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Kelvin Hunt of Chop Chat brings RTR Behind Enemy Lines for Saturday's game against FSU

FSU was the preseason favorites to take the ACC, but have fallen short of expectations. Kelvin Hunt of Chop Chat dives into what ails the Seminoles ahead of their game vs. Clemson.

By Austin Farmer

Florida State v SMU
Florida State v SMU / Sam Hodde/GettyImages
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Next slide: Q & As cont.

Q: Florida State was the preseason favorite to win the ACC. Now it’s 1-4 with Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, and Florida in front of them. So, my question is simple. What the heck happened?

A: DJ Uiagalelei being a shell of the competent version of himself played a big part in it. I think the players began to lose confidence in him. The defense has been solid, even though they’ve faced some talented dual-threat quarterbacks. They’ve kept FSU in every game into the second half, but the offense’s inability to score more than 14 points since the season opener has taken its toll.

The defense has its flaws too. They play soft, LB’s and DB’s catch blocks instead of attacking and shedding to go make plays at times. If you put Jordan Travis at quarterback, this team is likely undefeated, because he was a leader and guys wanted to play hard for him. This team lacks the leaders its had over the past years.

Q: For all the negative the Seminoles have faced, bad defensive play really hasn’t been a problem. Until last week’s game, FSU averaged 17.75 points allowed. Do you think that’s something they can carry over to the game against Clemson?

A: Cade Klubnik looks improved over last year. I figured he would with it being his second year in the offense. He has the ability to run, and I know he’s a threat in the red zone, but he’s not like some of the other dual-threat guys FSU has faced. So that does give FSU a better chance to limit Clemson.

If FSU got ANYTHING from the offense, it would help tremendously, but dumb things like running six plays in the first quarter against Boston College is a good way to gas your defense early. FSU is solid against the traditional run game. They force a lot of third downs, but have issues getting off of the field because teams pick on the linebackers in coverage. I expect FSU to keep Clemson in check for a while, but if the offense continues to suck, it’ll likely snowball.

Next slide: Q & As cont.

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