Mike Norvell needs to eliminate the danger Virginia poses to the Florida State defense

Week 4 has officially come and gone for Florida State, and the full focus of the program is on a looming Week 5 battle against the Virginia Cavaliers. Last season, Virginia walked away with a 46-38 double-overtime win that kick-started a four-game losing streak for the Seminoles. Florida State has looked shaky on both sides of the ball through four games, and another reality check could be waiting for the team this weekend.

Coach Mike Norvell began his portion of the Week 5 press conference by praising the success of Virginia, as well as the playstyle of the team. Norvell addressed how the Cavaliers' offense prefers to operate and noted that the team prefers to push the pace and utilize speed often. Norvell appears to have identified what makes Virginia great offensively, but now the question is whether or not Florida State can actually stop the incoming problem.

Florida State must stop Virginia on the ground to avoid a potentially ugly loss

Norvell had plenty of positive things to say about the Virginia offense, and rightfully so, with 771 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns through four games. The Cavaliers have 100 or more rushing yards in each game this season, averaging 192.8 rushing yards per game this season. The Cavaliers gain 4.5 yards per rush, with a heavy emphasis on hitting the A-gap.

The problem for Florida State? Those are things the defense has directly struggled with, and given how efficient Virginia can be and how bad the Seminoles get as the game progresses, the score could get out of hand.

Virginia is able to create a dynamic offense through their success on the ground, and slowing them down is the only way to take some power away from the team. West Virginia eliminated the big rushes for the most part, while completely shutting down the legs of Beau Pribula, which helped push the team towards a 38-27 win.

Pribula is naturally a massive part of the offense as the quarterback, but his work on the ground is just as notable for the Cavaliers. Pribula provides a different type of speed and carrying ability that running back Jekail Middlebrook does not have. However, even without Pribula and Middlebrook in the picture, there is another problem, which is that Virginia has five players with over 100 rushing yards this season.

The more people who are involved, the more people Florida State needs to stop, and the team has already had a difficult time limiting teams that use plenty of the roster. The Seminoles stopped leading Alabama rusher Daniel Hill and quarterback Keelon Russell from running rampant in Week 3, but Trae'shawn Brown found enough success to help push the offense forward.

Virginia excels in two areas on offense that Florida State has had a problem responding against, and while it might be reassuring to see Norvell identify the strengths of the Cavaliers, the Seminoles still need to find a way to stop them.

Perhaps the most clear way to slow down Virginia will be to push back the offense early and provide plenty of resistance. West Virginia was able to generate a significant lead in the second quarter after limiting the Cavaliers' offense to 32 yards.

When Pribula is forced to make plays with his arm, he collapses at times, as the running game is what takes the pressure off his back. Pribula is a far better passer when his safety net is up and running, but when limited, he struggles. Pribula threw eight of his 12 incompletions against West Virginia in the second half after the run game was stuffed in the first half.

If Florida State has any hope of defeating Virginia, the game will be won when the Cavaliers cannot run the football.

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