FSU's offensive performance at North Carolina was a rarity in recent years
There were plenty of reasons for Florida State fans to be excited following Florida State’s 35-25 triumph over North Carolina on Saturday.
Near the top of the list had to be the breakthrough performance by the Seminoles' offense on the road. Over the past several seasons, FSU's offense has been extremely ineffective away from Doak Campbell Stadium.
That all changed when FSU traveled to Chapel Hill this past weekend, as the Seminoles averaged 7.1 yards per play and put up 21 points in the second quarter alone. It ended up being one of FSU's best road performances in years.
“Other than the first quarter, that’s what we wanted the game to look like,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell said during his weekly press conference. “It was going to take efficiency. It was going to take explosive plays when we got the opportunity. But I thought our guys did a great job.”
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No matter who has been the head coach, the offensive coordinator or the quarterback, Florida State's offense has struggled just about every time it has gone on the road over the past five years.
Last year, FSU averaged 31.6 points per game at home but only 18.7 in its four away games. The offense put up nearly 50 yards more per game at home than it did on the road.
In 2019, the Kendal Briles-led Seminoles offense also had huge discrepancies between home and away.
Florida State’s then-offensive coordinator directed an offense that scored only 22.6 points per game on the road and surpassed 330 total yards in just two of their five away games. By comparison, FSU racked up 33.7 points per game and topped over 370 total yards in each home contest -- outside of the 27-10 Miami debacle that led to the firing of head coach Willie Taggart.
FSU's offense was even worse on the road in 2018 when Walt Bell was helping Taggart coordinate the game plans. The current UMass head coach, who will make his return to Doak Campbell Stadium a week from Saturday, oversaw a rushing offense that averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on the road that season.
The Seminoles topped 100 rushing yards just once that year away from home -- in garbage time of a 42-13 blowout loss at Notre Dame. The offense also turned the ball over in all five away games.
Even in former head coach Jimbo Fisher's final season at FSU, the 2017 Seminoles were plagued by turnovers and a lack of production away from Doak Campbell. That year's offense failed to eclipse 270 yards of total offense in four of five road games, and they also turned the ball over nine times in those games.
While Florida State's current players and coaches weren't even on the roster for some of those woes, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham made sure the Seminoles owned up to their share of them in the days leading up to the North Carolina game.
"Friday, I went into the offense, and I said, 'Well, we've been absolutely atrocious on the road. So what are we gonna do to change it,'" Dillingham said. "That's the facts. I said, 'We're 17 point 'dogs. Why? We deserve it. I think we've lost games on the road by like 50. So what are we gonna do to change it?'"
In the moment, he suggested players spend extra time on the plane and in the hotel watching film and focusing on the assignments. And while Dillingham doesn't know if that's what happened -- if the players took extra ownership for their preparation -- there's no arguing with the results.
The Seminoles were extremely efficient on offense, converting on seven of 10 third downs; they scored touchdowns on five of six possessions at one point; and they put together five drives of 59 yards or more.
Dillingham said it was the first time this season that all 11 members of the offensive unit were in sync and played together on most downs.
“That made a pretty big difference," the second-year offensive coordinator said. “We went out and made plays when our number was called, scored in the red zone and didn’t turn the football over.
“It’s not a special scheme, it’s not special plays -- our players this week went out and played the brand of football that we expect them and the standard of how we want to play.”
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While Florida State's running game did the most damage at North Carolina -- racking up 238 yards and 5.8 yards per carry -- Jordan Travis delivered one of the best road performances by a Florida State quarterback in years. He completed 11 of 13 passes, threw for 145 yards and rushed for 121, and accounted for all five Seminole touchdowns.
“Jordan is growing in his confidence. It was remarkable, I thought he did a great job,” Norvell said. “The good Lord blessed him with tremendous athleticism, and he showed that as well and the explosiveness that he provides. If he lets the game come to him, he can be really, really good.”
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