FSU football: Top 3 areas defense must improve in 2022

Third Down Conversions Allowed

What another great transition! Have you noticed how all of these areas are linked together? If defenses can get off the field on third down, that eliminates potential red zone trips. It also likely means fewer opportunities for opposing offenses to hit explosive plays throughout the season.

The Noles allowed teams to convert third downs 41 percent of the time in 2021. That was an improvement over the 46 percent allowed in 2020, and that number was below 40 percent allowed over the final eight games.

However, against FBS Power-5 programs, the FSU defense allowed teams to convert 42.66 percent of the time. Those stats were with Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas coming off the edge.

The issues largely revolved around poor linebacker play and the secondary getting beaten. Opposing tight ends gave FSU fits, and opposing teams picked on Jarvis Brownlee in coverage at times.

Brownlee is gone, the linebackers should be better in coverage, and the FSU secondary should be better.

The only question revolves around how FSU will offset the losses of Johnson and Thomas. It’s possible FSU could capture more coverage sacks with a better back seven, but they almost may blitz more in an attempt to get to the quarterback in obvious passing down.