FSU football vs. Wake Forest: 3 major differences to look for Saturday
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU linebackers gave it their all last year and developed into a serviceable unit, considering how they started the season. Kalen DeLoach, DJ Lundy, and Amari Gainer were the primary backers when FSU played Wake Forest in 2021.
Guess what? Defensive backs were four of the top six tacklers in that game. Amari Gainer was the linebacker with the most tackles.
I love and respect Gainer, and I know he’s out with an injury right now. However, he’s a liability on defense, and the less he saw the field, the better if he were healthy.
The addition of Tatum Bethune, the emergence of Kalen DeLoach, and the development of DJ Lundy have improved this FSU defense immensely.
This linebacker unit matches up much better against Wake Forest when compared to last year. The missed tackles in the flats, and at the line of scrimmage should be less than last year, and coverage across the middle should be tighter.
Wake Forest had a ton of yards after contact, and I think the linebackers will be more effective against the run than last year.
The Demon Deacons were 8 of 18 on third downs, and FSU has held opponents to 31.25 percent on third down conversions through four games.