Florida State Football: What You Should and Shouldn't Be Concerned About

FSU coach Jimbo Fisher likes the early bye weeks. Following a grueling three weeks of preseason camp and a 2-0 start with wins over Oklahoma State and The Citadel, the Seminoles get a break to rest up and prepare for the ACC opener on Sept. 20 at home against Clemson.

And FSU could also use an extra week off following injuries to three defensive tackles—Eddie Goldman, Nile Lawrence-Stample and Justin Shanks.

"With the couple of injuries we had, I'd say it's a pretty good thing (to have a bye) so we can try to get guys healthy if we can," Fisher said. "You get to regroup. Preseason is over. You're going into your conference schedule. And you've got a big-time opponent coming in."

After FSU's first two weeks, here are a few things that you should be concerned about and a few you shouldn't be concerned about.

Be Concerned

Injuries at Defensive Tackle

The Citadel uses a triple-option offense, so it's tough enough to figure out where the ball may be going. But the job is more challenging because offensive linemen cut block, hitting defensive linemen at the knees. And one Bulldogs linemen said they were trying to injure FSU players, according to Bud Elliott of Tomahawk Nation.

The Seminoles lost starting defensive tackles Eddie Goldman and Nile Lawrence-Stample as well as backup Justin Shanks to cut blocks in the game. Losing Goldman, Lawrence-Stample or Shanks for any length of time would be difficult for FSU. The prospect of being shorthanded on the defensive line when FSU faces Clemson is a concern.

Defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. said he took exception to the cut blocks. "I kind of took it personally," Edwards said. "I felt like they were playing a little dirty, taking cheap shots, doing a little high-low (blocks) and things like that. So it kind of got the rest of the guys a little angry and made us want to play more."

Punting

Cason Beatty has punted six times for a 36.5-yard average. His longest punt has been just 40 yards. And the hang time on Beatty's punts haven't been great.

Fisher said that Beatty had a good preseason camp and that he was more consistent than walk-on punter Jonathan Hernandez. But if Fisher wants to open up the punting competition, a bye week is a good time.

Missed Tackles

It's tough to prepare for The Citadel, a triple-option team that is very similar to what Georgia Tech runs on offense. Scout teams can't replicate it well in practice, so FSU's first- and second-team defenses are learning more through film study and adjusting on the fly during the game.

Still, FSU missed too many tackles on Saturday, and that led to The Citadel converting 11 of 17 third-down opportunities. Cornerback Nick Waisome (who started in place of the injured P.J. Williams) and safety Tyler Hunter were among the players who struggled to wrap up Bulldogs running backs.

Noles247's Chris Nee writes that FSU allowed nine plays of 10 or more rushing yards and 15 or more passing yards, and that seven of those came in the first or fourth quarter. It's understandable when those plays happen late in a blowout against reserves and walk-ons. But it can't happen against the first- and second-team defense.

Don't Worry

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

The Offense Should Have Scored More

FSU was 4-of-14 on third-down conversions vs. Oklahoma State. Fisher said that was because the offense wasn't efficient enough on first and second down. But that only underscores the point: FSU wasn't good enough on first, second and third down.

The Seminoles were more efficient on offense vs. The Citadel. They scored touchdowns on all four first-half possessions and on all six of Jameis Winston's possessions. And there was much more run-pass balance in Week 2.

FSU has scored 30 or more points in 17 straight games. If the defense cleans up the missed tackles, FSU will put points on the board and win games.

The OL Could Be More Physical

FSU was often pushed around by an Oklahoma State defensive front in the opener. The Seminoles managed just 106 yards on 31 carries. On the flip side, the blocking was good for Mario Pender's 11-yard touchdown run, and while Jameis Winston's scrambling, leaping 28-yard touchdown run was impressive, he received some good downfield blocks to get to the end zone.

FSU had little trouble against The Citadel's defensive front. While that's to be expected, even the second-team offensive line played well. FSU didn't allow a sack and paved the way for 210 rushing yards on 35 carries (an average of six yards per carry).

FSU Isn't Dominating Teams (Yet)

The 2014 Seminoles will be compared to the 2013 team. Last year, FSU won 12 of 14 games by 30 or more points. This year, FSU escaped in the opener and beat The Citadel 37-12.

Neither win purely from a score standpoint looks overly impressive. But the win over Oklahoma State was gritty, and a few players said it was a good early wake-up call. Against The Citadel, FSU scored on all of Winston's possessions and kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter.

Media and fans need to avoid comparing the national championship team to the 2014 team. FSU is replacing 10 starters and clearly going through some growing pains. But the Seminoles are 2-0 and nobody should be too concerned about style points.

But the missed tackles and punting? Yes, those are two areas of concern. And the injuries at defensive tackle could be minor or significant. It's just too soon to tell—but FSU needs the three back to ensure a strong defense.

Bob Ferrante is the Florida State Lead Writer for Bleacher Report, all quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bob on Twitter. All recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.