompted a major recommitment in the offseason. The Seminoles drilled the run so much in spring ball that players sometimes wished for a pass just to break the monotony. But it paid big dividends up front, where the line came out with a new nastiness.

After four patient years, TB Lorenzo Booker (512 yards) is the featured back. Though he'll sometimes be spelled by Antone Smith, it's not the platoon situation Booker saw earlier with Greg Jones and Leon Washington. Smith can gain tough yards inside.

UM: The Hurricanes held just four opponents under 100 yards rushing last year, stats not usually expected from a UM defense. Some shuffling has gone on, most notably moving Baraka Atkins back to his more natural spot at DE. Bryan Pata shifted inside.

The MLB spot will be one to watch. Romeo Davis lost his job, moved to strong-side backup and suddenly moved back when Glenn Cook started having knee pain. They combined for just 61 tackles last year -- low for a MLB. SLB Tavares Gooden is back after separating a shoulder against FSU last year.

FSU: QB Drew Weatherford grew into the role last year, well beyond his 3,208 yards passing and 18 TDs. This is now his offense, and teammates accept him as their general. The sophomore still needs to cut back on his INTs, especially trying to force things in third-and-long situations.

WRs Chris Davis and Greg Carr pose the greatest threats. Davis runs the best routes and has the moves that can embarrass a CB. Carr's bread-and-butter is the jump-ball fade, but seeks to expand his repertoire. WR De'Cody Fagg is a valuable possession receiver.

UM: If there's a weakness in the UM defense, it might come from new CBs Glenn Sharpe and Randy Phillips -- but that's only because the rest is so solid. Sharpe hasn't played in 23 months while rehabilitating from major knee surgery. Phillips' work last year came mostly in nickel and dime packages.

But it's nice to have one of the nation's best safety tandems at your back. FS Brandon Meriweather and SS Kenny Phillips can make up for a lot of errors. The Hurricanes led the nation in pass defense last year, holding foes to a 46.6 completion percentage.

UM: You can't simply replace a Devin Hester, so forgive the Canes if the return game suffers a bit of a drop-off. Darnell Jenkins and Bruce Johnson inherit the duties, with Jenkins showing promise last year with a 21.9 average on kickoffs.

K Jon Peattie will draw scrutiny, coming off a late-season slump and with a new surrounding cast. LS Ross Abramson took over field-goal snapping at midseason, and backup QB Matt Perelli is the new holder. P Brian Monroe's 39.8 average was in the ACC's bottom third last year.

FSU: K Gary Cismesia shook off a poor Orange Bowl game effort to hold off all challengers in fall camp. Though he went through a mini-slump at the end of two-a-days, he was 5-for-5 in Saturday's final practice. A new routine has aided his alignment.

Replacing Willie Reid in the return game might be as big a void as UM faces with Hester. Chris Davis will run back punts, with kickoff return duties falling to Joslin Shaw and Michael Ray Garvin. The Seminoles also will have a new punter, with Graham Gano getting first crack ahead of Brent Moody.

UM: With so many new faces and questions swirling around the Canes, at least the Orange Bowl atmosphere ought to provide a sense of comfort. UM hasn't lost at home to FSU since 1998, and hasn't lost an opener at the OB since 1985 -- before most of tonight's players were born.

The Hurricanes also will have the element of mystery on offense, sending FSU coaches to the film library to study up on tendencies of offensive chief Rich Olson. But if UM sputters early and FSU capitalizes, how much slack will the Canes crowd give before turning ugly?

FSU: There's a unity here that longtime FSU observers say they haven't seen since the decade began. The struggles of last November became a crucible that brought them together, buoyed by beating Virginia Tech for the ACC crown and taking Penn State to triple OT.

Of course, the Seminoles still have to produce, and the South Florida night is a tough assignment for anyone. But if the Hurricanes jump out early, FSU has an inner confidence that it can weather the storm. No guarantees, though, if it comes down to a field goal again.

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