Florida State’s offense has produced plenty of fireworks through two games, scoring more than 100 points and filling up highlight reels. Many of the preseason questions on that side of the ball have been answered for the moment. But what about the defense? What have we learned about that group?

From a numbers perspective, allowing only 20 points in two games is a great start for new defensive coordinator Tony White. Alabama dropped 73 on Louisiana-Monroe last weekend after being held to 17 by the Seminoles in the season opener. The Crimson Tide averaged 45 points per game in 2024.

East Texas A&M managed only a garbage time field goal against FSU, despite scoring two touchdowns and totaling 351 yards against a ranked SMU team in Week One. The Lions mustered 70 yards in the first half , gathering the rest of their 173 total yards against Seminole reserves.

Both performances look great on paper, though there is a perception that Alabama as a program has slipped from its usual elite level. East Texas A&M is a middle-tier FCS team. 

White spoke to reporters this week and offered a mixture of praise and critique for his side of the ball. He’s happy with the results, but he believes the individual and group performances both have room to improve.

“If you’re watching tape to be happy, yeah, great,” he said. “For where we want to go and what this group can do, there are a lot of opportunities to grow.”

One of the primary areas for improvement that White sees is creating more turnovers. Through two games, his defense has two interceptions. The group has also forced two fumbles, but both were recovered by the offense.

White expects that the team will need more of those game-changing plays to win close games. Interceptions can be unpredictable, with so much dependent on the decision-making of opposing quarterbacks.

Instead, White said he has seen openings to get the ball from the quarterback before he even attempts to throw it.

“We had multiple opportunities — where these quarterbacks are running around back there — to have sack-caused fumbles,” he said.

Quarterbacks on the run can be prone to mistakes, especially when holding onto the ball with just one hand. Being aggressive, White added, is the key to creating turnovers in those situations. Or, as he corrected one reporter’s question, creating takeaways.

“We like to say takeaways,” he said. “We take the ball away when we’re aggressive.”

FSU’s defense has been aggressive toward opposing quarterbacks, with six sacks, five quarterback hurries and 16 tackles for loss.

Going forward, we may see more of that pressure focused not just on getting to the player with the ball, but on getting the ball away from him. If White’s group is successful, it ought to make life even easier on head coach Mike Norvell. Both of FSU’s “takeaways” this year have resulted in touchdowns. 

The Seminoles are off this weekend before a final tune-up against Kent State on Sept. 20. The Seminoles then play eight consecutive ACC games before finishing the regular season against in-state rival Florida. How White’s unit performs in that stretch, and especially how many times it can take the ball away, will be a major factor in FSU’s quest to return to national relevance. 

TOP 10 SEMINOLES: Following their 2-0 start, Florida State has rocketed from unranked to No. 10 in the country, with awards rolling in along the way. CLICK HERE

5 TAKEAWAYS FROM 77-3 WIN: Sure, it may have been an FCS opponent, but there was still plenty to be learned as FSU routed East Texas A&M. These are our five takeaways. CLICK HERE