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FSU football's defense played its best game at Duke, but still missing one element: Takeaways

peter holland jr., tallahassee democrat
·4 min read

Florida State football's defense has had a rollercoaster season.

In Friday's 23-16 loss against the Duke Blue Devils, FSU's defense played arguably its best game.

The unit allowed 180 total yards, including 70 passing yards, one rushing touchdown, six tackles for loss and eight pass breakups.

What was missing?

Turnovers.

"Defensively, I thought guys battled at a very high level," FSU coach Mike Norvell said Sunday. "We were put in some challenging situations and were able to really do a good job of holding Duke's offense at bay."

Norvell and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller constantly preach the importance of creating turnovers in games.. But this key element has been missing in games.

FSU has three turnovers this season (two interceptions and one fumble recovery). It has one of the worst turnover ratios in the country.

FSU's defense has minimized the big plays and improved on third-down stops. FSU's last two opponents were 9-of-32 in third-down efficiency.

While three-and-outs and forcing teams to punt are still wins for the defense, it is preferred to get the ball back through turnovers and put the offense in good field position.

"Obviously, if you are getting three-and-out, that's getting the ball back as quick as you possibly can, so something to really build upon," Norvell said.

"I was proud of our guys for how they played and definitely limited the big plays, and really, the two explosives they had were some things that were self-inflicted that were opportunities for us to go and get better."

Fuller was also pleased with FSU's defensive effort, especially in the secondary. He mentioned winning in one-on-one coverage and believed there were interception chances.

“Sometimes, when you tip the ball, it bounces away from the guy running to the ball," Fuller explained.

"I thought we were in good position on a couple of them. We didn't catch it or play it in a way that we could catch the football, but we're just trying to create them."

Adam Fuller figures out how to stop Miami's quarterback Cam Ward

Sep 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes the football against the Florida A&M Rattlers during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes the football against the Florida A&M Rattlers during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

FSU has little time to recuperate from Friday's loss, playing its second consecutive road game at No. 5 Miami (7-0) at Hard Rock Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

The Hurricanes remained unbeaten with a 52-45 win at Louisville Saturday. The Seminoles' biggest focus is containing quarterback Cam Ward.

Miami's offense is the No. 1 ranked in the country, and Ward is a Heisman Trophy contender. Ward leads the country in 2,538 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. He's added 190 rushing yards and three TDs.

Ward had 319 passing yards and four touchdowns at Louisville. His supporting cast was impressive, too. Running back Samuel Brown had 125 yards and a touchdown; receiver Xavier Restrepo added 101 yards and a score.

Fuller believed Ward's off-script abilities made the Hurricanes a tough team to beat.

"He was able to extend some plays, whether they were mistakes made out of those situations or plays he's made more than he hasn't, but it's something that definitely is part of their game," Fuller said.

One of Fuller's keys to containing the senior quarterback starts in practice and will lean on the scout team to give the defense a good look during installments.

“You try to replicate the extension of plays you try to do it in practice,” Fuller said.

“He's playing at such a good level that no matter what position plays a high level it's hard to duplicate that in practice because that's why they're doing what they're doing, but I do think there's a there's a way to try to deal with it.”

More: FSU football's Mike Norvell wants FSU to "pour everything" into "different" week vs. Miami

FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times

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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Why can't FSU football defense create takeaways in games?