Florida State's defense is playing well. (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Minutes after No. 1 Florida State’s ugly win against Wake Forest last Saturday, quarterback Jameis Winston was asked about his team’s penchant for starting slow this season — despite the fact the offense is still averaging 39.2 points a game.
The Seminoles’ talkative Heisman Trophy winner, as usual, had a pretty good answer.
“That’s what we got that defense for,” he said.
And lately, Florida State (5-0 overall, 3-0 in the ACC) has needed it to stay unbeaten.
It was the defense which stood on its head and caused a key fumble — then later got a game-clinching fourth-down stop in overtime — to prevail against Clemson.
And it was the defense which was KO’d early a week later against N.C. State — giving up 24 first-quarter points — then got up off the canvas and yielded just 17 points in the final three.
This past Saturday, however, the defense had its signature performance. It gave up an early field goal and fell behind to Wake Forest — then didn’t give up another point in the 43-3 win.
The win was also Florida State’s program-record and NCAA-leading 21st victory in a row dating back to 2012, and it’s a streak that will be put on the line once again Saturday at Syracuse, where the Seminoles’ defense will look to once again flex its muscle. After all, the Orange (2-3, 0-1) enter the game in a pretty tough spot.
Head coach Scott Shafer demoted offensive coordinator George McDonald and promoted Tim Lester on Monday — a move rarely seen midseason, but one that’s telling of Syracuse’s offensive struggles (second-to-last in ACC at 21.6 ppg). But to make matters worse, the Orange — who are mired in a three-game losing streak — announced Monday that starting quarterback Terel Hunt would miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured leg he suffered during Syracuse’s 28-16 loss to Louisville.
That news will have the Seminoles’ defense licking their chops Saturday.
“I think our defense has stepped up. They totally dominated the game (against Wake Forest),” Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought that they did a great job in the overall game — very few missed tackles, leveraging the ball, pressuring the quarterback, creating turnovers, dictating the tempo of the game.”
That pace will change slightly against Syracuse with the news Monday that FSU, which returned to a consensus No. 1 in both Top 25 polls this week, could be without as many as three starters in the game, all of them on offense.
Star wideout Rashad Greene, who was four catches from breaking FSU’s all-time receptions record against Wake, missed the second half of the game with a concussion. Fisher said Greene showed fewer “lingering” signs than two other players who recently missed time with concussions, but that Greene will still “go through the protocol (with) our doctor here … He’ll make all of the decisions.”
Fisher also said if he “had to guess,” first-string RB Karlos Williams (ankle) will also miss the game, paving the way for sophomore Mario Pender or true freshman Dalvin Cook to start. Fisher said sophomore Ryan Green, who played for just the second time this season last Saturday and carried the ball four times for 24 yards, will also see playing time.
And lastly, the Seminoles’ offensive line was dealt a huge blow when starting center Austin Barron (arm injury) was lost midway through the game against Wake. Or was he? Barron was replaced by freshman Ryan Hoefeld, who Fisher gushed about Monday, calling the 6-foot-3, 300-pound youngster both “phenomenal” and “outstanding” in the same sentence.
Even with injuries, FSU may not meet much resistance in New York. The Seminoles opened as 20-point favorites against Syracuse, but with the sudden change in offensive coordinators and the crucial injury to Hunt, that line has since risen to nearly four touchdowns. FSU has also won six straight in the series dating back to 1978, outscoring the Orange 229-54 in that span, including a 59-3 thumping last season in Tallahassee.
Shafer remembers that beating well. And he said Monday he won’t hold anything back against Florida State — because he knows what Syracuse is up against.
“Let’s make sure we every piece of ammunition we own in our holster. I’m excited about this challenge,” Shafer said. “(Florida State) is well-coached. They know what they’re doing. And they have a ton of manpower to go with it.
“And that defense … boy, they’re special.”
