Florida State football will be taking on the Virginia Tech Hokies this Saturday at 7:30 PM EST in the friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium on the ACC Network. The Seminoles are reeling as the season is coming to a close, where they have lost five of their last six games.
The fan base is upset with how things have transpired under Year 6 of head football coach Mike Norvell. The expectations heightened themselves after the Alabama win, and the program has come back down to Earth since August 30th.
Nonetheless, the Seminoles have to find a way to focus on the Hokies as they come to town. As a result, here are three keys to victory for Florida State to get in the win column versus Virginia Tech.
1. CONVERT THIRD DOWNS OFFENSIVELY
Florida State decided to add offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn this offseason. This showed that the Seminoles wanted to establish the running game and stay ahead of the chains to give the offense a chance to be successful. The good news is that Virginia Tech's defense has allowed opposing teams to convert 41.8% of their third downs (statistics according to the NCAA.com database). This would be encouraging to see Florida State pick up timely third downs.
2. CREATE EXPLOSIVES IN THE PUNT RETURN GAME
There hasn't been much to mention with wide receiver Squirrel White in being the Seminoles' punt returner (much like his production as a pass catcher). The former Tennessee has even had an issue with letting punts bounce and not going to field them. This is a Hokies' squad that doesn't play much "Beamer Ball", where Virginia Tech's special teams allows an average of 25.5 yards per punt return. This could be an advantage for Florida State, as they create positive field position for the offense.
3. CAN'T ALLOW QB KYRON DRONES TO USE LEGS TO EXTEND PLAYS
Florida State's defense has played some exceptional quarterback this season, such as Ty Simpson (Alabama), Carson Beck (Miami), Chandler Morris (Virginia), Mason Heintschel (Pittsburgh), and Cade Klubnik (Clemson). Many of the signal-caller had multiple play first drives against the defense, which bolsters confidence against the Seminoles. Virginia Tech's Kyron Drones can be a dangerous asset. He has 305 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground in the last three games (Statistics found via ESPN Stats and Information). Florida State cannot let him run all over them.