FSU Football: How Good Was 2015 Defense?
By Kelvin Hunt
The FSU Football defense was stingy when it came to points scored against. Just how good was that 2015 defense?
FSU football has always been known for their quick and physical defenses and the 2015 squad was no different.
The FSU football defense only allowed ONE team to score 25 points or more once all year (in the bowl game against Houston).
However, points scored against isn’t the best metric to qualify the quality of a defense. For instance, if the FSU offense turns the ball over on their own 25 yard line, it would be really difficult for the FSU defense to stop the opponent from at least scoring a field goal.
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Some pundits like to use total yards given up as a way to qualify how the quality of a defense. While useful, it’s still not the best metric to use. For instance, the FSU defense gave up over 500 yards offense against Clemson in 2015, but Clemson ran 85 plays. FSU gave up right at six yards a play against Deshaun Watson and that offense on the road.
Not too shabby.
There’s a number of things I look for and I prefer to use advanced metrics from Football Outsiders and College Football Stats. Let’s take a look at several categories and you can reach your own conclusion regarding the 2015 defense and how good it was.
Next: First Down Rate