After failing the eyeball test in a 34-17 win over New Mexico State last Saturday, head coach Mike Norvell and Florida State have nine days to prepare for their ACC opener against SMU. The Mustangs are listed as more than a field-goal favorite, even on the road and without a game played, and enter the contest ranked 19th in the country.

FSU will need to be at its best on Labor Day, something that Norvell acknowledged on Tuesday to the local media.

“SMU is gonna see some of the issues that were there and Rhett does a great job of trying to exploit your issues that he sees on film,” Norvell said. “We got to make sure that we’re 11 playing as one and just go out there and trust our technique, make sure we’re clean in our communication and alignment, and then go play the game.”

“We know what’s in front of us this week…a team that was a couple of plays away from being in the championship game last year,” he added later. “This is one of the top teams in the ACC conference. This is a team that has big expectations for all that’s in front of them. They were in the playoffs a couple of years ago, [and they are] all focused to this week. I mean, it’s gonna take a great effort on our part. That’s what I fully expect out of this team.”

The last time the Seminoles played on Labor Day on national television, then-Boston College quarterback Tommy Castellanos embarrassed Florida State, and the Noles dropped to 0-2, signaling a five-alarm fire in Tallahassee. To avoid that result this time around, these three players need to step up on Monday.

No. 1: Defensive tackle Daniel Lyons

In any big game, Florida State needs its captain to show up. But Monday will be a true referendum on Daniel Lyon, to prove whether he can be the interior presence in his final season of collegiate eligibility that he has been billed as.

For starters, the Seminoles need way more from Lyons than they received on Saturday. The defensive tackle played 41 of 66 snaps against the Aggies, yet somehow did not record a stat. With defensive coordinator Tony White admitting that the Noles are slowly bringing along Kevin Wynn and Jordan Sanders, Lyons is one of the few players on the roster who can play as a true 1-technique or nose consistently. The fifth-year senior will once again take on the lion’s share of the snaps inside, but needs to create much more impact than the 53.2 pass-rush grade handed out by PFF last week.

Lyons’ skill set will also be counted on more than usual because of the game plan White may use against SMU and dual-threat quarterback Kevin Jennings. Hopefully, the Seminole edge rushers maintain rush-lane integrity to keep a tight pocket around the mobile Jennings. However, that limits what Jalen Anderson and Rylan Kennedy can do on the outside, putting the onus on the defensive tackles to push the pocket from the middle and collapse it back into Jennings’ lap. It will be no easy test, with SMU returning three starters and promoting players from within the program into the other open spots. But from the way Norvell and White talk about Lyons, this should be his coming-out game.

No. 2: Safety Ashlynd Barker

Barker did not play poorly in week zero. He led the Seminoles in tackles with eight and finished tied for first on the defense in snaps played (53). The fifth-year senior led the Noles as a team captain and looked noticeably stronger after another year in the weight room.

Yet, there still felt like room for more.

Barker plays one of the most important positions on White’s defense, the Rover, lining up all over the field, including down near the line of scrimmage or back deep as a center-field safety. That means, though, he helps communicate with the entire defense, an area that struggled on Saturday. Neither of the touchdowns allowed were Barker’s fault, but he was on the field for both of them, and at the snap for the opening touchdown, he was still talking as the ball left the center’s hands. As a veteran and someone playing in a second year of White’s defense, Barker needs to be a coach on the field to get everyone lined up as the new additions become comfortable in the scheme.

Along with his intangibles, the safety position will be stretched to the limit by SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee. Lashlee built an offense based on a power-running game that takes deep shots with a group of speedy receivers. That means Barker will be tasked with trying to slow down NC State transfer running back Kendrick Raphael, while also needing to cover the deep throws to burners Yamir Knight and Yannick Smith.

The Mustangs under Lashlee are known for scoring points and kicking their offense into high gear. While he does not have to do it alone, Barker will need to be one of the best players on the field for FSU to limit SMU’s attack.

No. 3: Tight end Landen Thomas

One of the positive surprises from week zero (one?) was seeing homegrown Landen Thomas receive more playing time than ECU transfer Desirrio Riles, out-snapping him 39-36. Thomas, a junior, came down with the only catch from a tight end, but earned average grades across the board from PFF. On Monday, Florida State will need him to elevate his game.

Thomas should be the obvious beneficiary of what many assume SMU’s game plan will be: stop the run and attempt to take Duce Robinson out of the game. If the Mustangs put an extra man on Robinson or in the box, Thomas should be able to get plenty of 1-on-1 looks over the middle of the field. This should play right into the South Georgia native’s strengths, as he came to campus as a more natural receiver than blocker.

Thomas can also take advantage of new pieces in the SMU secondary. The Mustangs are based out of a 4-2-5, which should put either a nickel or a safety on the tight end. SMU is expected to start transfers at both spots, along with a new defensive play caller, giving Thomas the experience edge.