Seminoles believe faster tempo will breathe life into ground game
Florida State currently has one of the worst offenses in the country.
Because Florida State can't run the ball with any sort of consistency.
The Seminoles rank 126th in the nation in rushing, averaging 92.8 yards per game. They average 2.7 yards per carry.
To help in that area, both Willie Taggart and Walt Bell think going with a faster tempo is the best way to get the ground attack going.
"I thought tempo really helps us when we do it," Taggart said. "So we gotta make sure we stay true to who we say we're going to be and just staying consistent with the run game. It hadn't worked for us like we wanted to, partially because we hadn't really stayed consistent with it.
"I think staying consistent with it opens up a lot of things within our offense, and we gotta continue to do those things and continue building the identity of who we're going to be."
Bell was more direct, saying it was probably the best way to move the ball with the limitations of the Florida State offensive line.
Both coaches pointed to the Miami game, where FSU did run with a quicker pace when it got a chance, as an example of how it can work: The Seminoles' running backs rushed for 83 yards on 22 carries.
Not a great average, of course, but a lot better than 2.7. And that was against the best defense the Seminoles have faced this season.
"I think it limits the (defensive) play-caller," Bell said of the fast tempo. "... I think sometimes when you are physically outmatched sometimes by making it a game of attrition and conditioning, that makes you (more able) to run the football successfully. Especially on the back half of drives, back half of the second quarter or fourth quarter."
Robinson returns to practice
Defensive end Janarius Robinson, who lost his family home in Panama City to Hurricane Michael, returned to practice on Tuesday morning.
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Talk about this story with other Florida State football fans in the Tribal Council