On Thursday, second-ranked Florida State parted ways with redshirt sophomore linebacker Ukeme Eligwe for what media outlets called, “a violation of team rules”. Eligwe has struggled to stay on the field this season due to a foot injury, but looked set to play against Virginia at home Saturday night.
Losing Eligwe, a former 4-star recruit and excellent pass-rusher, will certainly hurt the Seminoles, but overcoming obstacles and adversity has been a theme all season long.
While many like to point out that Florida State’s schedule has not been overly daunting this season, the fact that FSU is 8-0 at this point is pretty remarkable. Eligwe is just the latest casualty of what has been a front seven decimated by injury and suspension.
Florida State entered the 2014 season extremely thin along the defensive front and extremely young at linebacker. The loss of Nile Lawrence-Stample, Florida State’s most experienced defensive lineman, for the season to a torn pectoral muscle served as a huge blow, but that’s only the beginning.
Along the defensive line and at linebacker this season, Mario Edwards Jr., Chris Casher, Terrance Smith, E.J. Levenberry, Kain Daub, Jacob Pugh, Eligwe and Matthew Thomas among others have all missed entire games for Florida State.
In terms of football, the Seminoles have not been the well-oiled machine that many expected either. Florida State has particularly struggled up front on each side of the ball.
The offensive line for Florida State returned four senior starters — two of whom were preseason All-Americans — and another very experienced senior center this season. While many thought that unit for FSU could be the best in the country, the Seminoles do not even rank in the top 100 nationally in rushing at this point in the year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Florida State has been failed by its pass rush, which ranks last in the ACC in sacks. As a result, the Florida State secondary, which was also regarded as one of the nation’s best, has allowed four different opponents to throw for over 300 yards this season. In terms of pass defense, Florida State ranks just 12th in the maligned 14-team ACC.
Florida State has also had to endure unfavorable media coverage often diminishing an aspect of the team that head coach Jimbo Fisher has ironically credited for the team’s success — character.
While sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston has become infamous for a number of things over the last calendar year, Fisher as well as wide receiver Jesus Wilson and most recently, running back Karlos Williams have all had their share of media scrutiny.
Though many have and will continue to scoff at Fisher’s claims of running a “high-character program”, those claims do have merit.
After breezing through the regular season in 2013 and having never trailed in the second half, Florida State has won three games this season by six points or less. FSU has overcome four halftime deficits and has rallied from behind in the final eight minutes for victories in each of its three contests against ranked opponents.
The loss of Ukeme Eligwe could certainly hurt what’s already a fragile front seven, but Florida State has already overcome large deficits, a poor pass-rush, a sometimes non-existent ground game and unfavorable media coverage to start 8-0 for a second straight season. At this point, rising above challenges is simply what Florida State does.
With the month of November already upon us, the highly-scrutinized Seminoles have won 24 games in a row and are in line for an appearance in college football’s first-ever playoff. After being defined by dominance a season ago, FSU in 2014, has been far from perfect in most aspects. Its record however, still is.
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