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No. 12 FSU, defense struggle in 27-21 loss to N.C. State

 
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Nyqwan Murray (8) carries during the first quarter of the Florida State Seminoles game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on September 23, 2017, at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.  At the half, North Carolina State Wolfpack 17, Florida State Seminoles 10.
Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Nyqwan Murray (8) carries during the first quarter of the Florida State Seminoles game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on September 23, 2017, at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. At the half, North Carolina State Wolfpack 17, Florida State Seminoles 10.
Published Sept. 23, 2017

TALLAHASSEE — It's easy to blame No. 12 Florida State's 27-21 loss to North Carolina State on the injury to starting quarterback Deondre Francois or the three-week layoff because of Hurricane Irma.

It would also be wrong.

The problems that doomed the Seminoles on Saturday went beyond the 20 days between games and the true freshman quarterback (James Blackman) making his first career start at Doak Campbell Stadium. There's plenty of blame to go around for the program's first 0-2 start since 1989.

"There was a lot of good still there," coach Jimbo Fisher said, "but there was still plenty of bad."

Start with a defense that was expected to carry the Seminoles to Charlotte for the ACC title game but might send them there for the Belk Bowl.

With Wolfpack receiver Jakobi Meyers loose in the secondary, all-everything safety Derwin James was too timid to attack and whiffed on a tackle. The result was a 71-yard touchdown and a 17-7 FSU deficit.

"It's a play that I make 10 out of 10 times," James said. "I've got to be better personally. I feel like that was a big turning point in the game."

Here was another: With 1:13 left and no timeouts, FSU (0-2, 0-1 ACC) needed a third-down stop to have a chance at a comeback. The Seminoles knew a run was coming, and N.C. State (3-1, 1-0) needed 7 long yards. It's the kind of play championship defenses make.

FSU gave up 15. The loss was sealed.

"They popped a run," Fisher said.

And that's something the Seminoles couldn't really do.

Their final numbers (104 yards on 26 carries) weren't bad, but the 'Noles stumbled near the goal line. FSU rushed the ball five times inside the 20. It came up with 4 yards. The Seminoles haven't rushed for a score in either of their first two games, and it's fair to wonder whether they'll get one before the rival Gators (who entered Saturday night without a touchdown run in eight consecutive games).

The running problems contributed to an uncharacteristically poor performance in the red zone. A team that finished third nationally in red-zone touchdown percentage last year advanced inside the 20 seven times Saturday; it came away with one touchdown and four field goals.

"We're inches off," Fisher said.

Fisher said pretty much the same thing a year ago after the 63-20 debacle at Louisville. This loss wasn't that embarrassing, although Wolfpack defensive lineman Bradley Chubb added to the humiliation by spitting on FSU's midfield logo.

But Fisher didn't have many other explanations Saturday. Some of the blame falls on him and a coaching staff that was allowing slow starts long before Francois and Irma.

Dave Doeren's Wolfpack dug deep into the playbook. Its first touchdown drive started with a halfback pass from the do-it-all Jaylen Samuels and ended with Samuels converting on fourth and goal as a Wildcat quarterback. Doeren even used all three timeouts to try to ice kicker Ricky Aguayo at the end of the half. Those are the high-risk calls you make when you desperately want to win.

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The Seminoles? They chose to kick a field goal on third down with 12 seconds left in the half rather than risk a sack.

Fisher said the expected things after the loss, about how other FSU teams overcame poor starts to finish well. The last Seminoles to start 0-2 won their final 10 games and finished third in the country. Last year's Seminoles overcame a 3-2 start to win the Orange Bowl and finish eighth.

Maybe Fisher's right. While a College Football Playoff run is almost certainly out of the picture, the Seminoles are still talented enough to beat rival Miami in two weeks, and maybe even Clemson in November. A sixth consecutive 10-win season remains possible.

"We know we're a great team," running back Jacques Patrick said. "This doesn't define who we are."

But who are the Seminoles right now? An 0-2 football team, for the first time in 28 years.

Contact Matt Baker at mbaker@tampabay.com. Follow @MBakerTBTimes.