FSU football: 3 takeaways from ‘Noles win over Miami

Defense Was Lights Out

I know many FSU football fans dislike Adam Fuller and wanted to fire him several games ago. I’ve been one of the few that have criticized when necessary, but also recognizing this FSU defense has improved light-years from the past couple of years.

I thought the defense would play well enough to win because Miami’s offense was boom or bust. However, I knew they needed the FSU offense to show up so they could play complementary football. FSU’s defense couldn’t have started any better, holding Miami’s offense to 3.57 yards in the first half and forcing three turnovers. When Miami made plays, it was because they earned them for the most part.

There was a couple of throws and catches where you had to tip your cap to the Miami players. FSU shut down Miami’s running game, allowing 43 yards on 23 carries. Tyler Van Dyke only completed 53 percent of his passes for 316 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those touchdowns was a fluke-tipped pass.

FSU’s defense had three sacks, and six tackles for a loss and eight passes defended. One of the most impressive stats is they limited Miami to 5.12 yards per play while passing the ball 47 times. Adam Fuller and the players deserve a ton of credit.