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CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the first time in program history, The Citadel football team will take on a top-ranked FBS opponent and defending BCS National Champion when the Bulldogs face Florida State on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.

Kickoff for Saturday's game is slated for 7:35 p.m. and will be aired regionally through Regional Sports Network (RSN). ESPN3 will also carry coverage of the game. Both links can be found above.

The Citadel is coming off a 31-16 home-opening loss to FCS' sixth-ranked Coastal Carolina while Florida State enters the game 1-0 after topping Oklahoma State 37-31 in Dallas, Texas.

Saturday's game will mark the seventh meeting between The Citadel and Florida State in a series which dates back to 1955. The Bulldogs have never beaten the Seminoles; however the teams did play to a 0-0 tie in 1960 in the lone contest held at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

The last time the teams met was on Sept. 10, 2005 when then 11th-ranked Florida State earned a 62-10 win in front of 79,152 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles went on to win the ACC Championship before losing to Penn State in the Orange Bowl in triple overtime.

The highest-ranked team The Citadel has previously played was Florida, which was ranked third in 1998 and 2008.

While Florida State will be the Bulldogs' first top-ranked foe, FSU quarterback Jameis Winston will be the second reigning Heisman Trophy winner to take on the Bulldogs. The Citadel visited Florida in 2008 (the year the Gators won the title) and faced defending Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at "The Swamp".

The Citadel looks to build on its impressive run game from a week ago as the Bulldogs amassed 358 yards rushing on 65 carries to average 5.5 per run. Tyler Renew carried the ball 20 times for 137 yards and added a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter while Jake Stenson rushed for 120 yards on just 10 carries.

Ten Bulldogs saw action in their first collegiate football game last week against Coastal Carolina. True freshmen defensive backs Josh Massey and Israel Battle saw ample playing time on special teams and in the secondary. Battle made three tackles and broke up a pass while Massey recorded his first two career tackles on defense.

Left tackle Isaiah Pinson, right guard Kyle Weaver and slot back Jonathan Dorogy all earned their first career starts and remain slotted as first-teamers for Saturday's game.

Following a minor injury to starting cornerback Cody Richardson, redshirt freshman DeVonta Delaney came in and delivered a big hit on a screen pass which resulted in a loss of one yard en route to a three-tackle performance.

VOTE FOR SPIKE IN THE CAPITAL ONE MASCOT CHALLENGE

Spike, The Citadel's longtime mascot, has been chosen as one of only 16 in the country and the lone FCS representative in the 2014 Capital One Mascot Challenge. Spike is also the first Southern Conference mascot to compete in the challenge.

Driven exclusively by fan voting, the last mascot standing will be named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year at the conclusion of the college football season. This year's team represents eight college conferences and 14 different states, including three defending Capital One Mascot Challenge champions.

This year's voting structure provides fans three ways to catapult their mascot to victory. By clicking "vote now," fans earn one (1) point for their mascot. To go even further in expressing their enthusiasm, fans can complete weekly 50-point and/or 100-point challenges by posting clever entries on Twitter or Facebook using their mascot's unique hashtag.  Voting opens Monday, August 25, 2014 at 12:00AM EDT and will continue weekly through Sunday, December 7, 2014.  Fans can visit www.CapitalOneMascots.com for all voting information as well as engage with the mascots and other fans at www.Facebook.com/CapitalOne and www.Twitter.com/CapitalOne.