Florida State's offense had a tough time getting any consistency in their 27-24 loss to the SMU Mustangs in Week 1. In the midst of their struggles, the Seminoles pulled right tackle Chimdia Nwaiwu and slid right guard Nate Pabst outside as Paul Bowling took over on the interior.
FSU is getting ready to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in a tough road game this Saturday. There's a lot to figure out, but one of the main things is where Pabst will start. At the moment, he's preparing at both guard and tackle.
"I'm getting ready for both," Pabst told Noles247 on Tuesday. "I've been repping both right now, and that's what I did today, and we'll see what happens going forward. Just doing a little extra after practice, a little extra film watching,
understanding what to do at other positions. So right now I will see, but my mindset is that I want to play both."
Fortunately for Florida State, this isn't unfamiliar territory for Pabst. Last season when he played for the Bowling Green Falcons, he took most of his snaps at right tackle. Plus, he had nearly 200 snaps at both right guard and right tackle during his career.
Of course, although both positions are on the same side of the line, there are differences when it comes to the nuances of each spot. Pabst explained what those are.
"The major difference isn't really the run game – the major difference is in pass protection," said Pabst. "The inside three are gonna set the depth of the pocket. The tackles are gonna have to set the width of the pocket, so you just have a difference in your set and technique there. When you do kick out from guard to tackle, that's gonna be the main thing"
FSU is going up against a stout Alabama defense that has only given up 65 rushing yards and one conversion on 23 third-down plays. So, making sure they have their offensive linemen in the right spot will be paramount.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU offensive lineman preparing at multiple spots for Alabama game
