FSU football: 5 keys to Noles upset victory over Miami Hurricanes

By Kelvin Hunt | Sep 25, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, FL - OCTOBER 26: A general view of the Unconquered Statue in front of Doak Campbell before the Florida State Seminoles host the Syracuse Orange at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on October 26, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Special Teams

Special team was the one area the Noles looked much-improved in the season opener against Georgia Tech.

Field position will come at a premium, and the Noles will need to make Miami go on long drives and earn their points the hard way.

FSU’s punter, freshman Alex Mastramanno, exhibited a big leg against Georgia Tech, and will likely need another big showing Saturday night.

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Freshman Travis Jay looks like he could be a difference-maker, and could have a big punt or kickoff return to put the Noles in a solid position to score.

If the Noles are going to pull off the upset, they’ll need all of these things to work in their favor.

Another thing to remember is Mike Norvell’s strategy of short kickoffs with trusting the coverage unit to get downfield and make the tackle short of the opponent’s 20-yard line.

I think they’ll need another great effort in this phase of the game to increase their chance of pulling off the upset.

Field position could be huge in this game, and it’ll be even more important for an FSU football offense that’s still trying to find itself.

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