The season opener with Virginia Tech is merely days away, and the questions about Florida State’s new management have reached their fever pitch. In just three days, the Seminoles will answer both their supporters and the naysayers with a first glimpse at how the rest of 2018 might look.
We’ve identified the four most pressing questions heading into the Labor Day match-up that will decide who emerges victorious. This will become a reoccurring feature throughout the season, as we examine each opponent and what aspects of the game hold the most mysteries:
Is Lethal Simplicity Really That Simple?
It sounds tongue-in-cheek, but it speaks to a very real question about how quickly the offense will adjust to head coach Willie Taggart’s new system. FSU is transitioning from a slow-paced, “pro-style” strategy to a fast-paced, spread-oriented look. Even if there’s a veritable treasure trove of talent to utilize, not every player is going to immediately reap the benefits. Luckily for FSU, it faces off against a defense that returns very little of its production from last year. The Seminoles will need to be comfortable with the offense in order to take advantage of it.
Can the Offensive Line Hold Up?
That being said, a bad performance by the offensive line could mean trouble for whatever game plan Taggart and offensive coordinator Walt Bell have prepared. The current predicted starting line goes something like this, from left tackle to right tackle: Jauan Williams, Derrick Kelly, Alec Eberle, Cole Minshew, Landon Dickerson. That’s a very solid run-blocking crew with potential to do the same with pass-blocking. It’s shaping up to be quite the test versus the one position group that Virginia Tech is confident in. No one is expecting the offensive line to emulate Wisconsin in the first game, but it needs to give the offense enough room to operate.
Can the Linebacker Weakness Be Covered Up?
Practice reports roughly lined up with what we knew about the linebacker unit: it’s not pretty. Dontavious Jackson is solid, and the STAR position in defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett’s scheme looks to be occupied by either freshman Jaiden Woodbey or redshirt freshman Decalon Brooks. Beyond that group, not a single “regular” linebacker has stood out yet. That is a major concern, partly because it means that returning contributor Adonis Thomas did not significantly progress, nor did former blue-chip recruits Josh Brown and Leonard Warner make an impression.
If that holds for the opener, Virginia Tech is going to discover the weakness very quickly. How Barnett tries to cover up the middle of the defense will be interesting to observe. He might try to compensate the pressure to one side of the field and force the Hokies to play into the STAR side more often.
How Will Deondre Francois Be Used?
Now that Francois has been named the starting quarterback for the opener, questions about how exactly he will be used can begin to float around. Sophomore James Blackman winning the starting job would have given us a clear idea of what Taggart wanted from the position at this point in time. Since it’s Francois getting the nod, it opens up the possibility of more runs from the quarterback spot. Francois isn’t a dual-threat, but he can pick up nice yardage on some designed plays. Last season’s knee injury could also play a role in how Francois’ skill set is used. Will Taggart be exploiting this asset, or will he have a very similar plan regardless?
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