FSU defense hopes to overcome growing pains against Virginia
Florida State defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett said the Seminoles are going through natural growing pains that come with installing a new scheme.
“But credit to our guys, they’re trying to work through the process and trying to get better because everybody here wants to win,” he said Wednesday. “If nothing else, every player you see come through here, every coach, every support staff person, everybody wants to win. That’s the one common goal for sure, so everybody’s working toward that.”
While they gave up more points than their opening loss to Boise State, the Seminoles gave up fewer yards and forced Louisiana-Monroe to go 6 of 15 on third-down conversions. It was an improvement from the 10-of-19 conversion rate the Broncos recorded the week before.
Barnett said the Seminoles have improved their alignment.
“Now we’ve got to go in there and make the tackles when we’ve got the gaps sound and gaps covered, make a play,” he said. “We’ve got to go make plays and go get it done. But there was improvement.”
FSU will face a quarterback who is just as dangerous in the pocket as he is outside of it in UVA’s Bryce Perkins. During two games this season, Perkins has logged 373 passing yards and 138 rushing yards. FSU defensive end Leonard Warner said he feels confident the Seminoles will be able to contain him.
“Obviously he is a pretty good runner, but I don’t think we are going to have too much trouble with him,” Warner said. “We have a good game plan built up. I think we have pretty good plan for controlling him.”
The Cavaliers like to control the time of possession, averaging 35:38 per game. For a defense that’s already been on the field longer than most in the country, Barnett said getting stops will be crucial.
“We gotta execute. All 11 execute in order to give ourselves a chance to win,” he said. “Each and every play, and then each and every series as you go throughout the game. So all 11 players must execute the defense. Get it done and get off the field.”
TOUGH TEST FOR UCF
It doesn’t seem to matter who is running UCF’s offense. The 17th-ranked Knights score points in bunches and keep winning.
Three different quarterbacks have started games since two-time American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year McKenzie Milton was lost to a serious knee/leg injury late last season. But one of the nation’s top offenses hasn’t skipped a beat.
Whether it is true freshman Dillon Gabriel, Notre Dame senior transfer Brandon Wimbush or Milton’s Favorite:
Records: FSU 1-1 (0-0 ACC); Virginia 2-0 (1-0 ACC). Series: FSU leads 14-3. backup from a year ago, Darriel Mack Jr., directing the attack, the Knights function well.
UCF has scored at least 30 points in 28 consecutive games, the longest streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 1936.
Stanford is the next team to take a crack at slowing down the defending AAC champions, who haven’t announced which quarterback will take the first snap against the Cardinal on Saturday.
“We have to prepare more for their scheme than who is playing quarterback,” Stanford coach David Shaw said.
“They’re very fast, very confident. They know what they’re doing and are very aggressive,” Shaw added. “They’re snapping the ball fast and we need to try and keep up. We have to communicate quickly. That’s the fastest tempo team we’ve played in several years.”