Florida State football: 5 reasons Seminoles will be better than Hurricanes in 2018

5. Both Seminole quarterbacks are better

When Deondre Francois went down in last year’s opening game against Alabama, the Seminoles season basically went out the window. They struggled just to get to bowl eligibility. This year Francois is back and faces stiff competition from James Blackman who stepped in as a true freshman last year in Francois’ place.

Francois’ numbers from his lone season as a starter are pretty good. In 2016, he threw for 3,350 yards and 20 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions. On the ground, he added five more scores. Those numbers were garnered in Jimbo Fisher’s pro-style offense. Now think what he can in Willie Taggart’s up-tempo spread offense. It certainly fits Francois’ dual-threat ability better.

If Francois does not earn the spot, Blackman looks just as capable of running Taggart’s offense. He struggled some last year but overall was pretty good for a first-year player thrust into the spotlight. With a year of experience, Blackman looks to only get better.

Now take a look at Miami’s quarterback Malik Rosier. He fell off a cliff at the end of the last year, especially against Pitt and Clemson. He is a game manager and not a game changer, something both Blackman and Francois can be.