Florida State put up 34 points in their season opener against the New Mexico State Aggies to improve to 1-0. Their test next Monday will be much harder as the SMU Mustangs, who have won the most games in the ACC the last two seasons, will be in town.
Last season, SMU had one of the best red zone defenses in the nation as they allowed a scoring rate of just 70.2%, which ranked fourth overall. They also did well in the points allowed department at 20.5, landing them in a tie for 30th in the FBS.
FSU has firepower on their offense that could be an issue for SMU. However, they'll have to be smart with the football and control the pace to keep the offense of the Mustangs, which is capable on its own, off the field as much as possible.
Here are five
offensive keys for Florida State.
Get Ashton Daniels in a groove early
Daniels was very solid in Week 0 as he completed 17 of his 27 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown to one interception. He needs to take what SMU's defense gives him and keep the chains moving. When they present themselves, take shots downfield to Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy, and Jayvan Boggs. Simply put, he needs to be efficient.
Duce Robinson needs to be a focal point
Robinson didn't have a big game with three catches for 50 yards. He's a difficult assignment at 6-foot-6, and with his athletic ability, it makes him even harder to defend. Daniels should look to feed Robinson as much as he can, which will eventually open things up for the aforementioned Danzy and Boggs.
Let their trio of running backs establish the ground game
The Seminoles got 115 yards from Ousmane Kromah last week, and Samuel Singleton had nearly 100 all-purpose yards. Also, Tre Wisner averaged 8.5 yards per carry. Getting all three of these players involved will allow them to control the pace.
Take advantage of red zone opportunities
SMU's offense has the potential to put up points themselves. So, whenever Florida State gets in the red zone, they need to cash in with touchdowns as much as they can. The goal is to keep the pressure on the Mustangs to have to score, which may lead to mistakes.
Don't turn the ball over
FSU's defense will have its own challenges stopping SMU, especially with a quarterback like Kevin Jennings. That means their offense can't afford to commit turnovers and give them shorter fields to work with. Protecting the football will be paramount.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State's offensive keys vs SMU
