Florida State's defense under scrutiny after mediocre 2014 season
Charles Kelly was the easy target for fans looking to explain the Seminoles' decline on defense. Joe Robbins/Getty Images
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- When it comes to Florida State last season, eye tests, statistics and advanced analytics all come to the same conclusion: The Seminoles were mediocre defensively.
The country watched NC State score 24 first-quarter points. The Seminoles were 63rd in total defense. They dipped to 82nd when calculating the percentage opponents scored when inside the 40-yard line.
The fan base questioned how a group that finished first in scoring a year earlier would experience such a steep decline, especially with four players that would be drafted in the first three rounds this spring. Frustrated fans directed their attention to Charles Kelly, the first-year defensive coordinator taking over for Jeremy Pruitt, a nationally respected assistant.
"It's just people's opinions but I don't think it was Coach Kelly's fault. People will say it's his fault but a lot of it was on us making bonehead mistakes, and if we did technique better than games would have changed," redshirt senior Derrick Mitchell Jr. said. "He's man enough to take that responsibility, but it's on the whole team. It's not fair but he can take it."
Considering the coaching turnover and assertion Pruitt's scheme would remain intact, Kelly was the easy target. However, absent in 2014 were the attitude, talent and leadership of the 2013 group. The defense lacked the same cohesion and roles for players along the defensive front were misidentified. Nowhere did it hurt Florida State more than with its pass rush, which was nonexistent all last season.
Florida State hired Brad Lawing, who spent the last two seasons at Florida, as defensive ends coach to help facilitate the pass rush after finishing 108th overall in sacks last season. Lawing hinted after watching the 2014 tape that players were out of position last year, and part of his job is to now put them in the right places.
"We are asking them to do things they can actually do. Don't ask a guy who is a power guy to be a finesse guy and vice-versa," Lawing said. "There comes times where they may have to do some of that but as a whole, to be a great defense collectively, you have got to have guys doing things that they can actually do.
"… Putting guys where they belong is so important. If you put a guy in a position that he can't have success at you've got a frustrated player, a guy that's probably not going to be very productive on your team."
As a coach, Kelly said, part of the job is to be open to new voices and ideas. Kelly said Lawing knows the scheme Florida State wants to run but has a few intricacies and different coaching methods that could pay dividends. Lawing was equally complimentary, calling Kelly a "darn good football coach."
Along with defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and linebackers coach Bill Miller, the defensive staff as a whole needs to find a way to end opponents' drives and prevent plays that eat up yardage and flip field position. Last season, the Seminoles were 104th in third-down defense and allowed 68 plays of at least 20 yards, which ranked 103rd.
"It starts with being able to rush the passer with four guys," Kelly said. "We have to eliminate missed opportunities, like dropped interceptions or missed sacks, being able to capitalize on those things, because those are huge plays."
Despite last season's regression and criticisms, Kelly said he is not bothered.
"One thing I know is this: I'm going to come to work every day and I'll work as hard as I can work. I know what we do wins," he said. "It's no different than a player. If a player worries about losing, he can't play. It limits him. I don't worry about that at all."
- Comment
Charles Kelly was the easy target for fans looking to explain the Seminoles' decline on defense. Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Jared Shanker, ESPN Staff Writer
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- When it comes to Florida State last season, eye tests, statistics and advanced analytics all come to the same conclusion: The Seminoles were mediocre defensively.
The country watched NC State score 24 first-quarter points. The Seminoles were 63rd in total defense. They dipped to 82nd when calculating the percentage opponents scored when inside the 40-yard line.
The fan base questioned how a group that finished first in scoring a year earlier would experience such a steep decline, especially with four players that would be drafted in the first three rounds this spring. Frustrated fans directed their attention to Charles Kelly, the first-year defensive coordinator taking over for Jeremy Pruitt, a nationally respected assistant.
"It's just people's opinions but I don't think it was Coach Kelly's fault. People will say it's his fault but a lot of it was on us making bonehead mistakes, and if we did technique better than games would have changed," redshirt senior Derrick Mitchell Jr. said. "He's man enough to take that responsibility, but it's on the whole team. It's not fair but he can take it."
Considering the coaching turnover and assertion Pruitt's scheme would remain intact, Kelly was the easy target. However, absent in 2014 were the attitude, talent and leadership of the 2013 group. The defense lacked the same cohesion and roles for players along the defensive front were misidentified. Nowhere did it hurt Florida State more than with its pass rush, which was nonexistent all last season.
Florida State hired Brad Lawing, who spent the last two seasons at Florida, as defensive ends coach to help facilitate the pass rush after finishing 108th overall in sacks last season. Lawing hinted after watching the 2014 tape that players were out of position last year, and part of his job is to now put them in the right places.
"We are asking them to do things they can actually do. Don't ask a guy who is a power guy to be a finesse guy and vice-versa," Lawing said. "There comes times where they may have to do some of that but as a whole, to be a great defense collectively, you have got to have guys doing things that they can actually do.
"… Putting guys where they belong is so important. If you put a guy in a position that he can't have success at you've got a frustrated player, a guy that's probably not going to be very productive on your team."
As a coach, Kelly said, part of the job is to be open to new voices and ideas. Kelly said Lawing knows the scheme Florida State wants to run but has a few intricacies and different coaching methods that could pay dividends. Lawing was equally complimentary, calling Kelly a "darn good football coach."
Along with defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and linebackers coach Bill Miller, the defensive staff as a whole needs to find a way to end opponents' drives and prevent plays that eat up yardage and flip field position. Last season, the Seminoles were 104th in third-down defense and allowed 68 plays of at least 20 yards, which ranked 103rd.
"It starts with being able to rush the passer with four guys," Kelly said. "We have to eliminate missed opportunities, like dropped interceptions or missed sacks, being able to capitalize on those things, because those are huge plays."
Despite last season's regression and criticisms, Kelly said he is not bothered.
"One thing I know is this: I'm going to come to work every day and I'll work as hard as I can work. I know what we do wins," he said. "It's no different than a player. If a player worries about losing, he can't play. It limits him. I don't worry about that at all."
