FSU football: 5 areas of improvement needed after Notre Dame game

Missed Tackles

The effort and heart were there, but the amount of missed tackles cost the Noles dearly against Notre Dame.

There were two missed tackles on the opening play of the game and 13 missed tackles in all. I wasn’t too surprised since the team didn’t tackle much in fall camp to protect players from injuries.

However, a missed tackle on third and goal led to a Notre Dame touchdown that put the Fighting Irish up 31-20.

If they make the tackle, there’s a solid chance Notre Dame kicks the field goal to keep it a one-score game. The players were in a position to make a tackle more times than not, and that’s different than what we saw last year.

I want to continue to see them swarming to the ball Saturday night against Jacksonville State, but I want them to make the tackles when they are in position.

I want to see better angles from the linebackers because poor angles make it more difficult to make the tackle. If the continue their physical play and don’t miss tackles, they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.