While college football has long kept different clock rules than the NFL, that changed this season.

In April, the NCAA announced that it will be changing its game-clock rules to more closely resemble professional football. Whereas historically, the clock has stopped for all first downs in college football, it is now continuing after first downs unless there are less than two minutes left in either the first or second half.

It was a rule change met with some consternation amongst those in college football circles due to cutting games shorter. NCAA officials have said entering the season that they expected the change to reduce the number of plays in a game by about seven or eight.

"I do think it has an effect. I think it has had an effect on us," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said of the clock rule change this week when reflecting on the Seminoles' first four games.

Last year, FSU averaged 69.5 offensive plays per game and the team's games averaged 135.9 plays from scrimmage per game. Through four games this season, FSU is averaging 62.5 plays per game and the team's games have averaged 132.5 plays from scrimmage per game.

These clock rules have definitely changed a good bit of how opposing teams have approached going up against FSU. These extra seconds ticking off the clock after each first down have contributed to the Seminoles having four first-half possessions in each of their last two games at Boston College and Clemson.

"The last couple games, teams have been aware of trying to hold the clock a little bit," Norvell said.

Part of this can certainly be attributed to teams working slower in an effort to keep FSU's high-powered offense on the sideline. However, these new clock rules have also made third-down success on both sides of the ball even more important than they already were.

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That has been a notable problem for FSU's defense of late. Overall, FSU's third-down defense looks solid enough statistically, ranking 36th nationally with a third-down conversion rate allowed of 35.71% this season.

The last two weeks, though, FSU has allowed BC and Clemson to convert a combined 14 third downs on 32 attempts (43.8%).

"It just puts that much more emphasis on third-down situations," Norvell said of the new clock rules. "Defensively, we have not been as good on third down the last two weeks, which has allowed more time to be taken off the clock. As much as ever before, I think that emphasis has got to be, you've got to be able to execute in that moment...

"We have to be better (on third downs). We know that."

FSU's offense can also help its play count, time of possession and number of possessions rise by doing a bit better on third downs as well.

Through four games, FSU's 38.3% third-down conversion percentage against FBS competition ranks 79th nationally. The Seminoles being 7 of 9 on fourth downs this season helps that out, raising FSU's overall third/fourth-down conversion percentage to 44.6%.

But still, Norvell knows the Seminoles' offense has room to improve in this facet as well.

"I think you look at conversion downs, we're about 50%, even though on third downs we're lower," Norvell said. "We want to be better on that, but we're still in that area. We can still improve in the things that we've looked at here this (bye) week."

One thing through four games is clear: The new clock rules are functioning as expected and reducing the number of overall plays. Third downs, already one of the most important situations in football, has been elevated to an even high level of importance because of these changes.

And now it's up to the Seminoles to fix the issues that have shown up over the last few weeks or these new rules could loom large in the result of one of their upcoming games soon.

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