Identity Crisis
The Seminoles are taking the field Saturday as a question mark. After Opening the season with an expected rout over the Samford Bulldogs, Florida State seemed to regress the following week by getting blown out in Norman by the Oklahoma Sooners. On the surface it seems almost impossible to measure the true talent on this Seminole football team with only two lopsided contests on their resume. This Saturday will provide a platform for the Noles to show they are a team that can compete for an ACC championship. (Which does not appear to require much talent.)
Ponder's stock takes a hit
Christian Ponder struggled mightily in his first game on the road against a top-ten opponent since leading FSU to a convincing victory against #7 BYU last season. His Heisman candidacy faded fast, but he still has a chance to rebound nicely against Brigham Young. The Cougars allowed over 400 yards rushing last week against Air Force. This is good news for Ponder and the experienced Seminole offensive line who both have much to prove after leaving many plays to be made on the field versus Oklahoma. It will be interesting to see how Ponder responds to the loss this week against a BYU defense that clearly struggled last week.
Burned
Unfortuantely, the Seminole defense was torched through the air last week in Norman. The defensive backs did not appear to play very well, missing tackles and looking outright confused at times when Oklahoma went to the no-huddle offense. Fortunately, BYU does not have the same caliber of athlete as Oklahoma and therefore the Seminole defense will have an opportunity to find some confidence to build upon. Defensive stops will be very important for the Noles this week as it will allow for the offense to find a rhythm that clearly was lacking in Norman.
Mixing it up
Greg Reid should get some more opportunites against BYU to make some plays with the ball in his hands. Reid did get one touch last week on offense against Oklahoma in which he took a direct snap for 6 yards. He is definitely a player that can provide much excitement with the ball in his hands. His playmaking ability is certainly intriguing and it will be interesting to see how, and if Coach Jimbo Fisher decides to use him this week.
Move it
The running game should be an effective weapon as the Cougars simply had no answer for the ground attack provided by Air Force last week. Jermaine Thomas will look to break out with a big day and should have an opportunity, along with his teammates Ty Jones and Chris Thompson, to have some big gains on the ground. If the Noles can establish a running game early, it will provide Christian Ponder with some clear passing lanes to work with.
Get a grip
One group with much to prove are the Seminole receivers. This team is lacking a threat to stretch the defense and provide the threat of the deep ball. Either Willie Haulstead or Rodney Smith must assert himself as a reciever that will require the Safety's attention, thus opening the field for Ponder to get the ball to Bert Reed and Taiwan Easterling in space.
Everyone loves a Cougar...but what about BYU?
BYU is starting a freshman at quarterback on the road in a hostile environment. Jake Heap, a highly touted recruit has gotten playing time this year but has yet to see the type of speed the Seminoles have on defense. Junior Riley Nelson will split time at the position with Heap, offering more of an athletic game with his feet versus Heap who is a pocket passer. Both quarterbacks will need to improve upon their 40% completion percentage against Air Force if they want to have a prayer (no pun intended Mormons) against Florida State.
As stated previously, BYU travels to Tallahassee after allowing over 400 yards rushing to a Air Force's triple option attack. The Cougars defense needs to be better than that against Florida State. While BYU likely will not see a tradition "wing t" triple option, FSU will certainly run Ponder in some spread option situations with Jermaine Thomas and Bert Reed. The Cougar's defensive line and linebackers are going to need to take this away by getting a strong push and winning at the line of scrimmage.
Confidence
There is always room for skepticism after losing by 30, but it appears that they players are unaffected. Coach Jimbo Fisher has been very confident throughout the week in his press conferences with the media, and all indications from him are that the Noles had a very good week of practice. FSU is more talented than BYU and should win this game. Look for the Seminoles to get off to a fast start and beat BYU in a convincing fashion this Saturday before beginning ACC competition next week.
Alas I leave you with a clip of my favorite BYU alum...Jim McMahon rapping along with the rest of the '85 bears.
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