FSU football: Special teams improvement is critical to upsetting Clemson

Explaining Hidden Yardage

FSU had two possessions that began at or near the 10-yard line against UMASS in the last game because they decided to fair-catch those punts instead of letting them hit the ground and potentially go into the end zone.

That’s a 10-15 yard difference in field position off of one decision. The difference in starting at your 20-yard line compared to your 5-10 yard line is huge.

Here’s why.

The probability of driving 85-90 yards and scoring a touchdown against a top-tier defense is very small, which means you’ll likely punt from deep in your territory. That means the opposing offense will likely receive the ball near mid-field, which means their probability of scoring increases tremendously because they have to travel a much shorter distance.

FSU will face an offense that has struggled all year. If they can start with field position at the 25-yard line or possibly gain at least one first down if they don’t score allows them the opportunity to flip the field position.

If FSU punts and can pin Clemson inside their 20-yard line, that increases the likelihood of the FSU offense getting a good field position if the defense can force Clemson to punt. It also gives the defense some cushion if they allow an explosive play here and there.

If they can win these small battles within the game for four quarters, that will increase their chances of winning the game.