Florida State Seminoles
Atlantic Coast Conference
In Jimbo Fisher’s second season, the Seminoles had high expectations. After a stellar recruiting class and a young team, the ACC championship was in the sights of everyone in and around Tallahassee. As it turned out, Florida State fell short of those lofty expectations. Clearly misrepresented with a preseason top-10 ranking, the Seminoles lost three straight at the beginning of the year to all but erase any chance of them making a run at a conference title. Spotty quarterback play and uneven execution cost the Seminoles. This is still a rising team with a bright future. Fisher could be the man to bring Florida State back to prominence. It could start with a bowl win.
2011 Record: 8-4, 5-3
Last Bowl Appearance: 2010 Chick-fil-a Bowl vs. South Carolina (W 26-17)
Big Wins: 11/12 Miami (23-19), 11/26 at Florida (21-7)
Bad Losses: 10/8 Wake Forest (35-30), 11/19 Virginia (14-13)
Coach: Jimbo Fisher (18-8 at Florida State, 18-8 overall)
Bowl Record: 1-0 at Florida State, 1-0 overall
Offensive Coordinator: James Coley
Defensive Coordinator: Mark Stoops
Strengths:
Florida State has historically been known for its strong, athletic defense. Consider this team the return to those glory days. They are big and physical upfront and lit the torch for the ACC in terms of defensive play. The Seminoles led the ACC in total defense, scoring defense, sacks, and tackles for loss. Safety LaMarcus Joyner is a ferocious veteran that leads the way for the defensive backfield. On the legs of Greg Reid, Florida State’s special teams are great as well. He averages over 20 yards per return. Despite the up-and-down play of E.J. Manuel, the Seminoles have one of the better passing offenses in the conference and the country at 258 yards per game. The best thing that could have happened for FSU was to find a star in freshman running back Devonta Freeman. The Seminoles haven’t had a premiere running back in years (at least none worth mentioning). Freeman has been a spark for this team. He has taken a little pressure off of Manuel and has a nose for the end zone.
Weaknesses:
Florida State’s biggest weakness has been inconsistent quarterback play. E.J. Manuel was a highly-touted recruit coming out of Virginia when he committed to the Seminoles. He is a dual-threat quarterback that has a powerful arm. Unfortunately, he has not totally delivered on all of his talent. He has made poor decisions, has some head-scratching interceptions, and tends to sail the ball occasionally. He has 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, and that is with missing some time due to injury. His backup, Clint Trickett, did not perform much better in his stead. Trickett has only thrown for 675 yards in eight appearances under center. Part of that injury issue can be blamed on the offensive line. Usually, Florida State has some big bodies opening up holes and protecting the passer. This year, injuries have killed this line and a constant rotation has been employed most of the year. They are second to last in the conference in sacks allowed. Losing All-American Andrew Datko really hurt them.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Devonta Freeman, RB, 531 yards
Passing: E.J. Manuel, QB, 2,417 yards
Receiving: Rashad Greene, WR, 497 yards
Tackles: Nigel Bradham, LB, 77
Sacks: Bjoern Werner, DE, 6.0
Interceptions: Lamarcus Joyner, S, 3
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 118.08 (100, 10)
Passing Offense: 257.67 (35, 3)
Total Offense: 375.75 (74, 8)
Scoring Offense: 31.67 (36, 3)
Rushing Defense: 81.83 (2, 1)
Pass Defense: 192.75 (20, 1)
Total Defense: 274.58 (6, 1)
Scoring Defense: 15.17 (4, 1)
Turnover Margin: .17 (44, 5)
Sacks: 3.00 (10, 2)
Sacks Allowed: 3.00 (112, 12)
