FSU football: 6 reasons DJ Uiagalelei could silence critics in 2024
By Kelvin Hunt
DJ Uiagalelei Rarely Turns The Ball Over/Takes Sacks/TFLs
This part is where casual fans who only look at touchdowns, completion percentages, and passing yards miss the bigger picture. DJ Uiagalelei has only thrown 14 interceptions over the past two seasons. He rarely fumbles and doesn't take a ton of sacks like some quarterbacks. He only took 11 sacks at Oregon State in 2023, and the Oregon State offense only allowed 65 tackles for a loss. He got sacked 20 times in his final season at Clemson, and that offense allowed 69 tackles for a loss. FSU allowed 25 sacks in 2023 and 73 tackles for a loss(some of this is skewed after Jordan Travis got hurt).
Nevertheless, Uiagalelei is in the same ballpark as Jordan Travis when it comes to taking care of the football. If teams want to win football games, offenses must keep turnovers to a minimum. FSU had 21 turnovers in 2021 and lost seven games. They had 14 in 2022 and lost three games. They had five in 2023 and went 13-0. I'd rather have a quarterback who has a slightly lower completion percentage than one who constantly turns the ball over and takes sacks.