Chop Chat
Fansided

FSU football: ‘Noles offense the 3rd best to face Clemson’s defense

By Kelvin Hunt

Florida State Seminoles running back Jashaun Corbin (0) celebrates a big run, good for a first down. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Syracuse Orange 33-30 to get their first win of the season Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.Fsu V Syracuse1528
Florida State Seminoles running back Jashaun Corbin (0) celebrates a big run, good for a first down. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Syracuse Orange 33-30 to get their first win of the season Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021.Fsu V Syracuse1528 /
facebooktwitterreddit

A question heading into the FSU football vs. Clemson matchup Saturday is how FSU finds success against one of the best defenses in college football?

Clemson enters the game with the No. 4 ranked defense, according to Brian Fremeau at BCF Toys. The Noles faced a similar defense in Notre Dame (No. 14) in the season opener, as I pointed out on the Built For Playmakers Podcast.

The FSU offense has scored more points against Notre Dame than another offense this season (38 points) and enters the Clemson contest as the No. 37 ranked offense nationally. That’s the third-best offense Clemson will have faced this year, just one spot behind Pittsburgh, who defeated the Tigers last week.

The top offense to face Clemson was Georgia (No. 3) in the season opener. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to three offensive points. However, the Clemson defense that faced Georgia has lost some guys due to injury, which could impact Saturday’s game. Let’s take a look at how the Pittsburgh offense fared against Clemson:

  • 20 points scored
  • 10 of 19 on third down
  • 26 first downs
  • 5.65 ypp
  • 3.8 yards per rush
  • 64 percent pass completion
  • 302 passing yards
  • 162 rushing yards
  • One turnover

When comparing FSU’s offense to Pittsburgh, we find a stark contrast in each team’s approach. The Panthers are more balanced, running the ball 52 percent of the time with one of the best passers in the ACC at quarterback.

The Noles run the ball 60 percent of the time and have one of the best running quarterbacks in the ACC. Pittsburgh has a slightly more efficient offense, with 35 percent of their drives ending in a touchdown, compared to 30 percent for the Noles.

However, FSU has the more explosive offense (7.05 ypp), ranking No. 8 nationally compared to Pittsburgh (6.64) at No. 24. The absolute biggest difference is the rate at which each offense turns the ball over. Pittsburgh checks in at No. 18, with only seven percent of their drives ending via a turnover.

The Noles check in at No. 107, with 15 percent of theirs ending via a turnover. The FSU offense hasn’t turned the ball over in their last two games, and that will be critical to their success Saturday.

That’s the challenge, avoid turnovers and execute explosive plays against Clemson. The FSU coaching staff has had over two weeks to prepare for this game, so they should have a few things in the chamber Clemson hasn’t seen this year. Here are some other offenses that have Clemson has gone life and death with:

  • Syracuse-No. 51
  • Boston College-No. 87
  • NC State-No. 55
  • Georgia Tech-No. 67

Will FSU have enough to pull off the upset? We’ll find out in a few days!

Next. How Noles Defense Matches Up Against Clemson Offense. dark

Home/FSU Football