TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State won its first ACC men’s basketball tournament title in March. The baseball team won the ACC regular-season title last spring. The women’s soccer team, which is playing in the Final Four this weekend, also won the ACC regular-season title. And the women’s cross country team grabbed an ACC championship.
The Florida State football team can add to the trophy case this weekend. The Seminoles (10-2) will play Georgia Tech (6-6) on Saturday in the ACC championship game. Florida State hasn’t won an ACC football title in seven years – hard to believe since the Seminoles owned the league from 1992-2000, going unbeaten in the ACC in seven of those seasons.
This ACC championship game has become a matchup of what it isn’t. It isn’t a game that features a Florida State team with national championship hopes. It isn’t a game with North Carolina, which went 5-3 in the ACC and technically won the Coastal Division (the Tar Heels are ineligible for the postseason). And it isn’t a game with Miami, which also went 5-3 in the Coastal and was runner-up (a self-imposed bowl ban made the Hurricanes ineligible).
But for Florida State, a win on Saturday would be significant. This season hasn’t gone the way coach Jimbo Fisher or the players pictured. Losses to N.C. State and Florida left players and fans frustrated. But a conference title would be something special for the seniors. And it would continue the foundation that Fisher has built in his three seasons as head coach.
“It’s huge,” Fisher said. “You haven’t had one (an ACC title) in, what, seven years? It’s been awhile. To have one with a 10-win regular season? Haven’t had one of them since ’03. Haven’t had an 11-win season since 2000. We’re accomplishing a lot of things.”
For Florida State to win the ACC title, here are three keys to a win over Georgia Tech.
1. Minimize the Yellow Jackets’ ground game
Georgia Tech will run the ball. And it’s not like the Yellow Jackets have one guy in the backfield that defenses can focus on. It’s a triple-option offense with a player in motion before the snap and then the confusion of who is getting the ball.
It’s been very effective this season — quarterback Tevin Washington has 18 rushing touchdowns, Orwin Smith has 673 rushing yards and averages 9 yards per carry, and Zach Laskey has 623 rushing yards. The Yellow Jackets average 5.6 yards per carry and have 46 rushing touchdowns (that’s second in the FBS to Oregon and Louisiana Tech, which both have 47).
Florida State hasn’t faced a triple-option team since 2009, when Georgia Tech ran for 401 yards in a 49-44 win in Tallahassee. Most Florida State defensive players haven’t seen the triple-option since they were in high school. And even a week preparing for it in practice isn’t enough.
The Seminoles typically defend the run well — they give up an average of 85 yards per game on the ground. But after allowing Florida to run for 244 yards, Florida State must change its strategy for Georgia Tech. Look for defensive coordinator Mark Stoops to roll a safety up and also shade a linebacker over toward freshman defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., who will make his first start for the injured Tank Carradine, as the Seminoles try to contain Georgia Tech on the ground.
2. Protect the football better
For an offense that is loaded with seniors and juniors, Florida State has turned the ball over at an alarming rate. The Seminoles have had 13 turnovers in the past four games, including three interceptions and two turnovers in the loss to Florida.
Senior quarterback EJ Manuel had thrown just four interceptions in the first nine games of the season (230 attempts). In the last three games, he has thrown five interceptions (98 attempts). Manuel must make better decisions and be more precise with his passes.
Florida State often has so much talent that it compensates for the turnovers. But the Seminoles can’t keep giving the ball away and expect to still win.
3. Run with consistency
Florida State won’t have much trouble scoring against a Georgia Tech defense that has allowed 40 or more points six times this season. The Seminoles, even with their turnovers, are eighth in the FBS and average 41 points per game.
What Georgia Tech wants to do is run up and down the field, controlling the time of possession (something Florida also did for 36 minutes and 20 seconds). But Florida State needs to run more effectively, draining the clock and wearing down what will likely be an overmatched Yellow Jackets defense.
Florida State has run for 200 or more yards in seven of its 12 games. One game in which the Seminoles didn’t was the lightning-shortened Savannah State win. But here’s what’s interesting about the other four: Florida State had 182 in a 13-point win over South Florida, but then just 125 in a loss at N.C. State, -15 yards in a last-minute win at Virginia Tech and then 112 in the loss to Florida.
The Seminoles struggle -- or lose -- when they don’t run consistently. Devonta Freeman (571 yards) and James Wilder Jr. (514 yards) will both be a challenge for Georgia Tech to tackle. This can’t be a game that is won on the shoulders of Manuel.
