It has been an interesting start to the 2019 football season for Florida State. We aren’t quite at the midway point, but with the bye week upon us, it's a good time to review what’s taken place through the first five games and how the final seven (or eight) games could play out for FSU football.
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1. Team is improving by all metrics but one
Not sure how many people honestly believed FSU would have a winning record after a 1-2 start. After the Seminoles' embarrassing overtime win against Louisiana-Monroe and letting another lead slip away in the loss at Virginia, most signs pointed to another sub-.500 season. Anything is possible with seven regular-season games remaining, but with the massive improvements on offense and run defense, it points to this team being on the right track.
There has been a significant statistical improvement in nearly every category. However, there are two areas where the Seminoles are night-and-day better compared to 2018. One is scoring, with the offense posting nearly 13 more points per game. That's a dramatic improvement and shows the value of having a top-notch offensive coordinator in Kendal Briles calling plays.
It's also worth pointing out how incredibly better FSU has been at both creating turnovers and in protecting the football. Through five games, the 'Noles are netting nearly 2 1/2 more turnovers per game. During August practices, the Seminoles spent much more time emphasizing these areas, and that extra work appears to be paying off.
Despite all the improvements, there is still one glaring weakness -- passing defense. It's hard to believe that FSU is actually behind last year's pace in this category despite having nearly the entire secondary back. Losing Brian Burns, the only legitimate pass-rusher last season, hasn't helped, but there is no excuse for the continual coverage breakdowns. If this disturbing trend continues, it's essential that FSU make a change in the off-season. Whether that's hiring a full-time defensive backs coach (hello, Terrell Buckley) and/or shaking up the defensive coordinator role, something need to happen.
