The Florida State Seminoles are 1-1 this year, and now they have their toughest test of the early part of the season on Saturday. They will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide, and they'll be looking for revenge after losing to FSU in last year's season opener.
For the Seminoles' offense, this will be a hard assignment to overcome. Alabama's defense has only allowed 65 yards rushing, and opposing offenses have converted just one of their 23 third-down opportunities. On top of that, they recorded seven sacks, and they've scored two defensive touchdowns.
Florida State has players capable of putting up points, but they'll have to be a lot better execution wise and play-calling-wise to beat Alabama. Here are five offensive
keys for FSU this Saturday.
Find a way to establish the running game
Again, this will be difficult to do. However, Florida State has Ousmane Kromah, Samuel Singleton Jr., and Quintrevion Wisner in the backfield. That's more than enough talent to get a good enough rushing attack going. It doesn't have to be dominant, but the threat needs to be there to keep Alabama's defense honest and allow them to take shots in the passing game.
Offensive line needs to have their best game
This feeds off the first point. All of Alabama's seven sacks through their first two games have come from their front seven. So, the offensive line is going to have to be on point in pass protection, and they'll need to be very stout in their run blocking, albeit against a defense that isn't giving up a lot on the ground. If FSU's offense is to have any shot, this unit has to be dependable for four quarters.
Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy need to be heavily involved
Through the first two games, Robinson and Danzy both have under seven receptions and under 80 yards receiving. In fact, running back Samuel Singleton Jr. has more yards and touchdowns than both. Florida State needs to be more aggressive and take more shots downfield, allowing Robinson and Danzy to stretch the defense.
Ashton Daniels has to be a true dual-threat
Daniels hasn't shown it that much yet, but he has to make plays with his arm and his legs in this game. He's more than capable, and there'll be chances for him to take off and run due to pressure. He can't hesitate when it's time to run as he has been, and he also has to take shots in the middle of the field, down the seams, and on the outside.
Control time of possession
Alabama is currently averaging over 35 minutes of time of possession. It will be paramount for FSU's offense to put together drives that eat time off the clock and keep Alabama's offense, which is capable of being explosive, on the sidelines as much as possible. If they can do that, they'll have a chance to pull off the upset.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State's offensive keys vs Alabama
