Rapid Reaction: FSU 56 NC State 41

FSU’s game with North Carolina State has just gone final. Here’s some rapid reaction from today’s game.

Before today’s game I said that this was a “show me” game for FSU– that we’d know a lot more about Florida State after its game with the North Carolina State.

Now we do.

And the returns are mixed.

On one hand, Jameis Winston is still Jameis Winston. Even despite a couple of miscues in the form of interceptions, Winston was impressive against the Wolfpack. On the day he threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns on 26/38 passing.

But it was more just the feel of the offense with Winston running it. There’s no denying that FSU is just a different team with its Heisman-winning QB at the helm.

Sure there were issues with the run game, but even that started to get going once Winston reminded people just what makes him so special. Winston’s pocket presence, his ability to raise the level of the players around him and his moxie were on full display on Saturday afternoon. FSU needed a strong performance to survive NC State’s upset bid and it got just that from its best player.

On the other hand, NC State carved up Florida State’s defense. FSU hasn’t given up that many points since 2010.

Credit the Wolfpack with playing one hell of a ball game today against Florida State. The Wolfpack pushed the Seminoles to the brink this afternoon. After a 24-point first quarter — the most any team has ever scored on FSU in the first quarter in its history — it looked as if NC State might even roll the Seminoles.

But, Florida State continued to fight and — after weathering the early onslaught — the Seminoles finally took control for a 56-41 win.

That being said, the Florida State defense continues to have issues. It made a few stops, but there were plenty of problem spots all day. The pass rush looked weak at times, gap integrity was an issue, eye discipline was a problem and the tackling was abysmal.

Monday’s pracice is not going to be kind to Seminole defense– nor will the film room.

Granted, a lot of it stems from missing two of their best players up front — Mario Edwards and Nile Lawrence-Stample — but NLS is out for the season. Sure, Edwards will be back within a month (depending on how he recovers from his concussion) but unless the Seminoles find somebody to man the nose, they are going to have teams running right at them the rest of the year.

What was really troubling was the tackling though. Jacoby Brissett looked like he was doused in Crisco he slipped through so many arm tackles today. Between FSU’s issues with a pass rush and Brissett’s mobility, NC State was able to work the flats and the crossing routes all day.

Part of the issue with the pass rush was that FSU had its ends playing to contain the QB for most of the day. In that scenario, their job isn’t to pin their ears back and pursue so much as it is to contain and collapse the pocket. Unfortunately, Brissett even made that untenable with his ability to flit through FSU’s attempts to tackle him.

But, keep in mind that tackling was also an issue at this time last season too.

Offensively, the run game continues to be a problem– though it did improve in the second half. Karlos Williams ran for 126 yards and three TD’s on 21 carries and Dalvin Cook looked good too, gaining 45 and scoring a TD on six attempts.

Cook wasn’t the only first-year player to have an impact, either. Travis Rudolph broke a couple of tackles and went for 40 yards on his first career reception and Lorenzo Featherston continues to impress on defense.

We also found out once again what kind of fight Florida State has today too. Just as it did in the opener against Oklahoma State and last week against Clemson, this team handles adversity well and doesn’t give up. A lot of FSU teams from the past would have crumbled beneath the pressure of a 24-7 opening quarter– this team didn’t.

The Wolfpack hit the Seminoles with their best shot, and it did stagger the ‘Noles. But it didn’t drop them. They weathered it and hit back and came away with a hard fought victory.

It’s never as bad as it looks and it’s never as good, either.

But FSU is still unbeaten and it still controls its own destiny. It just has a lot of work to do in the meantime.