FSU football: 3 keys to victory for Noles against Pittsburgh
By Kelvin Hunt
Stop The Run Against Pittsburgh
If Pittsburgh is without their starting quarterback, stopping the run is one of the most important things for the FSU defense.
FSU’s defense has been smoked by freshman quarterbacks the past two years. Boise State and Georgia Tech started freshman and were able to beat the Noles at Doak Campbell Stadium.
An FSU defense against a freshman quarterback back in the day was a sure way to lose a game.
However, the Noles need to make this freshman quarterback beat them with his arm. He hasn’t shown he’s a great passer, and he’s not as mobile as some of the guys FSU has faced thus far.
Pittsburgh only averages 2.83 yards per rush and 4.90 yards per play on offense. This would be a time to match up man-to-man defensively and charge the defensive line to impose their will in the trenches.
You can stop laughing now because that hasn’t happened much this year, but it’s a possibility against this Pittsburgh offense. The Panthers have a couple of running backs they’ll feature, but neither averages over 3.5 yards per rush.
If they stop the run, it greatly increases their chances of winning the game.