Atlanta Showdown Part 6: Dueling dual-threat QBs lead FSU, 'Bama

Florida State's Deondre Francois

Although his rushing statistics were diminished by his large number of sacks and tackles for loss, Deondre Francois showed strong signs of his athletic ability in 2016. If not for the 328 yards in losses -- Francois was sacked 34 times -- he actually would have been the Seminoles’ second-leading rusher with 526 yards on the ground. He also finished second on the team with five rushing touchdowns.

With Dalvin Cook moving on to the NFL and Francois now being the unquestioned leader of the offense, it would stand to reason that designed quarterback runs will become a larger focus of the offense. Fans always worry about the extra physical toll that could put on a signal-caller, but Jimbo Fisher is a proponent of running his quarterbacks because it gives the offense a numbers advantage against the defense. He also believes quarterbacks are more often injured when standing prone in the pocket than they are when looking for running room.

Alabama's Jalen Hurts

All eyes will be on Jalen Hurts as the opener will provide a good indication of how far the young Alabama quarterback has progressed as a passer entering his sophomore season. However, don’t expect Alabama to abandon Hurts’ ability to affect the game with his feet. Last season, Hurts finished second on the team with 954 rushing yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns on the ground. That being said, the Crimson Tide might prefer to lean on their deep stable of running backs in order to protect the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year from injury.

Alabama also will need to provide Hurts with some protection in the pocket as well. While the dual-threat quarterback is able to escape trouble with his feet, he will be even deadlier if he can keep the Seminoles honest in the passing game as well. Jonah Williams will slide over to left tackle to protect Hurts’ blindside. The big question for Alabama will be figuring out who mans the right side of the line, an area the Tide struggled with during the spring.