O-line pushed to produce
TALLAHASSEE Florida State coach Willie Taggart is counting on young players to develop quickly along his embattled offensive line.
Quarterback Deondre Francois has been sacked 10 times, Seminoles have surrendered 27 tackles for a loss and the offensive line struggled to get any push up front during a brutal 30-7 loss at Syracuse on Saturday.
To make matters worse, Taggart announced Monday offensive tackle Derrick Kelly will not play against Northern Illinois.
It’s the latest blow for a thin line already hit hard by injuries. Landon Dickerson, a guard, moved to right tackle before the season opener, but he suffered an ankle injury against Virginia Tech. Kelly took over for Dickerson after spending the 2017 season at left tackle and left guard, but now he’s out as well.
Redshirt junior Abdul Bello and redshirt freshman Brady Scott are listed atop the latest FSU depth chart at right tackle, while Bello and redshirt sophomore Jauan Williams are listed at left tackle.
Taggart said a freshman could see playing time at right tackle.
“I think everything's on the table right now and make sure we find answers and making sure we find the right five guys in there to get us going,” he said. “And again, with a group that we don't have much depth at offense from the beginning, anything is possible right now.
“Some guys are going to have to develop a lot quicker than we thought they would and it's just, that's where we're at and we got to I understand for a the right guys to get it done.”