FSU football: SP+ metrics show wild fluctuations on offense and defense
By Kelvin Hunt
2016-17
The 2016 season saw redshirt freshman Deondre Francois win the starting job over Sean Maguire. Francois was ACC Freshman of the Year honors and was a clear step up over Maguire and Golson.
Look at the chart and how the offensive line jumps up immediately in 2016, but the defense goes into freefall.
The defense hits rock bottom after the Louisville blowout and begins to rebound as the season goes along.
However, the offense remained a top 10 offense all season, yet the Noles still lost three games because the defense couldn’t get stops against Louisville or North Carolina. We remember the referees stealing the Clemson win away from us!
What happens in 2017? Deondre Francois goes down with an injury and is lost for the season. The offensive line on the graph freefalls again as freshman James Blackman takes over as the starting quarterback, yet the defense is among the top 10 for the entire season.
The defense is top 10 for the entire season, but the Noles lose SIX games. However, we see the offense beginning to improve with good coaching and Blackman gaining experience as the season progresses.
The win over Southern Mississippi gave Nole fans hope even though Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M. In 2018, we enter the Willie Taggart era.