How FSU Football run defense went from amazing to abysmal

FSU football has seen arguably the best part of their team go downhill in the last three games, with numbers that will make some fans sick.

So far, it has been yet another season to forget if you are a fan of the FSU football team as they limp into the final two games of the regular season needing to win both just to qualify for a bowl game and avoid a losing season for the first time since 1976. Even with all of that, the Seminoles at least know they can count on their impressive run defense to bail them out.

Wait, check that – the Seminoles USED to be able to count on their run defense this season. That was before the last three games in which the Noles have gone from being amazing run stoppers to a group of Swiss cheese that allows opponents to run all over them.

Let us compare on contrast for a moment – here is a look at how the first seven games of the season played out when it came to the performance running the ball against FSU football with where their run units rank.

"No. 90 Virginia Tech – 40 carries for 112 yardsFCS Samford – 19 carries for 50 yards and one touchdownNo. 14 Syracuse – 57 carries for 222 yards and two touchdownsNo. 44 Northern Illinois – 20 carries for 6 yards and one touchdownNo. 108 Louisville – 38 carries for 115 yards and one touchdownNo. 47 Miami – 46 carries for 102 yardsNo. 15 Wake Forest – 50 carries for 96 yards"

For those of you scoring at home, FSU football allowed just one opponent (Syracuse) to run for over three yards a carry on average and held three opponents to under two and a half yards a carry.

Okay, now let us take a look at the last three games for the Seminoles when it came to attempting to have a run defense.

"No. 6 Clemson – 33 carries for 120 yards and three touchdownsNo. 114 NC State – 49 carries for 177 yards and two touchdownsNo. 58 Notre Dame – 50 carries for 365 yards and two touchdowns"

Now, I’ll give you Clemson but it’s unacceptable to give up almost four yards a game to the worst run game you’ve played so far in the Wolfpack and close to eight yards a carry against an Irish team ranked better than just two of the teams in the first group.

In fact, the Seminoles have gone from allowing less than three yard a carry versus the first group to just over five yards against the second without even mentioning they have doubled the number of touchdowns given up.

The run defense for FSU football has been hampered by facing better offensive lines, but the unit has not recored a sack in any of those games. Much like with the FSU run game having to overcome the offensive line woes, these players have got to figure out how to at least stall if not fully stop running backs they face.

Over the final two weeks, FSU football will face run games ranked No. 25 (Boston College) and No. 54 (Florida) – and if the Seminoles want any hope of getting back to a bowl game, this unit needs to get back to finding itself real quick.