FSU Football: Key matchup battles for Samford game

FSU football is coming off of a horrible performance on live television, just 5 days ago. Luckily, this next game is a perfect confidence and morale booster.

For a team like FSU football,  whose confidence may have been shaken at the hands of Virginia Tech last week, a game against their yearly FCS foe might be just what the doctor ordered. The only problem? Their foes from Birmingham aren’t your typical paid cupcake.

Here’s what to look out for as the Seminoles take on the Samford Bulldogs.

Delvin Hodges vs. the FSU football defense

You might not know much about the senior quarterback for the Samford Bulldogs, but he is the most prolific passer in the program’s history. He holds almost every school record a quarterback can possibly hold.

Maybe you remember two years ago when Mississippi State was in a nail biter with Samford? Well, Hodges was the guy who lead the charge tossing four touchdowns. Hodges isn’t scared to sling it, so there will be plenty of opportunities to cause turnovers – which was the only thing the FSU football defense couldn’t seem to do last Monday. Defense will need to stay true to them selves and not press for big plays.

Deondre Francois and Making the Right Reads

In an emotional return, the redshirt junior FSU football started the game off hot by completing nine of his 10 passes, but when stuff started going down hill he looked a little panicky. Francois was pressing for big plays and making wrong reads on RPOs and short passes throughout the game.

It’s easy to blame the play caller, but not all of this is on coach Willie Taggart – as his offense is highly predicated on his quarterbacks making the right reads. Francois will have to do a better job at knowing what he’s looking at and taking what the defense gives him instead of forcing things.

I think this will be a great confidence booster for Deondre to get him rolling into the rest of the season.

Offensive Line vs Themselves:

They have to get it together if they want to be an at least eight win team this season. The offensive line looked absolutely putrid on Monday. This game should once again be a confidence booster for a unit that desperately needs it. If all goes well, FSU football will be able to rotate many different looks to see what front five looks the best.

I suggest giving young guys like Christian Armstrong get some burn in actual live reps to see if he’s a better option than what we have now.

Score Prediction

45-10 Noles. FSU football should have it’s way against a clearly inferior opponent and you can expect to see many young guys to get some playing time.