The College Football Playoff Selection Committee and everyone in college football will be watching Florida State closely on Saturday night. What they will see is a Seminoles defense that continues to improve and has risen to sixth nationally in stop rate.
What is the downtime rate? It’s a basic metric of success: the percentage of defense kicks that end in punts, turnovers or turnovers on downs. This simple metric can provide a more accurate reflection of a defense’s effectiveness in today’s faster-paced college football than yards per game or points per game. We’re now in the seventh year of tracking this statistic (here are the final rankings for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017), along with each defense’s average points per drive.
The impressive performances of offensive playmakers Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson captured most of the attention during Florida State’s run to a perfect 12-0 regular season. Travis’ season-ending leg injury against North Alabama has made his team’s playoff case even more complicated in a year with eight impressive teams vying for four spots.
If the No. 4 Seminoles falter in the ACC Championship game against No. 14 Louisville, they’ll likely be out. Some will want to count them out even if they win, arguing that they’re not a top-four team without a QB1. CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock’s line Tuesday night that the committee selects the four “best” teams, not the four most deserving, raised some eyebrows.
While most will understandably focus on the play of backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker, don’t underestimate the impact Florida State’s defense will have on this round. In defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s first season, this team finished No. 106 nationally with a 55 percent stop rate in 2020. Three years later, he upped that rate to 75 percent.
They win with one of the best passing defenses in the country. Florida State has held four of its last six opponents to less than 100 yards, has more interceptions (nine) than passes allowed (eight) and is No. 1 in the FBS in defensive completion percentage, allowing catches on just 47.6 percent of attempts. When you’re a top-10 pass rushing defense, it makes the job a little easier. Only Iowa and Clemson have forced more punts this season than the Seminoles.
Fuller has built a staff with impressive experience and depth. They have 20 different players who have played at least 200 snaps in a season, and 14 of those 20 are juniors or seniors. Successful additions to the transfer portal — including defensive end Jared Fiers, linebacker Tatum Bethune, cornerback Ventrell Cypress II and defensive tackle Braden Fisk — helped speed up this rebuilding process, but most of these big-time contributors came as high school signees and put in the hard work to develop and raise this program.
Go deeper
Mandel’s mailbag: What’s the outlook for Florida State without Jordan Travis? Texans’ chance at the CFP?
If the Seminoles want to continue to compete for the national title, they will have to play their best against Louisville’s Jeff Brohm offense in Charlotte. The Cardinals also know how to get stops, as they currently rank 18th in stop rate. They’ll have a host of fan bases rooting for them and praying for mayhem on Saturday night. In the tightest CFP race we’ve ever seen, the Seminoles will get the final say. Their defense seems ready to make a serious statement.
How are the rest of the defenses around the country doing with the stop rate? Below are the complete FBS-only stoppage price rankings for the 2023 regular season.
Note: All data is courtesy Trumedia And Focus on professional football.
|
R.K |
defense |
g |
drives |
Stop price |
points/drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
12 |
125 |
81.6% |
0.98 |
|
|
1 |
11 |
125 |
81.6% |
1.04 |
|
|
3 |
12 |
148 |
79.7% |
0.94 |
|
|
4 |
11 |
120 |
78.3% |
1.04 |
|
|
5 |
11 |
122 |
75.4% |
1.39 |
|
|
6 |
11 |
128 |
75% |
1.30 |
|
|
6 |
11 |
136 |
75% |
1.51 |
|
|
8 |
11 |
142 |
74.6% |
1.46 |
|
|
9 |
11 |
140 |
74.3% |
1.50 |
|
|
10 |
11 |
121 |
73.6% |
1.40 |
|
|
11 |
11 |
147 |
73.5% |
1.54 |
|
|
12 |
12 |
139 |
73.4% |
1.57 |
|
|
13 |
11 |
131 |
73.3% |
1.44 |
|
|
14 |
12 |
145 |
73.1% |
1.43 |
|
|
15 |
11 |
113 |
72.6% |
1.49 |
|
|
16 |
11 |
116 |
72.4% |
1.57 |
|
|
17 |
11 |
127 |
71.7% |
1.61 |
|
|
18 |
11 |
126 |
71.4% |
1.74 |
|
|
18 |
12 |
140 |
71.4% |
1.51 |
|
|
20 |
11 |
136 |
71.3% |
1.68 |
|
|
21 |
11 |
129 |
71.3% |
1.41 |
|
|
22 |
11 |
113 |
70.8% |
1.57 |
|
|
23 |
10 |
118 |
70.3% |
1.94 |
|
|
24 |
11 |
120 |
70% |
1.79 |
|
|
25 |
11 |
123 |
69.9% |
1.77 |
|
|
26 |
12 |
138 |
69.6% |
1.83 |
|
|
27 |
11 |
126 |
69% |
1.75 |
|
|
28 |
11 |
112 |
68.8% |
1.79 |
|
|
29 |
12 |
140 |
68.6% |
1.98 |
|
|
30 |
11 |
120 |
68.3% |
1.74 |
|
|
31 |
12 |
148 |
68.2% |
1.71 |
|
|
32 |
11 |
116 |
68.1% |
1.78 |
|
|
33 |
11 |
124 |
67.7% |
1.82 |
|
|
34 |
12 |
123 |
67.5% |
1.85 |
|
|
35 |
11 |
116 |
67.2% |
1.97 |
|
|
36 |
12 |
137 |
67.2% |
2.01 |
|
|
37 |
11 |
123 |
66.7% |
1.93 |
|
|
38 |
11 |
125 |
66.4% |
2.03 |
|
|
39 |
11 |
121 |
66.1% |
2.03 |
|
|
40 |
11 |
118 |
66.1% |
2.09 |
|
|
41 |
11 |
128 |
65.6% |
1.85 |
|
|
42 |
11 |
142 |
65.5% |
2.11 |
|
|
43 |
11 |
133 |
65.4% |
1.97 |
|
|
44 |
11 |
130 |
65.4% |
2.04 |
|
|
44 |
11 |
130 |
65.4% |
1.90 |
|
|
46 |
11 |
121 |
65.3% |
1.84 |
|
|
47 |
11 |
135 |
65.2% |
2.13 |
|
|
48 |
12 |
143 |
65% |
1.97 |
|
|
49 |
11 |
120 |
65% |
2.02 |
|
|
50 |
11 |
122 |
64.8% |
2.03 |
|
|
51 |
11 |
114 |
64% |
2.17 |
|
|
52 |
11 |
139 |
64% |
2.11 |
|
|
53 |
11 |
130 |
63.8% |
2.06 |
|
|
54 |
11 |
135 |
63.7% |
2.12 |
|
|
55 |
11 |
129 |
63.6% |
2.00 |
|
|
56 |
11 |
120 |
63.3% |
2.08 |
|
|
57 |
11 |
117 |
63.2% |
2.14 |
|
|
58 |
11 |
133 |
63.2% |
2.17 |
|
|
59 |
11 |
121 |
62.8% |
2.05 |
|
|
59 |
11 |
121 |
62.8% |
2.14 |
|
|
61 |
11 |
129 |
62.8% |
2.09 |
|
|
62 |
11 |
145 |
62.8% |
2.12 |
|
|
63 |
11 |
126 |
62.7% |
2.15 |
|
|
64 |
11 |
130 |
62.3% |
2.25 |
|
|
65 |
11 |
132 |
62.1% |
2.23 |
|
|
66 |
11 |
131 |
61.8% |
2.25 |
|
|
67 |
11 |
129 |
61.2% |
2.27 |
|
|
68 |
11 |
118 |
61% |
2.07 |
|
|
69 |
11 |
133 |
60.9% |
2.21 |
|
|
70 |
11 |
120 |
60.8% |
2.43 |
|
|
71 |
11 |
130 |
60.8% |
2.31 |
|
|
72 |
11 |
122 |
60.7% |
2.25 |
|
|
73 |
12 |
132 |
60.6% |
2.34 |
|
|
74 |
11 |
129 |
60.5% |
2.18 |
|
|
75 |
11 |
134 |
60.4% |
2.32 |
|
|
76 |
11 |
126 |
60.3% |
2.25 |
|
|
77 |
11 |
133 |
60.2% |
2.51 |
|
|
78 |
11 |
127 |
59.8% |
2.23 |
|
|
79 |
11 |
122 |
59.8% |
2.30 |
|
|
79 |
11 |
122 |
59.8% |
2.33 |
|
|
81 |
12 |
149 |
59.7% |
2.36 |
|
|
82 |
11 |
144 |
59.7% |
2.65 |
|
|
83 |
11 |
139 |
59.7% |
2.50 |
|
|
84 |
11 |
124 |
59.7% |
2.51 |
|
|
85 |
11 |
125 |
59.2% |
2.45 |
|
|
86 |
11 |
115 |
59.1% |
2.28 |
|
|
87 |
11 |
127 |
59.1% |
2.40 |
|
|
88 |
11 |
129 |
58.9% |
2.27 |
|
|
89 |
11 |
146 |
58.9% |
2.54 |
|
|
90 |
11 |
109 |
58.7% |
2.68 |
|
|
91 |
9 |
94 |
58.5% |
2.43 |
|
|
92 |
12 |
141 |
58.2% |
2.35 |
|
|
93 |
11 |
117 |
58.1% |
2.37 |
|
|
94 |
11 |
138 |
58% |
2.62 |
|
|
95 |
11 |
120 |
57.5% |
2.59 |
|
|
95 |
11 |
120 |
57.5% |
2.67 |
|
|
97 |
11 |
117 |
57.3% |
2.46 |
|
|
98 |
11 |
124 |
57.3% |
2.58 |
|
|
99 |
11 |
131 |
57.3% |
2.60 |
|
|
100 |
11 |
128 |
57% |
2.45 |
|
|
101 |
11 |
121 |
57% |
2.69 |
|
|
102 |
12 |
143 |
56.6% |
2.68 |
|
|
103 |
11 |
122 |
56.6% |
2.45 |
|
|
104 |
11 |
117 |
56.4% |
2.76 |
|
|
105 |
11 |
121 |
56.2% |
2.56 |
|
|
106 |
12 |
146 |
56.2% |
2.73 |
|
|
107 |
11 |
129 |
55.8% |
2.69 |
|
|
108 |
11 |
124 |
55.6% |
2.66 |
|
|
109 |
11 |
137 |
55.5% |
2.53 |
|
|
110 |
11 |
130 |
55.4% |
2.42 |
|
|
111 |
11 |
134 |
55.2% |
2.63 |
|
|
111 |
11 |
134 |
55.2% |
2.66 |
|
|
113 |
11 |
125 |
55.2% |
2.66 |
|
|
114 |
12 |
129 |
55% |
2.82 |
|
|
115 |
11 |
119 |
54.6% |
2.80 |
|
|
116 |
11 |
130 |
54.6% |
2.56 |
|
|
116 |
11 |
130 |
54.6% |
3.14 |
|
|
118 |
11 |
134 |
54.5% |
2.84 |
|
|
119 |
11 |
129 |
54.3% |
2.66 |
|
|
120 |
11 |
124 |
54% |
2.90 |
|
|
121 |
11 |
128 |
53.9% |
2.88 |
|
|
122 |
11 |
118 |
53.4% |
2.65 |
|
|
123 |
11 |
133 |
52.6% |
3.06 |
|
|
124 |
11 |
120 |
50.8% |
3.10 |
|
|
125 |
11 |
122 |
50.8% |
3.16 |
|
|
126 |
12 |
127 |
50.4% |
3.02 |
|
|
127 |
11 |
131 |
49.6% |
2.93 |
|
|
128 |
11 |
123 |
49.6% |
2.89 |
|
|
129 |
11 |
129 |
48.8% |
3.05 |
|
|
130 |
11 |
123 |
48.8% |
3.19 |
|
|
131 |
11 |
128 |
47.7% |
3.16 |
|
|
132 |
11 |
127 |
47.2% |
3.33 |
|
|
133 |
11 |
114 |
41.2% |
3.40 |
(Photo: Maddy Meyer/Getty Images)