Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 34 Virginia 20

Nov 8, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Jesus Wilson (3) is tackled by Virginia Cavaliers safety Quin Blanding (3) and cornerback Tim Harris (5) during the second half at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

The Offense Struggles

FSU’s offense just never looked right last night. The Seminoles racked up 376 yards and 34 points, but the turnovers and missed opportunities also seemed to pile up.

After the game Jameis Winston owned up to his part of the mistakes.

“It’s not the offense starting slow now, it’s just me starting slow, throwing interceptions, and that has to change,” Winston said. “[I’ve got to] make smarter decisions, stop always looking for the big play. I stressed about checking the ball down and making smart decisions, and I’ve got to go back to that. I can’t be careless with the ball.”

Part of that is Winston’s DNA. He’s always going to have a certain degree of ‘gunslinger’ mentality in him. Jameis Winston is supremely confident in his ability to make his reads and put the football where he wants it– he doesn’t get scared off by adversity. Winston can make a throw into double coverage, walk back to the sideline, explain in no uncertain terms why he progressed to that decision– and then go do it again if the opportunity presents itself.

Part of that — that fearlessness and confidence — is why Jameis Winston is great.

But he’s also right about taking what the defense gives him. Virginia was not going to let Jameis Winston beat them on Saturday night. The Cavaliers kept at least one safety a good 15 yards off the line of scrimmage for most of the ballgame. The box was actually pretty loose on most early downs. You could tell Virginia’s defense was looking to take away the big play first and foremost.

Frankly, I thought Winston should have checked into the run a bit more often in the first half.

But that’s the other side of the problem. Winston is starting slow, but so is the offensive line. FSU’s run game was there down the stretch last night, but early on the Seminoles were inconsistent along the offensive line and made several mistakes that ended up costing FSU drives.

You just can’t have your senior left tackle committing procedural penalties in enemy territory– or anywhere for that matter. You can’t afford to have seniors missing calls and blowing assignments that lead to sacks and losses in the run game.

Winston may be willing to step up and take the blame, but last night’s offensive woes were a group effort. Receivers dropped passes, ran poor routes and made mental mistakes. The line made its share of mistakes. The backs missed several holes.

The offense was opportunistic when it needed to be, scoring 21 points off turnovers. It also looked potent at points last night– FSU scored three touchdowns in a combined five plays and 59 seconds. This group certainly doesn’t lack explosiveness. It’s just missing consistency. And the time to find it is starting to run out.

Next: A Word on Marcus Mariota vs. Jameis Winston