To all of our readers we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are entering the best weekend of the college football season. Personally one of my favorite rivalry games growing up was the Florida State – Florida matchup. While the Gators are limping into this game the Seminoles are still climbing in the 2022 season. Florida desperately needs this win to salvage Napier’s first season while the Seminoles still have an outside shot at a New Year’s Six Bowl Game. I do have the Seminoles winning this game and below you are going to find the one key to a Florida State victory.
The Offensive Line
- #14 in the FBS for Total Rushing Yards (2,387)
- 5.54 Yards Per Rush
- Six Consecutive Games of 200+ Rushing Yards
- #36 with 16 Sacks Allowed (Impressive when you have a mobile QB that can sometimes hold on to the ball)
Offensive Line Coach and Offensive Coordinator Alex Atkins has been nothing but impressive for Florida State and the turn around he has made for this position group. This offseason the Noles will have to worry about other teams trying to poach him. Anyone that has watched this position group closely can agree that they are a big reason why FSU is 8-3.
If you watched the Vanderbilt upset of Florida last week you saw the Vandy offensive line move the Gator defensive line. Vanderbilt ended the game with 175 rushing yards, and their running backs easily averaged over four yards a carry. Unless the Gator defense shapes up, it isn’t going to be pretty Friday night. Every FBS team has a 100 Yard Rusher against Florida except South Carolina and Kentucky.
Base Run Plays You Should Watch out for Friday Night
GT Counter
Florida State absolutely has killed teams on this play and they mauled Miami over and over with it. The premise of this is the play side of the line blocking everything down and the backside pulling kicking the edge defender and then wrapping up. Obviously the backside guard is kicking the first outside defender while the backside offensive tackle is wrapping up. Running this with a TE look gives Florida State a ton of leverage.
GT Counter Read
Having a QB like Jordan Travis can bail you out of a lot of stuff. If the defense is crashing hard he is able to pull it and go. Watch the DE for Louisiana chase the play so hard from the backside, he was Travis’ read key. This is the same play as above, just at times Travis has a read key on the backside.
GH Counter
The only difference here is that the back side tackle isn’t pulling that responsibility goes to the more athletic H-Back. In the FSU offense it is one of their TE’s.
Zone
This play is probably the most ran play in the FSU offense. If they can get this area blocking play going it will be a long night for the Florida Gators.
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