The FSU defense we witnessed against Alabama in the season opener was what we expected from a Tony White defense. They were fast, physical, and played with an edge, just like his defenses at Nebraska. There were holes we noticed, but that defense had a certain attitude and confidence.
The same was present against lesser opponents the next two weeks, but things changed once FSU went on the road to face Virginia. Granted, Virginia has a good offense and a veteran quarterback, as we noted in the game analysis.
What happened shortly before that? UCLA, White’s alma mater, fired its head coach, Deshaun Foster, on September 14th, a few days before FSU played Kent State on September 20th.