Florida State’s defense is giving up a brutal 434.9 yards per game right now, pushing them to a dismal No. 16 in the ACC as they head into their bye week. This team is sitting at a rough 3-4 record overall, and a frustrating 1-3 in conference play, with head coach Mike Norvell still chasing his first road win since way back in 2023. Their most recent outing? A gut-wrenching 43-35 double overtime loss to No. 1 Miami. The numbers for this defense are just ugly, period.
Overall: The Numbers Don’t Lie
Look, the raw numbers tell you everything you need to know. FSU is letting opponents rack up an average of 434.9 yards every single game. To put that in perspective, only the Stanford Cardinal is worse in the entire ACC at 452.0 yards. Yeah, you read that right. Florida State is one of only three teams in the conference that’s allowing over 400 yards per game. Their best performance all year was against Virginia, where they “only” gave up 205 yards of offense. That’s not exactly a high bar, is it?
Meanwhile, the actual good defenses in the ACC are playing a completely different game:
* Miami (281.8 YPG)
* Duke (292.7 YPG)
* SMU (303.0 YPG)
* Pittsburgh (306.3 YPG)
* Virginia Tech (314.7 YPG)
On the player front, linebacker Chris Jones is trying his best, leading the team with 46 tackles and ranking fifth in sacks. Defensive lineman Rylan Kennedy is the sack leader with six. Ashlyn Barker has two picks, including one in that Miami loss, but as a team, FSU only has four total interceptions, with Quindarrius Jones and Nehemiah Chandler snagging one each. It’s not nearly enough.
Through The Air and On The Ground: No Relief Anywhere
If you’re thinking FSU’s pass defense might offer some relief, think again. They’re dead last, No. 16 in the ACC, allowing a staggering 256.3 passing yards per game. It’s no wonder they’re near the bottom in total defense when they’re getting picked apart in the air like this. The top-tier pass defenses look like this:
* SMU (164.8 YPG)
* Boston College (169.3 YPG)
* Virginia (174.6 YPG)
* Clemson (189.3 YPG)
* Syracuse (190.8 YPG)
And it doesn’t get better when opponents decide to run the ball. Florida State is ranked No. 14 in rushing yards allowed. The ACC as a whole has some stout run defenses, with the top five all giving up under 100 yards per game. FSU isn’t even in the same zip code. The top run-stoppers are:
* Pittsburgh (57.3 YPG)
* Miami (58.5 YPG)
* Virginia Tech (87.4 YPG)
* Wake Forest (92.4 YPG)
* Duke (92.5 YPG)
So, what’s next for this FSU squad? They’ve got a bye week, but then it’s a brutal gauntlet: Clemson on Halloween, and then a “definitely good” Florida Gators team. With Mike Norvell still searching for his first road win since 2023, and this defense struggling so much, it’s gonna be a tough ask. Can they figure it out before this season completely slips away? We’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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