Five Good Minutes: Talking FSU Football With Tomahawk Nation

Today we got the chance to talk with DKfromVA from Tomahawk Nation about the upcoming matchup between Boston College and the Florida State Seminoles. They gave us some great insight into the matchup.

BCI: This has been an up and down season in terms of what many expected from FSU. Are you happy with the progression of the team? Or are you worried?

DKfromVA: I believe that I speak for all FSU fans in saying that I’m not pleased with the 2016 team, relative to expectations. This off-season featured quite a lot of hype, and not just from the media. The coaching staff was extremely high on this squad, and Jimbo Fisher even brought in Showtime’s “A Season With” to document the campaign. They believed that they had a national-title caliber team, and they missed badly on that evaluation.

This misevaluation is concerning, and it’s clear that there are issues on this coaching staff. I think you’ll see some turnover during the coming off-season. Does one disappointing season signal a downturn in the program’s overall health? I’m not sure that I can say that. It may be that the ‘Noles are some new coaching blood away from contending again. However, there will be some hard questions asked, and hopefully answered, in a few weeks.

BCI: Dalvin Cook is possibly the best running back in the nation, what makes him so dangerous?

DKfromVA: He’s the best back in FSU’s history, and I think it’s his explosiveness that sets him apart. When healthy and motivated, he’s unbelievable to watch when he puts his foot in the ground and goes upfield. When that happens, he’s just gone. His vision and feel allows him to accomplish this as well. Cook has improved significantly as a pass-catcher this season, but can still be inconsistent in his pass blocking assignments. Overall, I think FSU fans should feel very lucky that they got to watch his illustrious career in Tallahassee and wish him well in the spring.

BCI: It's a fresh start this year with Deondre Francois as the signal caller. What have you seen out of him so far this year that has impressed you? Any concerns?

DKfromVA: Qualities that have impressed me include his toughness, moxie, and running ability. He gets hit a lot, as I’m sure you’ve seen. Too much, to be certain. Some of that is on his offensive line, which has struggled at times in pass protection. Some of it is also on him, though, as he tends to hold the ball too long at times. His play in tough situations is also impressive, including leading the team back against Ole Miss in his first start. He’s also quite a dangerous runner when he’s used as such. I’d like to see Fisher let him to do more of this, as the designed runs he’s schemed for Francois are usually effective.

As far as concerns, chief among them is his inaccuracy. This was an issue going back to high school, and it’s certainly still around. Too many times he’ll make the right read but then throw a completely uncatchable ball. His receivers really aren’t any thing to write home about, but some of these easy throws don’t even give them a chance to help him out. In addition, his propensity to take too many bone-crushing hits is an issue. Mentally, he’s been pretty good for a freshman in Jimbo Fisher’s offense, but he’s still missing a few easy things in this department as well. I’m fairly optimistic on his future, but the accuracy issue is the overriding concern going forward.

BCI: Good defenses punish Boston College. We know that Derwin James is out for the game, but who are some other defenders BC fans should look out for?

DKfromVA: The ends are Josh Sweat and DeMarcus Walker, and they’re going to be a lot for BC to handle. Derrick Nnadi is also a formidable force on the inside when healthy. Tarvarus McFadden is going to be the next great corner at FSU, despite some fans not liking him for getting beaten on a few big plays this season. Marquez White is the other corner, and he’s a solid player. The issues have been in the middle of the defense, particularly towards the back. With James out, along with Nate Andrews, the safety corps has gotten thin quickly. I’d imagine FSU will show some heavier looks against BC, which means that more linebackers will see the field. This is not a great thing, as FSU’s starters struggle enough as it is. It may mean that more of the freshman will play, though, so keep your eyes out for #5 Dontavious Jackson. He’s already stolen some reps from FSU’s starters, Mathew Thomas and Ro’Derrick Hoskins.

BCI: Prediction time: Bring the pain, what have you got?

DKfromVA: Even though I’m not enamored with this FSU team and am completely unconvinced that they’ll show up with any kind of effort on a Friday night against Boston College, I have to like this match-up. It’s the kind of offense that FSU can defend well, and the defense is just going to be out-gunned and put in bad positions all night. I think Florida State is going to win pretty comfortably, even though it’ll look ugly in spots, per 2016 team guidelines. I’ll call it 37-10 ‘Noles.