UM, FSU coverage.

TALLAHASSEE – Florida State’s defense is battling slow starts this season.

If the Seminoles continue the trend against Syracuse’s up-tempo offense Saturday, it could quickly put the team behind the eight ball.

“We’ve just got to start faster,” FSU junior linebacker Dontavious Jackson said. “It just took us a little bit to get into our groove against Samford. I feel like we’ve got to bounce back and start faster.”

“Lethal Simplicity” is the nickname FSU coach Willie Taggart uses to describe his offensive playbook. Taggart also wants to field a defense with a streamlined playbook that allows athletes to swiftly make plays without wasting precious time figuring out which scheme they should run.

Enter FSU defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett, whose aggressive and relatively simplistic defensive strategy complements Taggart’s offense.

Both sides of the team are looking to enter Saturday’s road game against the Orange with energetic, sharp play.

“We still want to start fast,” Barnett said. “We’re stressing starting fast. And what better game to start fast than a noon game?”

Against Samford, the defense allowed two touchdowns within the first eight minutes. By the eighth minute of the second quarter, Barnett’s defense had settled in. They would not allow another touchdown drive.

The Seminoles defense against Virginia Tech began at a similar pace. They allowed 10 points within the first eight minutes, and would largely settle down after that — allowing one touchdown in the second and fourth quarter.