I'm hoping the Noles are not sucked back into the curse up in Raleigh Durham.
Here are a few keys to Saturday's game:
O-Line Status
The o-line struggled mightily in both prime-time games this year. I'm interested to see if we have any positional changes and what young guys may see action. I can't really put my finger on just one thing as to why the o-line has struggled. It's really a combination of multiple struggles and this is really rare from a Trickett coached group that succeeded like it did last year. From penalties to blown coverage to just flat out getting beat, Seminole fans have been left scratching their heads. Look for a reduced number of penalties with Jameis back under center and better control of the blind side.
Run the Ball!
FSU abandoned the run pretty early last week and for good reason. Whether it was sideline to sidline, up the gut, shotgun or under center there was no consistency in the run game. Mario Pender also went out in the 4th quarter with a concussion. For this week, that opens the door for Dalvin Cook and Ryan Green to get reps along side Karlos Williams. I like these quicker guys doing a bit more out of the shotgun as oppose to under center but I'm open to whatever gets the train rolling. Look for Fisher to finally have a successful day running the ball.
Defensive Dominance
The one thing I really liked this past weekend was the improvement in defensive stops against a high powered spread offense. They did well defending multiple situations including stopping the quarterback draw. This is something they struggled with against Oklahoma State. FSU will finally see more of a traditional offense in Brisett and the wolfpack. Look for the Noles to blitz heavily and dominate on D.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?