FSU’s defense off to the worst start in program history

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the inauspicious start of the 2016 Florida State football defense. Still, we were just a third of the way into the regular season, and the heart of last week’s game against USF provided some optimism for ‘Nole fans. But FSU’s performance against North Carolina authored another story altogether, and it did not include a happy ending.

It’s all in the numbers. Florida State’s defense has now given up more points through its first five games than any other squad in program history. Specifically, the Seminoles have surrendered 177 points through five games, and if you want to reach back to FSU’s Peach Bowl against Houston that concluded last season, that’s 215 points in Florida State’s last six games.

FSU had only allowed that many points over a six-game stretch thrice in its entire history. The last time was over the 1981-1982 seasons, when the ‘Noles allowed a combined 219 points over a half-dozen games (the last four of ‘81 and the first two of ‘82). The other times was in 1973-1974, when an 0-11 Florida State team closed out its winless ‘73 campaign by surrendering 222 points over six games. If your shift that back one game to include the ‘74 opener, you’ll find another six games in which the Seminoles gave up 218 points.

As a means of some perspective, here are the seasons — yes, entire seasons — in which FSU did not allow the 215 points it has over its last six games:

• 1947-1951
• 1953-1971
• 1975
• 1977-1980
• 1987-1994
• 1996-2000
• 2004
• 2011-2013