Florida Gators Football: Five Keys To Defeating Florida State Seminoles

4. Take Away The Deep Ball

Deondre Francois is on the right path to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The Florida State Seminoles freshman has amassed 2,990 passing yards and 17 touchdowns to just five interceptions during the 2016 season.

Though there are some areas of his game that are still a work in progress, there’s one phase in which Francois is already bordering on elite: the deep ball.

Francois has completed at least one throw for 30-plus yards in nine of Florida State’s first 11 games. He has at least one throw of 20-plus yards in all 11 games and has completions of 40, 41, 58, and 59 yards.

With one game above 400 passing yards and five above 300, Francois knows how to use the deep ball to his advantage.

Francois’ ability to spread the field vertically helps prevent teams from stacking the box against Dalvin Cook. Six different receivers have at least 300 receiving yards, including Travis Rudolph at 49 receptions for 744 yards and six touchdowns—15.2 yards per reception.

Throw in Auden Tate—16.8 yards per receptions and six touchdowns—and Florida is going to have a tough time committing all of its resources to stopping Cook.

Preventing the deep ball will be vital.