TAGGART SETS BIG GOALS
The new coach, who grew up watching the Seminoles’ dynasty teams, says championships are what the program is ‘all about.’
Willie Taggart has taken over rebuilding jobs before. First there was Western Kentucky, then South Florida and Oregon.
A lifelong Florida State fan who grew up in Palmetto and played his high school football at Bradenton’s Manatee High, Taggart never viewed the Sem
inoles as a rebuild. But Taggart also wasn’t sure what he was walking into after a 2017 season saw the Seminoles go from a preseason playoff favorite to scraping to become bowl-eligible.
“To be honest with you, I thought I was going to come here and have a bunch of turds,” Taggart said. “And we don’t. We have a bunch of really good young men that want to be great, that have some big dreams and some big goals.”
Taggart also has some big dreams and
big goals. He frequently says the Seminoles just need a “realignment” as he takes over a program that went 7-6 in 2017 but captured a national title in Jan. 2014.
It has been an extended honeymoon through the offseason as Taggart has
injected enthusiasm in FSU’s players
and fans.
He knows there will be losses in the season ahead, but Taggart won’t do anything to hit the brakes on the optimism.
“My vision for this program is to win multiple championships in a first-class manner,” Taggart said. “That’s going to always be our vision. To me that’s what
Florida State is all about.”
Taggart grew up cheering on the Seminoles and watching the program in the dynasty years. The hallmarks of those teams were high-scoring offenses and nasty defenses, and Taggart looks to
emphasize both of those qualities as he takes over the program.
FSU’s offense should look dramatically different as Taggart implements
the Gulf Coast Offense, which originated at USF in 2015.
The GCO is what Taggart calls “Lethal Simplicity,” a no-huddle, spread attack
that retains a balanced pass-run ratio. Taggart’s system has produced 1,000yard tailbacks the last four years (Marlon Mack at USF from 2014-16 and Royce Freeman at Oregon last year), while also featuring an efficient passing game with
the likes of USF’s Quinton Flowers. Taggart has a pair of experienced starting quarterbacks in former Glades Central star James Blackman (2,230 yards, 19 TDs and 11 INTs in 2017) and Deondre Francois (3,350, 20 TDs and seven INTs in 2016).
“What I’m looking for is a leader,” Taggart said. “I think we have guys that can throw the football and that can run the ball and do the things that we need from a schematic standpoint. We need a guy that can lead our entire football team.”
Regardless of who is under center, the pace is furious as the ball is often snapped after just 10 or 12 seconds have
run off the play clock. No huddling, no messing around.
Cam Akers ran for 1,024 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman and leads a deep running back corps, which includes Jacques Patrick, Khalan Laborn, Amir Rasul and Zaquandre
White. Akers has high expectations for what he can do in Taggart’s offense.
“Two thousand yards,” Akers said of a number that would shatter the school record.
“For me just a lot more space. A lot more opportunity, a lot more seams. … I’m looking forward to being able to break a lot of those for this upcoming season.”
The Seminoles have a few receiv
ers with experience in Nyqwan Murray (40 receptions, 604 yards, four touchdowns) and Keith Gavin (27 receptions, 278 yards) but are looking for pass-catchers who can stretch the field and deliver in the red zone. One to watch: 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman Tamorrion Terry, who had 19 touchdowns as a senior in high school in
2016.
FSU returns four starters on the offensive line but the group remains the biggest question mark for the team. The Seminoles gave up 32 sacks, ranking 94th in the FBS in allowing 2.46 sacks
per game.
FSU returns just three 2017 defensive starters: defensive end Brian Burns, defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas and cornerback Levonta Taylor.
The Seminoles lose significant pieces of last year’s team, including Derwin James, Josh Sweat, Derrick Nnadi and Tarvarus McFadden, but players have
embraced new coordinator Harlon Barnett’s schemes.
Barnett, who coached top-25 defenses the last few years at Michigan State, has emphasized an attacking four-man front with man-to-man coverage at corner.
The Seminoles should be able to pressure the passer with a defensive front that includes a combination of former Olympic Heights star Wally Aime, Burns, Christmas, Marvin Wilson and
Joshua Kaindoh.
“His defense is more get in your face,” Burns said. “It’s man on man. You’re going to have to beat me, type of deal.”