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FSU football: 3 questions about prospective coaching hire Mike Norvell

By Kelvin Hunt

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers looks on during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers looks on during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Defense

This is a biggie for me with FSU’s defense being of the suck for the better part of the last two seasons and arguably the last three.

We know Mike Norvell is an offensive minded coach, so what will he do on the defensive side of the ball?

A quick look at his defenses at Memphis show they have been a bit underwhelming for the most part. Here’s where the Memphis defenses have ranked according to SP+ advanced metrics:

  • 2016-No. 74
  • 2017-No. 86
  • 2018-No. 87
  • 2019-No. 33

For comparison sake, FSU’s defense ranked No. 37 in 2018 and is currently ranked No. 68 in 2019. So, if you were frustrated with FSU’s defense this year I’m sure the numbers from 16-18 give you cause for concern.

The good news is there was a huge jump from 2018 through 2019 and it should be noted this happened in the first year of Memphis defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.

However, what would FSU’s defense look like under Norvell’s leadership? Would Fuller come with him and what would he be able to do with better athletes at FSU?

We know his teams typically can score lots of points, but the defense needs to be able to make an impact also.

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