Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 12, 2018 41 "I think everyone here is still try- ing to figure that out," Warchant.com managing editor Ira Schoffel said re- garding the early impressions of Tag- gart. "He did everything right during the offseason, like improving the play- ers' academic performance, reaching out to former players and coaches, getting Bobby Bowden back involved with the program. But the play on the field has left a lot to be desired. "Having said all that, he did have a bit of a mess to clean up from the end of the Jimbo Fisher era. So it probably won't be fair to draw real conclusions until next season at the earliest." Taggart was heralded as a renowned offensive mind during his stints at Western Kentucky, South Florida and Oregon, but the Seminoles ranked 108th nationally in scoring offense at 23.3 points per game through their 4-4 start. The offensive line play has dom- inated the team headlines, with the Seminoles allowing 23 sacks in eight games to rank tied for 107th nationally. "That group has been so ineffec- tive at run blocking and pass block- ing that it's almost impossible to determine whether Willie Taggart's offense is sound or not," Schoffel stated. "The starting left tackle got kicked out of school following a do- mestic violence allegation, and the redshirt sophomore, Jauan Williams, they hoped to play in his place there was clearly not ready early in the season. They have ended up playing converted guards at that spot. "The middle of the line has been relatively stable with junior Cole Minshew at left guard, senior Alec Eberle at center and sophomore Mike Arnold at right guard, but they're not a dominant group by any stretch. Right tackle has been a revolving door, with redshirt freshman Brady Scott handling it most recently. "Taggart has started leaving tight ends and backs in to help pass-block more often." Senior quarterback Deondre Fran- cois returned to the fold after miss- ing almost all of last year when he suffered a leg injury in the season- opening loss to Alabama. In his first eight games this season, Francois completed 60.5 percent of his throws for 2,027 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions while deal- ing with the offensive line issues. "When he's had time to throw the ball, he's thrown it very well," Schof- fel explained. "He has struggled, however, in two key areas — making pre-snap reads and running the zone- read option. He doesn't seem very comfortable choosing between pass and run at the line of scrimmage." The Seminoles ranked among the worst nationally (127th) while averag- ing just 83.5 rushing yards per game during their 4-4 start. Sophomore Cam Akers led the way with 465 yards and three touchdowns on 111 attempts (4.2 yards per carry), while senior Jacques Patrick compiled 235 yards and a score on 72 rushes (3.3 yards per carry). "The backs haven't done themselves any favors either," Schoffel noted. "They haven't done a great job of see- ing the holes that have been there, and they've made far too few big plays when they've gotten the ball in space. "Patrick is a big, bruising runner who can move a pile and fight for tough yards, especially once he gets a head of steam. … Akers is more of a breakaway threat, but he's a physi- cal runner as well. He set the school's freshman rushing record one year ago, but he seems to be having a tough time adjusting to Taggart's offense." Due to the inability to run, Florida State ranked 35th nationally in pass- ing with 266.0 yards per game. Senior wide receiver Nyqwan Murray led the way with 40 catches for 536 yards and three touchdowns, while junior wide- out Keith Gavin, sophomore wide re- ceivers D.J. Matthews and Tamorrion Terry, and sophomore tight end Tre' McKitty all had at least 18 grabs. "The big-play threat at receiver is Terry," Schoffel said. "He a big, strong guy with very good ball skills and hands. … Slot receivers Nyqwan Mur- ray and D.J. Matthews are productive, but haven't been game-breakers. "McKitty is a solid receiving tight end, but he still has a ways to go to become a complete player." Much like the offense, the Florida State defense has highly recruited talents, but has not put it all together on the field consistently. The group tied for 68th nationally in total defense (390.8 yards allowed per game) and tied for 12th in rush- ing defense (102.9), but ranked a lowly 122nd in defending the pass (287.9), while allowing 28.4 points per contest (tied for 74th). Some of the success for the unit starts with junior defensive end Brian Burns, who was tied for the ACC lead and tied for fifth nation- ally with nine sacks through the first nine weeks, and sophomore defen- sive tackle Marvin Wilson, who had 3.5 sacks. "Burns has an extremely explo- sive first step," Schoffel explained. "He might not have a full arsenal of moves just yet, but his quickness off the ball is elite. Wilson is strong, ex- plosive and tenacious. He has shown the ability to beat double teams and also has a great motor when plays are extended by quarterbacks. GAME PREVIEW: FLORIDA STATE Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. FLORIDA STATE Game Info Date: Nov. 10, 2018. Site: Notre Dame Stadium (77,622). Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET. Television: NBC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129) and on Notre Dame's IMG affiliates. Series Facts: Florida State leads the all-time series 6-2, after winning the last three in 2003, 2011 and 2014. The Seminoles won the first matchup in 1981 (19-13) in South Bend. The two programs have met in bowl games twice (1996 Orange Bowl and 2011 Champs Sports Bowl) with Florida State claiming each, 31-26 and 18-14, respectively. Head Coaches: Florida State — Willie Taggart (4-5, first season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (78-34, ninth season). Noting Florida State: The Seminoles will be searching for their first true road win over a non-ACC top- 25 foe since a 27-2 victory versus No. 12 Florida on Nov. 28, 2015 … Over the past two seasons, through Oct. 27, Florida State has won just five of its last 19 ACC games … Florida State was the lone Power Five team to start a different offensive line combination in each of its first seven games … The seven different starting combinations this season are tied for the most among Power Five teams, and the Seminoles' nine different offensive line starters are tied for the second-highest total among Power Five units.