The time for talking is over. Florida State and the Alabama Crimson Tide will get it on at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday. Not many people expect it to be close with FSU coming off a 2-10 campaign a year ago.
Alabama comes in with experience and an offense with the skill players to be very explosive. This poses a great challenge for Florida State defensively and their new scheme under Tony White.
Here are five keys for FSU on defense to keep this game close and possibly pull off an upset.
Don’t let Alabama run the ball with ease
It all starts in the trenches. Florida State is going up against one of the better offensive lines in the country, but it’s paramount that they don’t allow Alabama to continuously move the chains and bleed the clock. Guys like defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. and James Williams must play well, or this won’t be a close contest.
Pressure quarterback Ty Simpson relentlessly
The Crimson Tide are loaded at wide receiver with Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton. They are too skilled for FSU to let Simpson have a clean pocket because he will have a field day. The confusion that Tony White’s 3-3-5 scheme is predicated on needs to show up.
Keep Alabama behind the chains as much as possible
Florida State can’t allow Alabama to jump out to a big lead early. So, their defense on early downs needs to be solid so that they can force long downs and distances and force punts.
Force some turnovers
No team can establish any rhythm if they are giving the ball to the opposing defense. As the underdog, Florida State can make some palms sweaty on the Alabama side if they can get some easy scores due to turnovers. Also, it will let their defensive pins its ears back and rush the quarterback if they establish an early lead.
Limit long drives
Florida State has a new offensive scheme. They need to get a rhythm early to get some confidence. The Seminoles need their defense to get off the field as quickly as possible so that they can stay fresh and get good field position, which will make scoring easier on the offensive side.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Defensive keys for Florida State against Alabama
Reporting by Matthew Lenix , FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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