Florida Gators Football: Five Keys To Defeating Florida State Seminoles

5. Austin Appleby

Austin Appleby has done an excellent job of taking care of the ball and limiting himself to the throws he knows he can make. One would like to see more diversity in Florida’s offense, but he’s done an admirable job to date.

Against Deondre Francois, Dalvin Cook, and the Florida State Seminoles’ explosive offense, being average won’t suffice.

Appleby threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns against the Tennessee Volunteers, which may be close to what Florida needs. The running backs will help alleviate pressure, but it’s Appleby who must be able to make the big throws.

Whether it’s a deep ball to go for six or an intermediate throw to keep the chains in motion, but Appleby must be able to go over the top of Florida State’s defense.

Florida State is No. 73 in the country at 232.9 passing yards allowed per game and No. 67 at 17 passing touchdowns allowed. It also has 14 interceptions, which is more than all but 14 teams have amassed in 2016.

The Seminoles have a number of ball hawks who are ready to make Appleby pay for any mistakes or mishaps. The test is massive, but Appleby must pass it.