3rd Down Conversion Percentage
One of the biggest keys to success in Gus Malzahn’s offense is success on first and second downs to limit the predictable passing situations. FSU has a 48 percent success rate running the ball and 47 percent success rate passing the ball.
FSU has only run 11 plays that have been third down and seven-plus out of 134 plays overall. That’s only eight percent of the plays through two games.
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However, FSU is converting third downs 57.69 percent of the time. That’s tied for No. 16 nationally, but the teams ahead of them probably didn’t face a defense as talented as Alabama in week one.
FSU only converted third downs 28.75 percent of the time last year, 47.62 percent of the time in 2023. The high-water mark for third-down conversions in the Mike Norvell era is 51.19 percent in 2022.
A lot of that success had to do with Jordan Travis' willingness to use his legs, and FSU has a comparable version in Thomas Castellanos this year.