Explosive Plays Continue to Hurt Florida State’s Defense

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After watching the tape of the SMU (2-1) game, Tony White wanted nine
plays back; after this game, that number has only grown despite having two
weeks to prepare for No. 10 Alabama (3-0).

Florida State (1-2) went to Tuscaloosa for a matchup with No. 10 Alabama
and left with a 50-36 loss. The Seminoles came out of the gates fast, building
a 21-6 lead and appearing poised to pull off the upset and earn their first
road win since November 2023. Instead, Florida State's defense failed to get a
stop, allowing Alabama to score on every remaining drive, completing the
comeback.

It was a game that sounded like it was taking place at Doak Campbell
Stadium, but that was just the Alabama student section mocking the Seminoles
with their own War Chant. The loss sends Florida State’s staff back to the
drawing board to figure out how to turn this season around, and it should start
with the defense figuring out what is going wrong.

Tony White’s defense gave up 568 total yards, 320 through the air and
248 on the ground. Alabama started the game with two straight three-and-outs
but scored on every drive the remainder of the game, with three field goals and
six touchdowns.

It was a defensive performance that Norvell called “not good enough.”
The problems on defense haven’t been limited to this game. For the second
consecutive game, White’s defense gave up more than 560 yards. Before the bye,
SMU put up 585 yards. That raises the question: What did White and his
defensive staff work on during the two weeks off?

Like the first two games, explosive plays were once again a
problem with 424 of the 568 yards allowed coming on just 19 plays. The defense
allowed 10 pass plays of 15 or more yards for 231 yards, including three
touchdowns. On the ground, Alabama had nine runs of at least 10 yards for 193
yards, including two touchdowns.

“We were in bad positions,” Chris Jones said. “Just got to execute and
be better.”

The inability to prevent explosive plays remains one of the biggest
issues White and his staff need to address; over their last two games, they
have given up a total of 808 yards on just explosive plays.

The worst stretch for the defense began with 2:36 remaining in the first
half, with the Seminoles holding a 21-13 lead. The Florida State offense then
turned the ball over and went three-and-out on its next possession.

The Florida State defense failed to keep the Crimson Tide out of the end
zone, giving up three touchdowns and allowing Alabama to completely turn the
game around by halftime.

“It was an awful sequence of the game,” Norvell said.

Norvell’s offensive game plan gave the Seminoles a chance to win, but
White’s defense couldn’t deliver when Florida State needed it most. Now, all
eyes turn to Tallahassee as Florida State looks to determine how to move
forward following another disappointing loss.

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