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Emerging as FSU’s lead back as a freshman, Cam Akers has suffered a sophomore slump in 2018. That has begun to turn around after Akers had a breakout two touchdown performance against Wake Forest. Willie Taggart said he recommitted himself to practicing and playing at a high level last week and set the bar for the entire team.
Taggart often said that early in the season the back was trying to hit a home run far too often instead of taking what was in front of him. Akers says he has learned to be more patient, and that patience has led to production.
“Yeah, I was happy with the patience and production I came out with at the end of the game,” Akers said. “There was a lot of plays that I could’ve had more big plays—just a shoestring tackle away. I made up my mind second half that I wasn’t going to let that shoestring tackle stuff stop me anymore. I just came out and ran the ball hard.”
Heading into practice this week, Akers says putting together that type of game lifted a weight off of his shoulders, but he’s still hungry for more.
“It just makes me want more,” Akers said. “The weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but you don’t want to stop there you want to keep going. We’re going to build off of that.”
This week would be a good week for Akers to string together back to back multiple touchdown performances as he will be opposite a nasty Clemson defense on Saturday.
“They have a great defense and a great defensive line—a lot of All-Americans on the defensive line,” Akers said. “They have a lot of good talent, so we have to be ready and put our best foot forward to deal with that.”