Taggart wants defense to think less, attack more
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State fans may still harbor some uneasy memories of their old defense and miscues that led to demoralizing losses for the Seminoles from 2014-17.
Flashbacks of former defensive coordinator Charles Kelly trying to substitute Seminoles on and off the field with former Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and Oregon pressing at the goal line during the 2014 Rose Bowl may trigger some resentment.
FSU’s play against some of the nation’s best quarterbacks — Louisville Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Houston’s Greg Ward — may have also left a bad taste.
The old Seminoles defense, facing former coach Jimbo Fisher’s traditional pro-style offense in practice, was not prepared to handle high-octane offensive schemes that have become the norm in college football.
But under new coach Willie Taggart, who is implementing his fast-paced Gulf Coast offense, and new defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett, who is said to be installing a simpler, more aggressive defensive scheme, the Seminoles now aim to think less and simply play faster on defense next season.
The key to FSU’s defensive transition this spring has been players quickly absorbing more of their assignments in the new system thanks to simplified teaching.
The Seminoles hope to fly around and show their defensive strides during their spring game in Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.
“Everybody is playing more aggressive because we are thinking less,” said linebacker Adonis Thomas. “It’s more attacking a one-gap read or one key read instead of reading two or three things before you can attack. That’s the aggressive part everyone is talking about.”
Added defensive back Kyle Meyers: “We’re swarming to the ball, knowing what to do out there. We’re not really thinking, we’re just playing. … We’re just learning our assignments, thinking of what to do before each play, knowing what the person across from us is going to do.”
Barnett, as co-defensive coordinator at Michigan State, helped transform the Spartans last season into the nation’s No. 7 defense (FSU finished 18th). The Spartans surrendered the ninth fewest first downs at the Football Bowl Subdivision level (FSU 25th) and ranked 18th in third down conversions (FSU 45th).
Barnett prefers to play a Cover-4 scheme, which aims to have cornerbacks applying pressure to receivers near the line of scrimmage, safeties working with cornerbacks to prevent deep passes, the defensive line pressuring the quarterback and linebackers manning the flats and the middle of the field.
Taggart believes Barnett’s defense preparing against his offense will have the Seminoles primed for success.
A big reason players can better grasp their new defense has been the way Barnett and his defensive coaching staff have instructed them.
“One way of being aggressive is knowing what you could do, and what to do so you could go out there and play fast and physical like Coach Barnett always preaches to those guys,” Taggart said.
“We just don’t tell them much or talk too much. That’s more of a problem when you talk too much, you confuse the kids. But we’re trying to talk less, and do a good job of teaching the fundamentals and techniques of what we’re doing.”
Under Kelly, FSU’s defense seemed too complex for players, leaving talented Seminoles tentative, vulnerable and out of position at times.
Now under Barnett, the Seminoles seem less nervous about making mistakes and more in tune with reacting to what they see instead of checking a list of assignments.
“He wants us to know what we’re doing, and [know] we’re doing our job consistently,” Thomas said of Barnett. “He doesn’t want anybody out there that doesn’t know what they’re doing. He just wants everybody out there on the same page so we can be successful as one.”
Added standout defensive tackle Marvin Wilson on his new defensive coordinator: “He’s simplified our life. He made it a lot more easy on us. Right now we’re going to trust the defense, see where it gets us.”