Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Florida State Seminoles season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Florida State Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 5-7 overall, 3-5
Head Coach: Willie Taggart, 2nd year, 5-7
– CFN Preview 2019: All The Team Previews
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLORIDA STATE OFFENSE
– The offense has the talent and upside to be a whole lot better – it just can’t be worse. The Noles averaged just 361 yards and 22 points per game, scoring 14 points or fewer in five games – losing all five. Nothing happens, and this doesn’t get fixed, unless …
– The offensive line has to get a whole lot better. If you’re looking for the single biggest issue for Florida State over the last two seasons, it’s the O line falling completely off the map. The Noles allowed the most tackles for loss in the ACC, didn’t do enough for the running game, and hasn’t been physical enough on a consistent basis. Three starters are done, and it’s going to take fall camp to get the right parts in the right spots, but the depth has to develop and this group has to be night and day better, because …
– The backfield is good enough. QB Deondre Francois is now a Florida Atlantic Owl, but James Blackman has enough time logged in to be more than okay, and Wisconsin transfer Alex Hornibrook is an excellent backup option if he doesn’t end up winning the gig. Cam Akers is a next-level running back talent who hasn’t had any room to move, and Khalan Laborn is a fantastic No. 2 option in the rotation.
– Nyquan Murray is gone after leading the team with 54 catches, but sophomore Tamorrion Terry is a rising superstar with home run hitting ability – averaging 21 yards per catch with a team-high eight touchdowns – and most of the other top receivers are still young and rising. 6-5, 245-pound Tre’ McKitty is a nice-looking tight coming off a 26-catch season.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLORIDA STATE DEFENSE
– 16 of the top 20 tacklers are back, and the experience has to start translating into production for an underwhelming defense that didn’t generate enough of a pass rush or pressure, allowed 32 points per game, and was oddly miserable in the secondary with the worst pass defense in the ACC. But …
– There’s going to be a massive payoff in the defensive backfield. This group took its lumps last year – a lack of a steady pass rush had a little bit to do with that – but there’s a massive load of supremely talented young players.
The corner tandem of Asante Samuel and Stanford Samuels will eventually be a thing, 6-4 Hamsah Nasirildeen is a big-time tackler – he led the team with 91 stops – along with 6-3 Jaiden Woodbey. There’s more talent on the way with freshmen Akeem Dent and Brendan Gant ready to play an immediate role.
– The linebacking corps can move, it’s experienced, and it has to start doing a whole lot more. 228-pound senior Dontavoius Jackson was the second-leading tackler with 75 stops – he’s a potential high-volume guy – Leonard Warner is a big thumper DeCalon Brooks is a good-looking young option. There’s enough depth to play around with, too.
– Can the defensive line start to be a whole lot better despite the loss of top pass rusher Brian Burns and inside man Demarcus Christmas? Marvin Wilson is about to become a superstar defensive tackle, but the pass rush has to emerge on the ends with Joshua Kaindoh and Janarius Robinson two very large, very interesting options.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP FLORIDA STATE PLAYERS
Best Florida State Offensive Player
RB Cam Akers, Jr.
The talent is there, the NFL upside is in place, and now he needs the blocking to help the cause. The 5-11, 212-pound former five-star recruit cranked out a 1,025-yard freshman season, but was held in check far too often in his sophomore season, averaging 4.4 yards per carry with 706 yards and six touchdowns. A good receiver, he came up with 23 grabs with two scores, and now the offense has to use its talented back a whole lot more.
2. WR Tamorrion Terry, Soph.
3. QB James Blackman, Soph.
4. RB Khalan Laborn, Soph.
5. QB Alex Hornibrook, Sr
Best Florida State Defensive Player
DT Marvin Wilson, Jr.
Welcome to the next great Florida State defensive lineman. The 6-5, 314-pound superstar defensive tackle prospect got his feet wet as a freshman, and turned in an all-star sophomore season with 42 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
He’s big enough to be an anchor, quick enough to grow into more of an interior pass rusher, and talented enough to be the leader of a rising D that’s about to be a whole lot better.
2. CB Stanford Samuels, Jr.
3. S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Jr.
4. LB Dontavious Jackson, Sr.
5. S Akeem Dent, Fr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Florida State Offense
The offensive line HAS to keep defenses from doing bad things in the backfield, and the O has to start converting on third downs.
It’s hard to do too much offensively when the line is allowing 103 tackles for loss. By comparison, the 2003 FSU team allowed 80 – and with two more games – but the O line has been on a steady decline. Have problems for the running game, leave too many long third down tries.
Only three teams were worse on third downs than FSU, converting an abysmally low 29% of its chances with two 1-of-14 performances (Syracuse and Florida) and failing to hit 30% in seven games.
Biggest Key To The Florida State Defense
Be better against the stronger passing teams. It’s coming, but there’s too much talent now not to start being better when the ball is in the air. The young players are in place, but they need help from a pass rush that has to be steadier and stronger, and they have to stop getting hit by the big plays.
The defensive backs will be a whole lot better for a pass defense that can’t be last in the ACC again.
Quarterbacks only converted 55% of their throws, but FSU allowed two touchdown passes or more ten times and was hit for 200 yards or more by everyone but Notre Dame – the Irish were too busy running the ball in the 42-13 win.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB James Blackman, Soph.
Or Wisconsin transfer Alex Hornibrook, or redshirt freshman and Louisville transfer Jordan Travis. Deondre Francois was good, but he was hurt in 2017, struggled through 2018, and had issues off the field and is now part of the Lane Kiffin traveling fun show at Florida Atlantic.
The entire offensive line is the real key to the season, and the defense has to be a whole lot stronger, but coming up with a steady season from the quarterback position no matter who’s handling it.
Blackman was good when thrown to the wolves in a tough situation as a freshman – completing 58% of his throws for 2,230 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 picks – and now FSU needs him or Hornibrook to be special. The Noles need to start winning because the quarterback is just that good … but he needs time to throw.
Key Game To The Florida State Season
Boise State, Aug. 31 (in Jacksonville)
Of course there are massive ACC fish to fry with road games at Clemson and Virginia to deal with, home dates against Miami and Syracuse, and the regular season showdown at Florida to close things out, but this program really, really, really, really needs a good start.
The Noles were never the same after getting crushed by Alabama to start the 2017 season, and they clunked last year at home against a mediocre Virginia Tech team to open up the Willie Taggart era.
Beating Boise State up the road in Jacksonville wouldn’t mean FSU is back and ready to be a national player, but losing would be a problem for a team and a head coach that needs something positive to kick things off.
– Florida State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Florida State Fun Stats
– Florida State 1st Quarter Points: 42
– Penalties: Florida State 110 for 851 yards – Opponents 69 for 607 yards
– Fumbles: Florida State 22 (lost 13) – Opponents 17 (lost 3)
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. FLORIDA STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
There’s a chance this is a quick fix.
The program that won ten games or more six times in seven years, and went bowling in every season from 1982 to 2016, has the infrastructure and talent in place to go from a clunker of a five-win campaign in Willie Taggart’s first season to something special in a big hurry.
No, Taggart has never won a bowl game. Yes, he has a career record of 52-57. No, he hasn’t won a conference championship. Yes, he only has one season in nine with more than eight wins.
But it’s Florida State, and he has talent to work with.
It’s not supposed to be an excuse at a place where ACC championships and national title runs are the norm, but there needed to be a redo.
The was a way-young team that started six underclassmen on offense and seven on defense, and it’s looking to start cranking up the talent level even more under Taggart.
Nah, the 2019 recruiting class wasn’t anything next-level amazing, and Clemson is eating FSU’s lunch on the trail for talent, but if the offensive line can start blocking someone, and if the young stars in the secondary rise up quickly, and if the quarterback play is consistent and solid, and if the rest of the skill guys get time to work, and if the penalty issues slow down, and if the special teams are tighter …
There’s a lot to do.
However, start with just going bowling again and go from there.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 7
The Noles have to go on the road to deal with Clemson and Florida. Just assume two losses there, and then a few more among the big battles against Boise State, at Virginia, NC State, Syracuse and Miami, and be afraid of trips to Boston College and Wake Forest.
If and when Florida State becomes Florida State again, this is a 10-2 schedule with a realistic hope of splitting those showdowns against the Tigers and Gators. But for this team, starting to look the part, building it back up, and getting everything in place for a stronger Year Three under Taggart is the most likely step.
But being a ten-win program again would be just fine, too.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
