FSU football: 3 defensive keys to defeating Wake Forest
By Kelvin Hunt
Limit Missed Tackles
This is an aspect that plagued FSU football against Wake Forest last year. The number of missed tackles in that game has to be 10-15 or more.
Linebackers missed tackles at the line of scrimmage on running backs, and when Sam Hartman left the pocket. The defensive backs missed some tackles too.
However, I pointed out several changes from this year’s team compared to last year that should remedy quite a bit of this issue.
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Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach at linebacker are major upgrades at that position. DJ Lundy is a better linebacker than he was when FSU traveled to Wake Forest last year. Jammie Robinson will be in coverage at the nickel position since Kevin Knowles will be there.
Those two positions fit those two players better. Knowles covers better in the slot, and Robinson coming down in the box to make tackles when needed improves this defense since he’s a sure-tackler.
The linebackers will be key in limiting the slow mesh stuff Wake Forest likes to do. They can’t allow the running backs or quarterbacks to run through arm tackles like last year. FSU will need to tackle well in space when Wake Forest goes to their quick passing game too.