FSU football: Where Mike Norvell could upgrade the offense in 2020
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football saw an improvement in its offense in 2019 under Kendal Briles. Here’s where Mike Norvell could upgrade the offense in 2020.
The FSU football offense has been nothing short of disappointing the last three seasons. A combination of poor QB play, poor offensive line play, and awful field position due to lack of buy-in on special teams have all been culprits.
The Noles haven’t been able to win on first and second down, resulting in predictable third downs allowing opposing defenses to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback.
The inability to convert on third downs has resulted in the defense being out on the field more than they should, not to mention it lessens potential scoring opportunities.
FSU has had third-down conversions of 35.19 percent, 29.1 percent and 35.6 percent the past three seasons. Their scoring average per game in those years was 27.8, 21.9 and 27.9 respectively.
On the other hand, Mike Norvell established Memphis as one of the better offenses in the nation during his tenure there.
His offenses posted third-down conversions of 43.79 percent, 47.12 percent and 46.11 percent the past three seasons. Their scoring average per game in those years was 45.5, 42.9 and 40.4 respectively.
The ability to sustain drives increases the probability the drive will result in points. I took a deep dive into third-down conversions with FSU football and Memphis from 2019, and the results were interesting. I think this is the area where Mike Norvell can make a real difference in the FSU offense in 2020.