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3 individual Matchups to watch in the FSU vs LSU week one game

By Glenn Adams

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 03: Malik Nabers #8 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after scoring a 34 yard touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 03: Malik Nabers #8 of the LSU Tigers celebrates after scoring a 34 yard touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Florida State running back Trey Benson (3) runs the ball down the field. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Duquesne Dukes at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.Fsu V Duquesne236
Florida State running back Trey Benson (3) runs the ball down the field. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Duquesne Dukes at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022.Fsu V Duquesne236 /

Trey Benson vs. Omar Speights

Trey Benson had a breakout season last year, his first season with Florida State football after transferring from Oregon. He finished the season with 990 yards on 154 attempts and nine touchdowns.

Benson is a powerful yet shifty and elusive back who accelerates quickly. He is a hard runner who is difficult to tackle.

For his efforts, Benson has climbed up the draft boards. Pro Football Focus ranks him 35th overall and lists him as the best running back entering the season. The Seminoles running back earned the 69th slot on ESPN’s top 100 players.

One of the men in the middle of the LSU defense who will be crucial in preventing Benson from having a big game is LSU linebacker Omar Speights.

Speight is a tackling machine. He tallied 83 tackles, eight for loss in his last year at Oregon State before transferring this offseason to LSU.

Speights will line up as an outside linebacker for his new team, but he plays like an old-school middle linebacker who can do everything a backer needs to do to be a successful every-down player. As such, he must plug the rushing lanes and even cover Benson out of the backfield.

Speights is also a capable blitzer. Benson must show that he can be counted on to help protect his quarterback by recognizing and picking up linebacker blitzes. This is another aspect of the matchup to keep a close eye on.

It will be exciting to find out if the elusive Benson can make Speights another victim of his elusiveness, or will the linebacker show he is every bit the tackler he has shown himself to be thus far in his collegiate career?

Speights is ranked 42nd overall by Pro Football Network. According to PFF, the linebacker is the 145th overall best player heading into the season. If he can help slow Benson, the LSU linebacker could start creeping up the draft boards after just one game.

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