FSU football: 5 reasons I expect Tate Rodemaker to play well against UF
By Kelvin Hunt
Good Matchup
The FSU offense has faced some of the better defenses this year. FSU has played Clemson (No. 4), Duke (No. 22), Miami (No. 23), Pittsburgh (No. 29) and Syracuse (No. 44). Florida ranks No. 87 by the same advanced metric (FEI).
The Florida defense is among the worst at preventing explosive plays. They don’t have a strong pass rush (14 sacks against Power 5 teams) and allow over five yards per rush. I mentioned the
FSU offensive line contributing to Rodemaker’s success, and this is a matchup where they likely will not be overwhelmed by the defensive front pass rush.
Florida is blitz-heavy, but they don’t do it well, and it leaves them exposed to explosive plays. Their linebackers are not great in space, take poor angles, and don’t get off blocks well.
If FSU can’t run the ball traditionally, they can take advantage of the linebackers with the running backs and tight ends in the short passing game as an extension of the running game.
\They don’t generate many turnovers in the passing game, which is promising for a guy who hasn’t had a ton of game experience.