Taggart won’t abandon Francois despite growing pains with offense
TALLAHASSEE — When Willie Taggart makes a decision, he stands by it.
Deondre Francois remaining FSU’s starting quarterback is one example of that commitment.
When asked about Francois’ status as the starter, Taggart responded, “Yeah, why wouldn’t he be?”
The first-year head coach seemed perplexed by the question, adding, “Is that a question people are asking?”
FSU fans certainly are on social media.
“Is that right?” Taggart said as he walked away. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Every week, Taggart is asked about Francois’ starting status.
The redshirt junior quarterback’s adoption of the new offense has not been seamless, and Taggart is the first to admit it.
“There’s some old habits he’s got to get out of,” Taggart said.
Pressure from pass rushers stimulates panic in the quarterback’s mind, making it human nature to regress to old habits.
Taggart cites Francois’ failure to utilize the safety of a clean pocket as his biggest flaw during the Seminoles’ 28-27 loss Saturday at Miami.
“We had some missed blocks a couple of times and there’s a couple of times I felt like Deondre [Francois] could’ve stepped up in the pocket and not sit at the top of his drop,” Taggart said. “That hurts the tackle when he does that, and he’s got to get better at pushing up in the pocket, take off and run.”
Decision-making in run-pass option situations is in Taggart’s Gulf Coast offense.
After FSU scored its first touchdown, Miami began making adjustments on defense, pushing to get to Francois quicker.
Miami defenders did exactly what can shake the confidence of a quarterback – rush the passer. Miami’s pressure would sometimes wear down FSU’s depleted guards and tackles. But when the matchups at the line were balanced, a secure pocket formed for Francois.
With five minutes remaining