clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Florida State film review: Defense v. Wake Forest

Florida State’s defense did some really good thing against Wake Forest.

It's the Florida State Football Film Review. Every week we break down the result of the previous Florida State game. Who really played well for the Seminoles? Which players played poorly? Where did the coaches do well, and when did they screw up?

All analyzed plays will eventually appear in the Florida State Film Review section of the website. We do not analyze plays in garbage time.

Amazingly, this content is free. Please keep it that way by sharing it on Facebook.

Observations:

  • As a whole, the FSU defense played well vs an inferior opponent. Wake’s offense is one of the worst in the country and as you would expect, the Florida State defense was dominant, holding Wake to just 6 points and 3.82 yards per play (their second lowest output of the season).
  • This was an advantageous matchup for FSU, not only from an overall talent perspective but because Wake did not have much of a run threat at QB and because Wake lacks creativity in their run game. We saw Inside Zone Read, Veer Option, and Counter/Counter Read from Wake. That’s it. FSU slowed-played the read plays and often times the DE could play both the QB and the RB because the QB was not a legit threat to keep the ball and make a play.
  • There were still times in this game where FSU struggled to get aligned and get the call communicated. Wake was unable to really take advantage of this but it’s still an issue for the defense and is something to continue to keep an eye as the season progresses.
  • The defensive line was completely dominant. You can really see this unit getting healthy (particularly Derick Nnadi & Josh Sweat) and elevating their level of play. Those two combined with the play of Demarcus Christmas and Demarcus Walker really controlled things up front the entire game. It looks like they are beginning to peak at the right time and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact they can have against Clemson.
  • Linebacker play was encouraging, particularly with the continued emergence of Dontavious Jackson. He’s getting more comfortable in the defense and you can see it in how he is playing faster and more aggressive. Hoskins still struggles at times with his runs fits and angles to the ball.
  • Coverage-wise we saw a similar plan to the Miami game. Early downs are a mix of Cover 2, Cover 4 and some Cover 1 blitzes. On passing downs, FSU would prefer to play man coverage. This is reflected in the personnel groupings as well. Here are the personnel groupings we’ve seen from the FSU secondary the last two weeks:

Nickel Package on 1st and 2nd down:

BCB: McFadden

FCB: White

Star: Marshall

FS: Westbrook

SS: Lane

Dime Package on 3rd down:

BCB: White/Lewis

FCB: Taylor

Star: Meyers

FS: Lane

SS: Marshall

Money: Westbrook

Some observations we can take away:

  • Marcus Lewis did not see the field vs Wake
  • Marshall at Star on early downs gives them a physical player who can play the run.
  • Meyers at Star on passing downs where he’s better in man coverage over the slot.
  • Taylor coming in on 3rd down for McFadden probably speaks to the staff’s confidence in him in man coverage.
  • Kudos to Defensive Coordinator Charles Kelly for making some adjustments in the secondary and putting guys in position to play to their strengths. They have had some success the last two weeks vs lesser offenses. It will be interesting to see if Florida State sticks with these rotations after the bye and if so, how effective it can be vs an offense like Clemson, who can attack the defense in a number of ways.
  • Safety Ermon Lane continues to impress with his play at his new position. He has shown excellent range, physicality and knowledge of the defense. It seems he has some natural instincts for the position and it will interesting to watch him to continue to develop as he only gains more experience.
  • Wake Forest clearly had a plan to attack Tarvarus McFadden in the passing game and they did find some success. At times, he showed poor feet at the LOS in press and also lost the receiver downfield on deep balls too often. He’s got to become more consistent at the position. This is somewhat concerning as he’ll be matched up with Mike Williams next week, one of the top receivers in the country.
D-D AT Form Play Analysis
Logan Tyler kickoff 53 yards to the WF12, Armstrong, J return 12 yards to the WF24 (Jared Jackson).
1-10 at Wf24 Wolford, J at QB for Wake Forest.
1-10 at Wf24 4-2-5 Carney, C rush up middle for loss of 1 yard to the WF23 (Dontavious Jackson;Ermon Lane), clock 14:36. FSU in Cover 1 to start the game and Wake runs a dive. Jackson has man on the back and does a great job to trigger and fill in his A gap and finish the tackle behind the line.
2-11 at Wf23 4-2-5 Wolford, J sacked for loss of 8 yards to the WF15 (Josh Sweat), clock 14:00. Cover 1 blitz with a rush game up front from FSU. Jackson and Christmas slant to the field and Sweat loops inside behind them. Great angle by Jackson to get the attention of the center so Sweat is unblocked.
3-19 at Wf15 4-1-6 Carney, C rush over left end for 18 yards to the WF33 (Ermon Lane;Trey Marshall), clock 13:20. Cover 1 Robber, Wake runs a draw to the RB. Hoskins is too aggressive here in his fill. Needs to slow play it knowing it could bounce as FSU's ends are in pass rush mode. This is also poor by Westbrook as he should recognize the block of the TE(his man) and come off to see the ball carrier.
4-1 at Wf33 Maggio, D punt 67 yards to the FS0, touchback.
Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, TOP 02:09
1-10 at Wf21 WAKE FOREST drive start at 11:26.
1-10 at Wf21 3-4 Wolford, J TA pass incomplete to Bachman, A, QB hurry by Ro'Derrick Hoskins, clock 11:19. Wake max protects with only 2 receivers running routes as they roll out and try to hit the outside receiver on a double move comeback. Good job by Pugh to keep contain. Westbrook is also in good position as he works to the sideline in his zone and gets under the route.
2-10 at Wf21 4-2-5 Carney, C rush over right guard for 4 yards to the WF25 (Dontavious Jackson;Ro'Derrick Hoskins), clock 11:01. Veer Option. Sweat does a nice job slow playing the read and Wolford gives. FSU is blitzing on the backside of this run with Walker slanting into the B gap. He's too far upfield, creating a cutback lane but Jackson does a nice job to work outside the block of the guard as he's engaged and minimize the gain.
3-6 at Wf25 4-1-6 Wolford, J ML pass complete to Hines, T for 9 yards to the WF34, 1ST DOWN WF (Kyle Meyers), clock 10:21. FSU is initally pressing the slot receiver with Meyers but he backs off pre-snap and Wake throws a slant vs the off coverage. This is a nice design by Wake as the #3 receiver holds Meyers' inside help just enough to create a window. Good drive and finish by Meyers.
1-10 at Wf34 4-2-5 Carney, C rush over left guard for 3 yards to the WF37 (Ermon Lane;Derrick Nnadi), clock 09:44. Counter Read from Wake, backside guard and tackle pull to lead for the back on the give. Nnadi is too high after engaging the guard and is knocked off his spot from the tackle who is chipping up the backer. Sweat crashes down nicely on the down block and takes on a puller to force the ball inside as Nnadi works back to the ball. Really nice play by Lane who's walked up into the box and aggressively fills after seeing the RB stick inside.
2-7 at Wf37 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush RO for 2 yards to the WF39 (Josh Sweat), clock 09:16. Veer Option lead as Wolford keeps but follows the back inside. Another effective slow play from Sweat as the read key. He's able to force a give and then squeeze down and make the tackle on the QB. Hoskins out of his gap here but it doesn't hurt FSU.
3-5 at Wf39 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Lewis, C for 9 yards to the WF48, 1ST DOWN WF, out-of-bounds, clock 08:38. 6 man pressure with man behind, Wolford gets the ball out quick on a back shoulder throw past the sticks. White in excellent position but is lackadaisical out of his break and allows space as the receiver fades toward the sideline to make the catch. White should be more aware here and know where the sticks are.
1-10 at Wf48 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush quarterback draw for 2 yards to the 50 yardline (Ro'Derrick Hoskins), clock 08:06. FSU rolls late to Cover 1 and blitzes Hoskin from the edge to the boundary. Wake has a good call vs this look from FSU but its tackle takes too deep an angle as he pulls to kick out Hoskins. Still, this is pretty good awareness by Hoskins to come off his rush and make the tackle on the QB.
2-8 at Wf50 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Pike, D for 1 yard to the FS49 (Ermon Lane), clock 07:21. Same blitz from FSU from the first series with Sweat looping inside. This time Wake picks him up with their back. Wake runs an out to the boundary from the slot with Lane in man coverage. Great play by Lane to let the #1 receiver go underneath and then properly angle and drive on the ball to the flat.
3-7 at Fs49 4-2-5 Wolford, J sacked for loss of 6 yards to the WF45 (Josh Sweat;Ro'Derrick Hoskins), clock 06:21. 2 man under from FSU with Hoskins on a delayed blitz as the back stays in to pass protect. Burns uses a 1 hand bull rush on the outside to force Wolford to step up into the twist and blitz from FSU in the middle. Excellent design and rush from the FSU front.
4-13 at Wf45 Maggio, D punt 31 yards to the FS24, out-of-bounds.
Drive: 9 plays, 24 yards, TOP 05:25
1-10 at Wf30 WAKE FOREST drive start at 03:42.
1-10 at Wf30 4-2-5 Colburn, M rush up middle for 3 yards to the WF33 (Demarcus Christmas), clock 03:12. Cover 1 Sam blitz. Good call vs the Veer option. Forces Wake to read the Sam instead of the end as he is the new EOL. FSU slants the DL away from the blitz and Burns crashes down and drives the H back in the RB, leaving the RB no lane to run through.
2-7 at Wf33 4-2-5 Wolford, J slant pass intercepted by Marquez White at the WF36, Marquez White return 0 yards to the WF36. Rub route to the field from Wake vs man coverage. This is excellent from White. He sees the rub coming, gives it space and then drives the slant and finishes on the ball.
Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, TOP 00:41
Logan Tyler kickoff 57 yards to the WF8, Armstrong, J return 22 yards to the WF30, PENALTY WF holding (Argenzio, C) 10 yards to the WF20, 1st and 10, WF ball on WF20.
1-10 at Wf20 WAKE FOREST drive start at 15:00.
1-10 at Wf20 WAKE FOREST drive start at 14:47.
1-10 at Wf20 4-2-5 Wolford, J deep pass intercepted by Tarvarus McFadden at the FS46, Tarvarus McFadden return 15 yards to the WF39 (Carney, C). Cover 1 with a safety blitz from the boundary, Wakes throws the fade to the single receiver. McFadden is beat and out of phase here but because the ball is underthrown, the receiver has to slow down. This allows McFadden to catch up, get in phase and turn to find the ball.
Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, TOP 00:11
1-10 at Wf28 WAKE FOREST drive start at 14:22.
Injured player for FSU is #4-Cook. Assisted off the field.
1-10 at Wf28 4-2-5 Carney, C rush up middle for 3 yards to the WF31 (DeMarcus Walker). 40 front from FSU and Wake runs counter. This is really good by the FSU front 4, starting with Josh Sweat. He is textbook in his squueze down the line as Aime and Jones hold their ground vs double teams, giving the RB no where to go.
2-7 at Wf31 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush over right guard for 5 yards to the WF36 (A.J. Westbrook), clock 13:23. FSU blitzes both backers and runs a twist as Wolford finds a small crease on the zone read. Westbrook slightly over runs this or it's a 2 yard gain instead of 5.
3-2 at Wf36 4-1-6 Wolford, J rush QX for 19 yards to the FS45, 1ST DOWN WF (Trey Marshall), clock 12:44. Star blitz with FSU playing Cover 2 behind. There's not a contain rusher here to the defense' left as Walker is lined up inside and tries to work back outside as the QB bounces the pocket. Poor from Westbrook here as he follows the #2 receiver to the flat instead of passing it off and sitting in his hook/curl. This would of kept him in position to see the QB and drive on him as he approached the LOS.
1-10 at Fs45 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush over right guard for 12 yards to the FS33, 1ST DOWN WF (Ermon Lane), clock 12:31. Wake goes tempo to Empty and FSU cannot get aligned. Wake hits a crease up the middle on QB draw.
1-10 at Fs33 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass incomplete to Wade, C, PENALTY FS holding 10 yards to the FS23, 1ST DOWN WF, NO PLAY, clock 12:16. Again FSU is struggling to get the call communicated so it's unclear what they are running. They are somehow able to cover everyone on the pass play as Wake's QB flushes the pocket and throws the ball away.
1-10 at Fs23 4-2-5 Carney, C rush over right guard for 1 yard to the FS22 (Derrick Nnadi), clock 12:05. Star blitz with the DL slanting away from the field and away from the counter that Wake is running (not ideal for the defense). Really just perfect recognition by Nnadi who quickly diagnoses the play, comes off his slant by staying square and using power to work back across the down blocks. He's also able to make the play because Burns and Jackson effectively take on pullers to turn the ball inside and minimize the lane for the RB.
2-9 at Fs22 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Wade, C for 6 yards to the FS16 (DeMarcus Walker;Tarvarus McFadden), clock 11:34. 3x1 to the boundary and Wake throws a quick screen vs off coverage. Excellent hustle by Walker to run this down.
3-3 at Fs16 4-1-6 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Lewis, C, QB hurry by Ro'Derrick Hoskins, clock 11:09. 0 pressure with Walker dropping into a robber coverage. Wake throws the fade to the end zone to the single receiver vs press. McFadden is slow here with his feet on the press but recovers and is smart to not turn for the ball and play through the hands of the receiver.
4-3 at Fs16 Weaver, M field goal attempt from 34 GOOD, clock 11:05.
Wake Forest 3, Florida State 3
Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, TOP 03:17
1-10 at Wf10 WAKE FOREST drive start at 08:12.
1-10 at Wf10 3-4 Wolford, J deep pass complete to Lewis, C for 32 yards to the WF42, 1ST DOWN WF, clock 08:00. Wake tests McFadden again on a fade route. Poor feet at the LOS gives the reciever a free release but he's still able to uses his hands to stay in phase as the receiver pushes vertical. As McFadden turns for the ball he slows down and gives up space and then trips as his feet get tied up with the receiver.
1-10 at Wf42 3-4 Colburn, M rush over left guard for 2 yards to the WF44 (Derrick Nnadi), clock 07:36. Veer option to the boundary again from Wake. FSU is going with the 40 front and allowing Walker and Christmas to align in 4i's and take on double teams from the G/T's. They are doing it very well, keeping the LB's clean and leaving no room for the RB to run on the give.
2-8 at Wf44 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush RO for loss of 3 yards to the WF41 (Trey Marshall), clock 06:56. FSU has a safety blitz to the boundary called but as Wake looks to the sideline and checks, so does FSU. They check to a Star blitz to the field. It's the perfect calll as Wake runs a Guard/Tackle counter read, Walker(the read key) can squeeze all the way down to the ball as Marshall plays the QB.
3-11 at Wf41 4-1-6 Bell, T rush up middle for 6 yards to the WF47 (Ro'Derrick Hoskins;DeMarcus Walker), clock 06:06. 2 man under from FSU and Wake runs a counter. Smart defense from FSU. Desptie third and long, Sweat, Walker and Hoskins anticipate run and play it well to force the punt.
4-5 at Wf47 TEAM rush for loss of 12 yards to the WF35, fumble by TEAM recovered by FS Amir Rasul at WF26.
Drive: 5 plays, 16 yards, TOP 02:28
Logan Tyler kickoff 65 yards to the WF0, touchback.
1-10 at Wf25 WAKE FOREST drive start at 03:16.
1-10 at Wf25 3-4 Carney, C rush up middle for no gain to the WF25 (Demarcus Christmas;Josh Sweat), clock 02:48. Inside Zone Read and FSU blitzes Pugh(playside) and Hoskins(backside) off the edge. Great plays by Christmas and Sweat to win their 1 on 1 and meet the RB at the LOS on the give.
2-10 at Wf25 4-2-5 Wolford, J deep pass complete to Lewis, C for 31 yards to the FS44, 1ST DOWN WF, clock 02:31. McFadden much better with his feet off the release and is in good position on the fade until the end. He misjudges the flight of the ball and opens up to play it too early, allowing the receiver to create space and make the catch. There was a pushoff here that probably should have been called but McFadden needs to do a better job judging the ball.
1-10 at Fs44 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass incomplete to Lewis, C, clock 02:07. Backshoulder fade to the single receiver vs McFadden. Again, McFadden better with mirroring the receiver off the line. The receiver gives up the route early by turning for the ball well before it arrives, allowing McFadden to identify the route and even turn to find the ball.
2-10 at Fs44 (Tarvarus McFadden).
2-10 at Fs44 4-2-5 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Hines, T, clock 02:01. Cover 1 with Marshall lined up in off man over the slot and Wake attacks him with a vertical route down the seam. Excellent coverage from Marshall to stay on top of the stem and then collision the route as it breaks his cushion. Good range shown by Lane here as well as he is over top the route from his MOF position.
3-10 at Fs44 4-1-6 Wolford, J crossing pass incomplete to Lewis, C, clock 01:58. 2 man under from FSU and Wake runs the outside receiver to the boundary on a shallow drag. He's open but the pressure from the blitz from FSU forces a bad throw by Walford.
4-10 at Fs44 Maggio, D punt 35 yards to the FS9, fair catch by Nyqwan Murray.
Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, TOP 01:25
1-10 at Wf50 WAKE FOREST drive start at 00:33.
1-10 at Wf50 4-2-5 Wolford, J deep out pass incomplete to Hines, T, clock 00:27. Cover 1 from FSU, Marshall lined up over the slot. Wake runs a sprint out to the field and tries to hit the slot on an out route. Marshall is beat but it's a poor throw from Walford.
2-10 at Wf50 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush QX for no gain to the 50 yardline (Josh Sweat). Walford is trying to hit the #3 receiver down the seam but Jackson takes it away. Sweat collapses the pocket and then works back across the face of the tackle to bring down the QB.
3-10 at Wf50 Timeout Wake Forest, clock 00:17.
3-10 at Wf50 4-1-6 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Pike, D, clock 00:10. Tampa 2 coverage from FSU. Sweat gets upfield in his pass rush and gives a lane for Walford to bounce to his right. Great job by Taylor at field corner to continue to gain depth in his zone with no flat threat and help take away any throw at the sticks.
4-10 at Wf50 Wolford, J rush QX for 9 yards to the FS41 (Josh Sweat).
Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, TOP 00:31
1-10 at Fs29 WAKE FOREST drive start at 14:17.
1-10 at Fs29 4-2-5 Carney, C rush right for 1 yard to the FS28 (Dontavious Jackson;Derrick Nnadi), clock 13:57. Counter Read. Nnadi times up the snap well and drives the center back into the pullers. Another good squeeze and spill from Sweat and Jackson does a nice job to scrape and fit on the ball carrier.
2-9 at Fs28 4-2-5 Wolford, J sacked for loss of 7 yards to the FS35 (Demarcus Christmas;Dontavious Jackson), clock 13:11. Cover 1 with Hoskins blitzing off the edge. FSU has everyone covered up downfield and Wolford has no where to throw the ball. Jackson gets there on a delayed blitz as the RB(his man) stayed into to pass block.
3-16 at Fs35 4-1-6 Wolford, J crossing pass complete to Lewis, C for 21 yards to the FS14, 1ST DOWN WF, out-of-bounds, clock 12:43. FSU rushes 3 and drops 8 into a Cover 2 zone. Nice screen call from Wake as the run an outside receiver on a drag underneath. Hoskins needs to take a better angle here, if he does he has a chance to tackle the receiver before he gets to the sticks.
1-10 at Fs14 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Wade, C for 3 yards to the FS11 (Trey Marshall), clock 12:23. Wake goes empty and throws a bubble screen to the #3 receiver to the field, who's uncovered. Nice drive on the ball by Westbrook from FS but he needs to finish the tackle here in space. Marshall defeats the stalk block of the #2 receiver and is there to clean it up.
2-7 at Fs11 4-2-5 Wolford, J crossing pass incomplete to Lewis, C (Ermon Lane), clock 12:07. Wake runs play action and tries to hit a backside slant to the single receiver matched up vs McFadden. McFadden easily gives up the inside but it's a poorly run route and McFadden is able to recover. Lane does a great job of reading the QB and driving on the ball to break it up.
3-7 at Fs11 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass incomplete to Lewis, C (Trey Marshall), clock 12:02. FSU blitzes the corner from the boundary with Marshall replacing in coverage over the top. Wake tries to hit boundary receiver quick but it's a really poor pass that is lofted in the air, allowing Marshall time to drive on it. Marshall needs to react quicker here. If this is a decent throw, it's a first down and possibly a touchdown.
4-7 at Fs11 Weaver, M field goal attempt from 29 GOOD, clock 11:58.
Florida State 10, Wake Forest 6
Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, TOP 02:19
1-10 at Fs45 WAKE FOREST drive start at 11:28.
1-10 at Fs45 PENALTY WF delay of game (Wolford, J) 5 yards to the 50 yardline, clock 11:28.
1-15 at Wf50 4-2-5 Wolford, J ML pass incomplete to Hines, T (Trey Marshall), PENALTY WF illegal procedure 5 yards to the WF45, NO PLAY, clock 11:23. Matthew Thomas has entered the game. Play action from Wake as they try to hit a curl to the slot receiver. Marshall in an off coverage look here and plays it well. He's able to get some depth in his peddle, read the QB and then drive on the receiver as the ball arrives to break it up.
1-20 at Wf45 4-2-5 Wolford, J ML pass complete to Hines, T for 5 yards to the 50 yardline (Trey Marshall), clock 11:11. Quarters coverage from FSU with Marshall aligned inside the #2 receiver to the field. Wake throws a slant to #2. Marshall gives a little space with his peddle but takes a nice angle to drive on the ball and keep it a short gain on 1st and long.
2-15 at Wf50 4-2-5 Carney, C rush over right tackle for 3 yards to the FS47 (A.J. Westbrook), clock 10:29. FSU walks Westbrook up into the box and blitzes Thomas from the boundary while playing Cover 1 behind. The extra defender helps here as Wake has a hat-on-a-hat on the counter run play. Nice play by Westbrook to replace the pullers and fit the back from the backside.
3-12 at Fs47 4-1-6 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Washington, S, clock 10:20. FSU struggles to get aligned here to the field side but Wolford snaps the ball and immediately looks to the single receiver side to the boundary. White appears in pretty good position vs the fade as the ball is overthrown.
4-12 at Fs47 Maggio, D punt 43 yards to the FS4, downed.
Drive: 3 plays, minus 2 yards, TOP 01:18
Logan Tyler kickoff 65 yards to the WF0, touchback.
1-10 at Wf25 WAKE FOREST drive start at 07:32.
1-10 at Wf25 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Wade, C for 7 yards to the WF32, out-of-bounds, clock 07:20. FSU in Cover 1 and Wake runs a nice pick play to free up the #2 receiver in the slot. Man coverage is not a strength of Marshall's and Wake is smart to go at him.
2-3 at Wf32 4-2-5 Wolford, J rush RO for 5 yards to the WF37, 1ST DOWN WF, out-of-bounds (Ermon Lane), clock 06:55. Weak safety blitz from FSU and Wake runs zone read to it. Walker squeezes and Wolford keeps the ball. Lane gets caught inside the block of the H back and gives up the outside. He needs to take on the block with his inside pad here.
1-10 at Wf37 4-2-5 Wolford, J sacked for loss of 9 yards to the WF28 (DeMarcus Walker), clock 06:14. Drop back pass from gun and Wake is looking to hit something down the field here. Wolford holds the ball too long and Walker is able to beat the tackle with an inside move and get the sack.
2-19 at Wf28 4-2-5 Colburn, M rush left for 11 yards to the WF39 (Trey Marshall;Marquez White), clock 05:31. Inside Zone read from Wake as the QB gives. Walker in a 4i and takes away the cutback and the RB is forced to push this to the outside. Marshall is the Star to the field and he gets too far inside and is unable to recover, giving up the edge. Good play by White to come off his receiver and make the tackle in the open field.
3-8 at Wf39 4-1-6 Wolford, J rush QX for 5 yards to the WF44 (Ermon Lane), PENALTY WF illegal formation declined, clock 05:13. Wake goes 3x1 to the boundary. Walker tries an outside move in pass rush and falls which gives up contain to the field and Wolford takes it on a scramble. Ermon Lane is playing a robber coverage here and makes an excellent play. Great angle and impressive acceleration to drive and finish to prevent the first down.
4-3 at Wf44 Maggio, D punt 54 yards to the FS2, downed.
Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, TOP 02:50
1-10 at Wf22 WAKE FOREST drive start at 11:52.
1-10 at Wf22 4-2-5 Wolford, J middle pass complete to Carney, C for 2 yards to the WF24 (Ro'Derrick Hoskins), clock 11:31. Quarters coverage from FSU as Wake runs verticals and Wolford hits the check down underneath. Hoskins in good position here to make the tackle as soon as the ball is caught.
2-8 at Wf24 4-2-5 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Lewis, C for 14 yards to the WF38, 1ST DOWN WF, out-of-bounds, clock 11:07. FSU sends a weak safety blitz and Wake throws a backshoulder fade to the boundary. McFadden is in good position but looks back for the ball instead of playing through the hands of the receiver.
1-10 at Wf38 4-2-5 Wolford, J sacked for loss of 6 yards to the WF32 (DeMarcus Walker), clock 10:51. FSU in a 2-high look and it appears Wolford has no where to throw as he again is holding onto the ball. Walker with a nice rip move from the outside as he collapses the pocket and gets to the QB again.
Injured play for WF is #75-Herron. Walks slowly off the field.
2-16 at Wf32 PENALTY FS offside defense (Derrick Nnadi) 5 yards to the WF37, clock 10:34.
2-11 at Wf37 4-2-5 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Hines, T, clock 10:08. Wake takes a shot down the field with their #2 receiver lined up vs Marshall in off man coverage. Marshall again is in good positon vs the vertical but he makes the mistake of looking back for the ball while in trail poisiton. He needs to play through the receivers hands when out of phase.
3-11 at Wf37 (Trey Marshall).
3-11 at Wf37 Timeout Wake Forest, clock 10:05.
3-11 at Wf37 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass incomplete to Freudenthal, J, QB hurry by Matthew Thomas, clock 10:00. FSU blitzes 5 with Sweat dropping into a shallow zone/spy position. Walker gets too far upfield and gives up the edge that allows Wolford to leave the pocket. FSU defenders are in good position though and Wolford throws one in the dirt.
4-11 at Wf37 Maggio, D punt 38 yards to the FS25, fair catch by Nyqwan Murray.
Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, TOP 01:58
1-10 at Fs20 WAKE FOREST drive start at 06:42, WF ball on FS20.
1-10 at Fs20 4-2-5 Carney, C rush right for 1 yard to the FS19 (A.J. Westbrook). Wake has good angles here on the cutback off the Zone read give but Walker makes another big time play. He's able to shed the block of the H back and slow the back as Westbrook does a nice job coming down in support from safety.
2-9 at Fs19 4-2-5 Wolford, J crossing pass incomplete to Wade, C (Demarcus Christmas), clock 05:51. FSU blitzes with Cover 1 behind. Smart call by Wake to throw the slant to the #2 receiver matched up vs Marshall in off coverage. Christmas gets his hands up and deflects the pass at the line.
3-9 at Fs19 PENALTY WF false start (Anderson, R) 5 yards to the FS24, clock 05:51.
3-14 at Fs24 4-1-6 Wolford, J ML pass complete to Lewis, C for 2 yards to the FS22 (Trey Marshall), clock 05:35. Cover 1 Robber coverage. Walker gets pressure immediately as he beats the guard from the 3 tech. Wake goes back to the shallow cross vs man but FSU has adjusted by using a safety to play any crossers from a robber position. Nice play by Marshall to recognize the drag, take a good angle and finish in the open field.
4-12 at Fs22 Weaver, M field goal attempt from 40 MISSED - hit left upright, spot at FS22, clock 05:03.
Drive: 4 plays, minus 2 yards, TOP 01:39
1-10 at Wf21 WAKE FOREST drive start at 01:10.
1-10 at Wf21 4-1-6 Bell, T rush over right tackle for 7 yards to the WF28 (Kyle Meyers), clock 00:55. Wake runs a counter as FSU only has 3 down linemen and 1 LB in the box. Really nice play by Meyers who makes a solid tackle gets the solo on the RB.
2-3 at Wf28 4-1-6 Bell, T rush up middle for 7 yards to the WF35, 1ST DOWN WF (Josh Sweat;Matthew Thomas), clock 00:40. Wake runs the same play vs the same look from FSU. Good defense by the Walker, Jones, Sweat and Thomas to take on blocks, hold their ground and find the ball. Important thing here is minimize the gains and tackle the ball carrier so the clock can run.
1-10 at Wf35 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Hines, T for 8 yards to the WF43, out-of-bounds (Levonta Taylor), clock 00:32. 3 man rush with Cover 2 behind. Wolford has a ton of time with the 3 man rushes and bounces from the pocket before finiding a receiver who's found a small hole in the zone.
2-2 at Wf43 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass incomplete to Hines, T, clock 00:26. 3x1 to the boundary. Nice play by Taylor in Cover 2 to drive on the flat route in his zone.
3-2 at Wf43 4-1-6 Wolford, J sideline pass complete to Claude, S for 14 yards to the FS43, 1ST DOWN WF, out-of-bounds, clock 00:20. Same formation and same coverage from FSU. Wolford again leaves to pocket and Meyers makes a mistake here to drive on the QB rather than staying in his zone and taking away the intermediate route.
1-10 at Fs43 4-1-6 Wolford, J deep pass complete to Hines, T for 20 yards to the FS23, 1ST DOWN WF (Trey Marshall), clock 00:13. 3x1 to the boundary again vs Cover 2. Wake is flood the zone to the boundary. Taylor jumps the short route instead of getting some depth and taking away the deeper route. Needs to drop and allow the shorter throw.
1-10 at Fs23 4-1-6 Wolford, J TA pass incomplete, QB hurry by Matthew Thomas, clock 00:02. FSU goes back to Cover 1 Robber. Everyone is covered up and FSU gets some pressure Walker, forcing Wolford to leave the pocket and throw the ball away as there is no one open
2-10 at Fs23 4-1-6 Wolford, J deep pass incomplete to Washington, S. One last shot deep to the endzone and FSU has 2 defenders in good position to take it away. Ballgame.
3-10 at Fs23 End of game, clock 00:00.
Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, TOP 01:10
FINAL SCORE
Florida State 17, Wake Forest 6