Good News/Bad News for FSU After Week 1

While Florida State did not dominate the season-opener as it did for virtually all of the regular season last year, the top-ranked and defending national champion Seminoles did enough to come away with a 37-31 victory over Oklahoma State. Though Florida State had a tougher time with the Cowboys than most expected and was pushed to the limit in the season-opener, FSU has a number of positives to take into Week 2 against the Citadel. Florida State also has a number of important things to improve on. Here’s a look at the good news and bad news for the Seminoles after one week:

Good News: The Front Seven is Better Than Anticipated
With several new faces in the lineup for Florida State along the defensive front and at linebacker, it was not known what to expect from the Seminoles’ front seven early on. For the majority of Saturday’s contest however, Florida State looked very good up front. Nile Lawrence-Stample looks to be stepping up as the leader of the interior of the defensive line while Reggie Northrup shined in his first start at linebacker, finishing with seven total stops.

Bad News: The Front Seven is as Thin as Anticipated
While Florida State’s front seven got off to a solid start, the defensive line wore down as the game went on due to a lack of depth. With defensive end Chris Casher out and with Derrick Mitchell starting at end, the Seminoles had no depth at defensive tackle behind Lawrence-Stample and Eddie Goldman. Along the defensive line and at linebacker, the Seminoles were hesitant to turn to younger guys like Jacob Pugh, Matthew Thomas, Demarcus Christmas and Derrick Nnadi.

Good News: Rashad Greene is Living Up to the All-American Hype
Senior wide receiver Rashad Greene excelled in Florida State’s season-opener by finishing with 11 catches for a career-high 203 yards and a 50-yard touchdown late to give the Seminoles some much-needed cushion. Greene has always been a dependable target and with the big night, pulled to within 1,000 yards of Ron Sellers’ career receiving record at FSU.

Bad News: Greene has Little Help at Receiver
Of Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston’s 25 completions on Saturday night, 16 went to wide receivers with 11 going to Greene. Christian Green had a pair of catches for 73 yards while sophomore Kermit Whitfield finished with three grabs. With Florida State clinging to a small lead for most of the second half, both Green and Whitfield were very quiet. With the exception of a second half holding call, the touted freshman receiving corps that includes Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph failed to make any impact whatsoever.

Good News: Florida State Made the Plays When It Had to
With the Seminoles pushed to their limits, Florida State made the plays it had to with the game on the line. Winston’s 50-yard touchdown strike to Greene served as a enormous score while the defense was able to force a fumble from Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh in the fourth quarter as FSU clung to a six-point lead. After Oklahoma State cut the lead back to six with under two minutes to play, Florida State was able to notch a pair of first down, essentially putting the contest away.

Bad News: Florida State Left a Lot of Points on the Field
While most teams will take 476 yards of offense and 37 points, Florida State had opportunities to light up the scoreboard for more. In addition to settling for three red zone field goals, Winston also had an interception deep in Oklahoma State territory that halted a scoring drive. Though FSU was able to make enough plays to start the season 1-0, it could have run away with the opener had it done a better job capitalizing on scoring chances.

Good News: Mario Pender Looks to be a Playmaker
After waiting two years to finally take the field, Mario Pender looked solid in limited duty on Saturday. Pender rushed for 31 yards on just three carries which included an 11-yard touchdown on his first career rush. Despite a knee injury in the past, Pender showed good burst and an ability to make guys miss and in the process, may have solidified the second spot at running back behind starter Karlos Williams.

Bad News: The Offensive Line Struggled in the Run Game
What was thought to be one of Florida State’s biggest strengths, the offensive line appeared paltry in Saturday’s opener, particularly when it came to running the ball. Despite returning four starters and starting five seniors, the Oklahoma State defensive front was up to the challenge, holding the Seminoles to just 3.1 yards-per-carry. FSU fared much better in pass protection, but allowed a pair of sacks to sophomore Emmanuel Ogbah.

Good News: Roberto Aguayo Picked Up Where He Left Off
Though sophomore kicker and reigning Lou Groza Award winner Roberto Aguayo did not attempt a kick of longer than 37 yards on Saturday, the Florida State kicker was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts which included some timely makes. Aguayo’s three kicks went straight through and with plenty of distance. While the season is far too young, Aguayo is not showing any early signs of a sophomore slump.

Bad News: Cason Beatty is Still a Liability
Perhaps the weakest link in Florida State’s run to the BCS National Championship last season, junior punter Cason Beatty continued to struggle on Saturday. On five punts, Beatty averaged just under 36 yards-per-punt and the majority of his kicks were short, low line-drives. Despite nearly 500 yards of offense, the Seminoles never controlled field position in Saturday’s victory after the first quarter.