Taking a closer look at FSU’s defense: Why have the Seminoles struggled?

Year one of Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell’s tenure so far has been less than ideal to say the least.

While the offense has found some intermittent success, the defense, which was highly touted in the preseason, has consistently underperformed. A bulk of the weight of the criticism from this has fallen on the shoulders of defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.

It’s hard not to be upset. There was legitimate talent on this roster at the start of the year. Marvin Wilson, Cory Durden, and Robert Cooper should’ve anchored one of the best defensive lines in the country. The secondary had Asante Samuels Jr. as a lynchpin on the field side, but none of these things seemed to matter when the season kicked off.

So the question remains: who’s to blame for this season, and what FSU should do about it going forward? Does it seriously all fall on Fuller, or is there more to this story than squandered talent?

Let’s dive in: