FSU football: Improved special teams could be difference maker in 2022
By Kelvin Hunt
Field Position
Field position for the Noles has been one of the worst in college football in the last few years. The team has consistently made poor decisions to return kickoffs from the end zone where the runner has gotten tackled well before the 25-yard line.
That decision results in a longer field the offense navigates to put points on the board.
Of course, FSU’s offense has been boom or bust the past few seasons. That has often meant they were punting from deep inside their territory, which gave the opposing offense excellent field position.
It’s common sense because the longer an offense has to drive the field, the lower the probability is they’ll be able to score.
However, many miscues have been mental for the Noles in losing the field position battle. The initial example of returning kickoffs that should be fair-caught is a prime example.
Another example is letting punts hit the ground and losing 10-25 yards of field position from that bad decision.
Those types of things are hidden yards that don’t show up in the stats, but ultimately can be the difference in winning or losing games.