FSU football: How much can ‘Noles defense improve over 2021?

The 2021 Season

The first four games of the 2021 season saw an improved FSU defense. They were more physical, could stop the run, and had a pass rush, but too many busted coverages in the secondary. It was a result of players trying to learn multiple positions and still being relatively new in learning Adam Fuller’s scheme because of the modified practices due to COVID. Here are the numbers from the  first four games of the 2021 season:

-31.7 ppg allowed (12 percent decrease from 2020)
-5.24 ypp allowed (19 percent decrease from 2020)

These four games included Notre Dame, Jacksonville State, Louisville, and Wake Forest. One thing that didn’t help in these games was the offense turning the ball over 11 times. It’s difficult to consistently prevent scores on short fields. Make no mistake, the Louisville first half was abysmal, but something clicked for the team after that. The biggest factor was moving Jammie Robinson to safety permanently. Other players began to play better and with more confidence, which produced these numbers over the final eight games.

-23.8 ppg allowed (25 percent decrease from first four games)
-5.06 ypp allowed (3.4 percent decrease from first four games)

The final eight games is a 33.8 percent decrease in pointed allowed and a 21.7 percent decrease in yards per play allowed from the 2020 season. One other thing that helped? The FSU offense only had 10 turnovers in the final eight games.