With a 1-4 record following their first victory of the season, the Florida State Seminoles obviously have a lot of areas that need improvement.
Fairly high on that list is the Seminoles' woeful turnover margin.
Through five games, they have recovered just two fumbles and intercepted three passes for a total of five forced turnovers, which ranks 91st in the country. Conversely, they have turned the ball over 13 times on offense and special teams, which means they have a minus-eight turnover ratio.
That ranks third to last in the nation; only Kentucky and Wisconsin are worse at minus-nine.
“We have to have those," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said of creating turnovers. "That’s something where we’ve had our opportunities. The Louisville game, there were three times where we had our hands on it -- where the ball was on the ground, where we didn’t come up with those plays.”
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One of those failed opportunities came in the third quarter against the Cardinals.
FSU and Jashaun Corbin had started the second half with a 75-yard touchdown gallop, cutting Louisville’s lead to 31-20. On the ensuing drive, Louisville was content to run it up the middle on third-and-18 from its own 19-yard line. A fumbled handoff squirted right past defensive end Keir Thomas, bounced around linebacker Kalen DeLoach and end Derrick McLendon, and was alertly recovered instead by the Cardinals.
What could have been an instant red-zone trip to follow up a touchdown early in the third quarter instead turned back into a long field for the FSU offense. The offense then stagnated the next few drives, and the score remained 31-20 into the fourth quarter.
“I thought we had one the other day [against Syracuse], one or two that we should have had. Can’t be talking about, 'should have,'” Norvell said. “We need to be able to create those takeaways."
Said defensive coordinator Adam Fuller: “There were a couple times two weeks ago where we had our hands on the ball and two were on the ground, and they got it. Things that you want to get fixed up. There’s certain things that you can try to do, as far as taking the ball away, that are fundamentals.”
Fuller added that there are coverage schemes teams can implement to help produce more interceptions, but those can have their drawbacks, too.
“Yeah, we want more. We drill it, we try to get the right guys on the field that are ball-aggressive with it,” Fuller explained. “I’m a true believer in if you chase the ball, and you get enough bodies around the ball, and you’re working the right fundamentals, that those numbers will come.”