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FSU football: Impact of West Virginia defensive coordinator on leave

By Kelvin Hunt

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 01: Running back Jermaine Thomas #38 of the Florida State Seminoles avoids a tackle attempt by linebacker Julian Miller #97 of the West Virginia Mountaineers to score a touchdown in the first quarter during the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida State defeated West Virginia 33-21 in Bobby Bowden's last game as a head coach for the Seminoles. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 01: Running back Jermaine Thomas #38 of the Florida State Seminoles avoids a tackle attempt by linebacker Julian Miller #97 of the West Virginia Mountaineers to score a touchdown in the first quarter during the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida State defeated West Virginia 33-21 in Bobby Bowden's last game as a head coach for the Seminoles. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) /
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FSU football has dealt with adversity during this off-season. It looks as though their first opponent in 2020 could be doing the same thing.

FSU football will look to get the Mike Norvell era off to a winning start when they take on West Virginia on September 5.

It’s arguably the most important game on the schedule for FSU, a win there gives them confidence and sets the tone for the rest of the season.

A loss would be devastating, as West Virginia was not a good football team in 2019, and the Noles are more talented overall.

The game will take place on a neutral field in Atlanta, and the Noles are near three-point favorites, according to The Action Network. They may have gained another edge Tuesday when West Virginia placed their defensive coordinator Vic Koenning on administrative leave.

The move was-made while WVU investigates allegations involving Koenning saying insensitive remarks to players on the team.

Impact

Being the first game on the schedule is a big deal. Koenning could be suspended a couple of  days, a couple of weeks, or could potentially be replaced depending on the results of the investigation.

West Virginia wasn’t good on defense in Koenning’s first year as defensive coordinator in 2019. They finished No. 73 in SP+ advanced metrics and projected to finish No. 61 in 2020.

Teams are still doing voluntary workouts right now, but every day is crucial in terms of players continuing to learn their roles in the defense. If the investigation takes a while, or Koenning is suspended for a lengthy time or replaced, it could mean WVU’s defense will be negatively affected.

That’s bad news for a defense that was already thought to be mediocre going into the season. It would also be good news for an FSU football offense that will still be trying to figure things out in the first few games since they missed most of the spring practice.

Next. Projecting FSU 2020 WR Depth Chart. dark

That’s a perfect combination that favors the Noles in hopes of getting off the 2020 season with a win.

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