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FSU Football: Defensive Turnaround Has Noles Back On Track

By Brad Johnson

Nov 19, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Zack Mahoney (16) is sacked by Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (44) during the first quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Zack Mahoney (16) is sacked by Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (44) during the first quarter of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a sluggish start for FSU football, the Seminoles’ defense woke up in the final month of the season and played out of their minds.

At one point during the regular season, Florida State’s defense was performing at a level not seen in three decades. That was hardly a good thing for FSU football.

The Seminoles ‘D’ played as if in a fog through its first five games while opposing offenses only experienced clear sailing. FSU was on pace to finish with its worst defensive numbers in 30 years and had given up 63 points to Louisville in adding an exclamation point to the entire mess.

But all those negative numbers now serve only as a comparison point for Florida State’s since-resurgent defense. The Seminoles (9-3) gave up more than 20 points just once over its final seven games and now rank among the top 20 defenses in the country. They wrapped up the regular season by holding arch-rival Florida to just six points offensively.

Why the turnaround?

Seminole fans were calling for defensive coordinator Charles Kelly’s head after the team’s shaky start, but FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher opted to stand by his man. Kelly also had the support of his players, who blamed themselves for the defensive meltdowns.

FSU defensive end Josh Sweat said his teammates rallied behind Kelly after not “playing as hard as they could, including me,” earlier in the season.

After a 37-35 loss to North Carolina on Oct. 1st, Kelly tinkered with his defensive personnel while his talented-but-injured defensive front started to get healthy. A 20-19 win over Miami (Fla.) the following week provided a dose of confidence, and the Seminoles have rarely stumbled since.

The Seminoles concluded their regular season with an impressive win over Florida in which they sacked Gators quarterback Austin Appleby six times. DeMarcus Walker had two sacks – upping his season total to 15 – to go with a pair of fumble recoveries. Florida was held to 58 rushing yards – nearly 100 yards below their season average.

To put the Seminoles’ dominance in further perspective, Florida averaged just 1.5 yards per play during one stretch of 13 drives that determined the outcome.

What’s next?

Florida State’s defensive-driven strong finish has helped it build a strong case for being included in one of the six New Year’s bowl games. It has helped that Louisville lost their final two games of the regular season and the Seminoles won their last four – including the dominant win over SEC East champion Florida.

FSU has moved ahead of Louisville in the College Football Playoff rankings and would be the Orange Bowl’s choice should it finished ranked ahead of the Cardinals. The final CFP rankings will be announced Sunday afternoon.

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