What to Watch For: FSU vs. Clemson

Sep 6, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Karlos Williams (9) warms up before the game against the Citadel Bulldogs at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

2.) Karlos Williams

As was said before, if Florida State wants to ensure Sean Maguire is successful it’s going to need to run the ball effectively. FSU didn’t have to rely heavily on the run game at Clemson a year ago, but it was there when the Seminoles needed and — more importantly — the Tigers had to respect it throughout the evening.

That made every play-fake just a little bit more effective and kept Clemson from dropping too many into coverage.

Look for FSU to come out and try to establish the ground game from the outset on Saturday night. An all-senior offensive line should be able to provide the push, but it’s going to take a big night from one of FSU’s backs to capitalize on that. It could be Mario Pender, it could be Dalvin Cook, but in all likelihood, it’s going to be Karlos Williams who has to step up and shoulder the load.

If he can, Williams could potentially have his national coming-out party as one of the most dynamic backs in college football. Williams certainly has the tools. He’s fast, he’s agile and he has the kind of size and brutal running style that coaches dream about. So far, the early returns on Williams as a starter have been mixed. He played through some personal issues in Dallas and saw limited reps against Citadel. But tomorrow night, look for Williams to come out on a mission.

If he can run like he did a year ago — when he gained over 700 yards and scored 11 TDs on just 91 carries — he has the potential to make it a long night for Clemson, and a comfortable night for Sean Maguire.

If he can’t — and none of the other backs are up to the task — it could be a tough one for Florida State.