What to Watch For: FSU vs. Notre Dame

Oct 11, 2014; Syracuse, NY, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs with the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Florida State defeated Syracuse 38-20. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

1.) The Florida State run game

For as much hype as the two quarterbacks in this game are getting, to me, Florida State’s run game will be the biggest factor to watch for. Jameis Winston probably could win this game by himself– but FSU would be foolish to try that approach. If the Seminoles want to take care of business in this one, the Florida State run game needs to be on point and ready to produce all evening.

There’s really two components that need to be there. For one, the offensive line needs to settle down and play to its capability.

Early on in the season you could see the line straining. Per the players, there was a feeling that they needed to be perfect, there was a ton of pressure coming from everywhere and the unit just seemed to get into its own head. Lately, that seems to have started to correct itself. If the offensive line can stay even keeled on Saturday and just take care of its assignments, the lanes will be there and Jameis Winston will have time to drop back and pass.

The other side of that is the backs need to be on their game– in particular that means they need to be patient and show good vision. Mario Pender — who has demonstrated the best instincts of anyone in the backfield so far this season — will not be active on Saturday as he deals with an ankle injury. Karlos Williams will be back as the starter and Dalvin Cook will back him up.

For Williams, this is a huge game. Nobody debates that Williams is a dynamic player in the open field– his combination of power and speed is tough to find. What hasn’t been as obvious this season is that Williams is the best option between the tackles. The senior RB leaves a lot of yards on the field, he misses cutback lanes and he picks the wrong hole on zone plays a lot of the time. On a stretch play — when he can just take a handoff and hit the edge — Williams is still a stud. But Jimbo Fisher is going to have to gauge whether Williams has a good feel for the game and — if he’s struggling to gain consistent yardage between the tackles — it might be worth going to Cook if FSU isn’t rolling early on.

One thing is for sure, if FSU can run the ball consistently on Saturday it opens up the whole offense and makes Jameis Winston even more dangerous. If FSU can’t, Notre Dame’s upset hopes will look considerably better.