FSU's game against Duquesne on Saturday afternoon isn't expected to be, and let's face it, shouldn't be much of a contest. The Seminoles are a 38.5-point favorite in their season opener and anything less than a dominant performance against the Dukes would be a somewhat deflating way to start the season, especially with LSU and Louisville just around the corner.
That being said, the Osceola staff expects FSU have a strong effort in what we are projecting to be a blowout for the Seminoles. That would certainly validate the improvement we think Mike Norvell has made with his first- and second-team units heading into his third season leading the program.
So, what do you look for in a game where the team you cover is expected to win by five or six touchdowns? Well, I ask the Osceola team to tell me what they are looking for from FSU on Saturday. Please see their thoughts below:
Osceola Football Analyst Mark Salva: The things I'll be looking for are, for me, the key indicators that tell us how improved this team is going into the 2022 season. The last several years brought a lot of frustration with elements of the game like tackling, penalties, turnovers and execution. We should win easily and although there may not be a lot to take away scheme-wise we should be able to take away a few things. I will be very interested to see if we can:
Have a fast start.
Have a high level of execution and communication both on the field and from the sideline.
Dominate the line of scrimmage early and be successful in the running game on offense and on defense stuff their run.
Protect the passer in obvious passing situations.
Need improvement on missed tackles compared to previous campaigns. Need to see 11 guys swarming to the football.
Who will this team follow on both sides of the ball? I assume that Jordan Travis will be the guy on offense but who else? More importantly to me, who is that guy on defense? I hope Tatum Bethune can be that guy based on his play, maturity and experience but if not him then who?
Answer these questions: How has Jordan Travis improved? As a passer? As a leader? As a QB? We will go as far as he takes us.
Osceola Editor Bob Ferrante: The opponent is Duquesne but the game is development. We want to see plenty of the transfers but this game should be about about giving valuable playing time to quarterbacks like Tate Rodemaker and AJ Duffy, as well as a running back like Rodney Hill or receiver like Deuce Spann.
On defense, it's a good opportunity for a Joshua Farmer or Byron Turner up front as well as a Brendan Gant to get more comfortable at linebacker following a position change from safety. With the redshirt rule that was put in place a few years ago, coaches can play anyone up to four games without burning a redshirt. It's tough to forecast the future of a player's development over the course of the year or how injuries may impact a position group, but Saturday's game presents a chance to get a player experience and film to learn from in the future.
Osceola Football Analyst Pat Burnham: I would like to see the first units on each side of the ball validate the improvement we think we have seen in preseason camp by making quick work of Duquesne and putting this game away every early. That of course would allow some backups on the second- and third-team units get some much needed in-game experience that could prove itself valuable the deeper the team gets into the season.
From a game management standpoint, I would like to see both sides of the ball operate efficiently. No delay of game penalties, no false starts and no bad snaps on offense. Defensively, no offside penalties, no timeouts used because of personnel issues, too many players or not enough players on the field.
With the size and speed advantage FSU will have in this game I would like to see a couple of big plays in the kicking game. That could come in the form of big kickoff or punt returns or a blocked punt or field goal. This is a game where special teams should make a significant early impact.
Osceola Senior Writer Curt Weiler : I'd like to see much of what we've seen this preseason translate onto the field. We've built up the improvements of FSU's offensive line and wide receiver unit, and the Seminoles definitely have a season-opening opponent that should allow them to showcase those strides. A comfortable early lead would be helpful, as would having to play minimal starters in the second half.
We've seen promising signs from FSU's freshman class and this will probably be one of only a few chances to get them real game action this season. We all remember what happened last year vs. an FCS opponent, but there's no reason to believe we'll see anything close to a repeat. For FSU, this should be a long overdue celebration of its first season-opening win since 2016.
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