FSU football: 5 MAJOR areas Noles must handle for shot at upsetting Miami Hurricanes
By Kelvin Hunt
Get Off The Field on 3rd Down/Force Turnovers
This is where it's strength against weakness for the Miami Hurricanes. They convert 60 percent of their third downs and FSU allows a 41.35 conversion rate on third downs.
FSU does a great job getting teams to third and predictable but usually fails to get off the field. This is an area where they can change the game on Saturday night.
If FSU can get Cam Ward in third and long situations, it's where he's most likely to make mistakes like throwing an interception or getting stripped and sacked.
We've seen him make boneheaded decisions in a few games this year when under pressure. FSU has been solid at generating pressure but has struggled to get home for sacks against guys with solid mobility.
I expect Miami to use Cam Ward in the running game a bit, because FSU will likely run a lot of man coverage, and FSU needs to punish him every time he does it. When Miami can't convert third downs, they are like any other offense.