Seminoles rack up more turnovers

TALLAHASSEE— No. 3 Florida State’s commitmentto a more aggressive defensive scheme is paying off.

Through seven games this season, the Seminoles have forced 14 turnovers — six in the past two games. Last year, FSU had 22 takeaways.

“It’s real good, we always want to be around the ball as much as possible and I feel like right now we’re just clicking more than others,” FSU S Terrence Brooks said. “The confidence is at an all-time high, the maturity is also. But just the confidence, that right there is just getting us more plays and getting us a lot more balls.”

Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops left FSU this offseason to become Kentucky’s head coach. Fisher hired Alabama assistant Jeremy Pruitt to replace Stoops and bring an aggressive, multiple-front look to the Seminoles.

“We’re having a little bit more personality. Coach Pruitt loves you to have personality,” FSUCBLamarcus Joyner said. “Just flirting with the coverage and everything, it’s been fun.

“It’s starting to become a standard around here, like we must create turnovers. And we’re having fun doing it.”

While the Seminoles underwent growing pains in the first quarter of the year, players are now embracing the attacking philosophy.

“I think we’re playing with just a lot of confidence right now, and I think it’s critical, the more confidence you play with the more good things happen to you,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said.

Next game: vs. Miami, Saturday at 8 p.m., ABC