FSU football: 3 major things to look for in Louisville game
By Kelvin Hunt
Offense On Early Downs
The FSU offense moved the ball well against LSU in their last outing. Jordan Travis looked as calm and confident as he did against Duquesne, and I hope that’s something that continues.
There’s one aspect of that game offensively that does give me pause. FSU football found themselves in 2nd and 10 or 2nd and 9 much too often to sustain over a long period.
They managed it well for a game, but it’s not something we want to have to overcome consistently. I suspect FSU will have better success on first down because Louisville’s defensive front isn’t as talented as LSU.
However, if the run blitz a ton like they did against UCF, FSU will find itself passing the ball more on first down.
However, the good news is that FSU did quite a bit of that in the LSU game because FSU can throw the ball, unlike UCF.
My hope is that FSU establishes the run on early downs to keep third downs manageable. They might be able to overcome unsuccessful first-down plays against lesser defenses, but it’s not a habit I want to see created.