Former Florida State defensive back Jarrian Jones once told the media after a Seminoles victory, “I hear all the things y’all was sayin’ on Twitter.”
I could see defensive coordinator Tony White making the same statement. Fans were ready to draw up their pitchforks and send him to the unemployment world. Coming into the matchup against Virginia, one aspect was for certain: The Cavaliers wanted to establish the ground game.
Virginia ranked top-ten in the country in rushing offense, where their deep stable of backs and quarterback Beau Pribula were seen as a major threat. However, Florida State didn’t just shut them down. They flat-out embarrassed them.
The Seminoles ended the afternoon in Tallahassee with a 38-7 beatdown over the Cavaliers. Florida State and Virginia’s offense traded three-and-outs to begin the game. However, Tony Elliott and his squad threw the first blow with a 7-play, 63-yard drive to give Virginia the 7-0 lead with 6:04 left to go in the first quarter.
The Seminoles allowed four plays of 10+ yards on that drive, and many fans were deja vu of the SMU and Alabama losses. However, the Florida State offense found a way to respond and take the pressure off the defense after starting the contest with three straight punts.
When the unit got its groove in the early second quarter and cashed in on an 8-play, 98-yard drive to tie the game at 7, Florida State’s defense knew that it could handle an inaccurate quarterback in Beau Pribula, who disliked facing adversity with the pressure that the Seminoles were bringing.
Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula probably wished he had something better to do on a Saturday afternoon
Pribula had a rough outing, as the game progressed where Florida State had an astonishing 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Most of Virginia’s offensive line were old enough to get their doctorate degrees (kidding… kinda). The Seminoles were able to bring simple stunts that confused the Cavaliers, where the veteran signal-caller had 15 carries for -62 yards.
Florida State fans were so frustrated with Coach White and his defense’s ability to get off the field on third and fourth down, but on Saturday, the Seminoles only allowed Virginia to convert on 3 of the 15 third downs and 0 of their 4 fourth downs. The Cavaliers had no answer for Florida State’s defense, and it felt like the Seminoles were a version of the 1985 Bears (just let me dream a little bit).
Obviously, there are plenty of things that the defense could work on, but gosh, it is way easier to talk about those aspects after a much-needed victory. Tony White deserves his flowers for this game, but there is still a long season ahead, and the Seminoles cannot get ahead of themselves.