Florida State Football: Weak Spots Turning into Strengths

If Florida State fans were to place blame on one particular unit for their early season struggles, odds would favor their fingers being pointed towards the offensive line.  

After their first five games, the Seminoles only gained 428 rushing yards, which averaged out a paltry 85.6 yards per game on the ground. 

Consider that 170 of those yards came against FCS foe Charleston Southern, and that figure looks downright putrid.   

With the offensive line reeling from a rash of injuries, and losing starting running back Chris Thompson for the season against Wake Forest, their prospects for improvement looked bleak.  

Fast forward after a pair of 41-16 wins over Duke and Maryland where the ‘Noles averaged 230 yards rushing in those contests and scored seven rushing touchdowns. 

By comparison, they only had five scores on the ground in their first five games.  

When you factor in that Thompson, and senior offensive line starters Andrew Datko and David Spurlock were all replaced by underclassmen, the turnaround into a smash-mouth running game is remarkable. 

In football, turning any weakness into a strength is a concerted effort between different units to get on the same page.  

Several factors helped the recent surge in production from the ground game. 

A healthy E.J. Manuel makes defenses worry about a duel-threat quarterback. 

Along with the line playing more physically, a talented stable of running backs led by Devonta Freeman and Jermaine Thomas have answered the bell by hitting holes hard and with a purpose.  

Only a true freshman, Freeman has gone over 100 yards the last two games and is on the verge of becoming the next star in the ‘Noles backfield.  

But the biggest jump has been made up front, where the line has established control of the trenches. 

The ‘Noles average just under 36 points per game, and if their play in the trenches continues to improve, that number could easily climb. 

Jimbo Fisher’s offense finally appears to be clicking on all cylinders, with the offense gaining over 200 yards passing and rushing in each of the last two wins. 

“You’ve got to continue to have balance and we’re getting better in the running game and with what we are doing,” Fisher said following the victory over Maryland.  “We’ve got a long way to go.  We are nowhere close to where we need to be but it does feel good to put two good running performances behind you and also be solid in the passing game.  We’re getting there.”

Sanjay Kirpalani is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.