FSU Football: 3 improvements to expect from FSU defense
By Kelvin Hunt
Run Defense
This metric is the most important one because it sets the tone for the entire defense and makes opposing offenses one-dimensional.
Think of it as a boxer with one hand tied behind his back but you still have both hands. Yes, it’s possible he could knock you out but the odds are not in his favor.
FSU allowed teams to rush for 136 ypg and 3.78 ypc in 2017 (No. 31). That wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t elite either and especially not on par with Harlon Barnett’s defense.
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His defense allowed teams to rush for 95 ypg and 3.37 ypc in 2017 (No. 2). More importantly, his defense only saw teams attempt to run the ball 368 times compared to teams attempting 466 run attempts against them.
That tells you Harlon Barnett’s defenses were much better against the run, and opposing teams knew they were not going to be able run the ball, thus way less rushing attempts.
FSU has defensive backs that will play in the NFL, so I like our chances to slow down the passing games of most opposing offenses.