Can Florida State move the ball on the Wolverines?
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Ever since this matchup was set on December 4, the Wolverines have said that they don’t look at the Orange Bowl as some meaningless consolation prize.
Florida State’s Orange Bowl matchup with MI is two days away.
MI has one of the best defenses in the country, and when their opponents have to drive the ball down the field, they’re often stopped short of the goal line. MI comes into the game ranked 6th in the country.
In the final game of the bowl schedule for Friday, December 30th, the Orange Bowl will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida. “We don’t get that in Tallahassee at all”. After that, it appears that Florida State woke up and started playing football. “He’s a dynamic player”.
MI owned the nation’s second-best scoring defense at 12.5 points per game. MI is 1-1 all time against the Seminoles, the lone win coming in 1986 with Jim Harbaugh at quarterback.
The Seminoles seemed unfazed, nearly like they didn’t know what was going on. A lot of backs don’t have the speed to bounce it outside and take off. Francois was overshadowed by a cast of really good quarterbacks in the ACC, and it didn’t help that he faced unfair comparisons to 2013 Heisman Trophy victor Jameis Winston, but Francois showed enough promise to hint at the possibility of star-level performance later in his college career.
Harbaugh proved worthy of his reputation in the season finale double-overtime loss to the Ohio State University Buckeyes that cost the Wolverines a shot in the four-team College Football Playoff.
Running back Dalvin Cook is one of the most explosive players in the country and racked up over 2,000 total yards and 19 touchdowns heading into the Orange Bowl. That being said the Wolverines take care of business in what will be a thrilling game. Peppers will affect the game on offense and special teams, too.
As much praise as the MI defenders heaped on Cook, they weren’t exactly quivering with fear at the prospect of facing an elite running back.
The Wolverine’s offense hasn’t been as good as the defense, but Amara Darboh is a legitimate threat on the outside and will test Florida State’s talented cornerbacks.
“He brings more stuff to the table than a lot of them”, Florida State co-offensive coordinator Lawrence Dawsey said.
“I just think it’s a very important game because it’s the next game”, Speight said.
Each of these three players fielded questions on a variety of subjects ranging from what challenges the MI offense presents, what the journey of this season has been like, how the defense has grown, and, in the case of Walker and White, what it will be like to suit up in the garnet and gold for the final time.
Peppers recorded 16 tackles for loss, including four sacks, and he also excels in pass coverage as a former safety. FSU will put up a valiant effort behind Cook and Francois, but a Jabrill Peppers punt return for a score is the difference in this one.
The third-year sophomore is eligible for the National Football League draft – he is rated the third-best overall prospect by NFLDraftScout – and will make a decision on his future after the Orange Bowl.
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Though FSU quarterback Deondre Francois has grown through the season, Brown sees the same challenge as everyone else when facing the Seminoles: Cook.
