The FSU football team had issues running the ball in 2023, and it fell off of a cliff in the 2024 season.
Trey Benson was boom or bust with the running game in 2023, breaking some long touchdown runs, but had many runs where he got hit behind the line of scrimmage before he managed to squeak out a yard or two.
FSU averaged 4.54 yards per rush in 2023, down from the 5.47 yards per rush in 2022. That's a steep dropoff of a yard per carry. However, the dropoff in 2024 was astronomical. FSU only averaged 2.85 yards per rush and allowed 46 tackles for a loss that were not sacks.
FSU fired offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins after the Notre Dame game and hired UCF offensive line coach Herb Hand after the season concluded. Hand followed UCF head coach Gus Malzahn to FSU after working together for several years at different stops.
Hand understands the issues at FSU and posted the following from his social media account Thursday night:
College Football’s Best Run Games
— Herb Hand (@CoachHand) January 31, 2025
“Further right => Better scheme/OL”
👀🤷🏻♂️
The STANDARD is The STANDARD
Bringing the best to Tallahassee and @FSUFootball. #GoNoles🐎🍢🔥 https://t.co/c4nZj18eIo
Look at the graphic and check out where FSU was in 202. Then look at Hand's previous school, UCF. It is the team farthest right(horizontally) and opposite of FSU. He says that's because of the scheme and offensive line. He says the team with the better talent at running back is higher vertically.
We know FSU has excellent talent at the running back position and Herb Hand landed four experienced offensive linemen from the transfer portal. It sounds like he's confident in how he teaches and the talent/experience added to the offensive line coupled with the running back talent will have FSU back among the top rushing attacks in college football.
I should note that UCF had a running back who rushed for 2,993 yards over the past two seasons with Herb Hand and Gus Malzahn presiding over the offense. FSU only had 3,182 rushing yards as a TEAM over the past two years.
I like Coach Hand's confidence. He's been doing this a long time and has had success everywhere he's been. I can't wait to see the product on the field this fall.