Mentioned in the September defense overview article were linebackers Terrance Smith and Ro’Derrick Hoskins — two players who have impressed so far in 2015. The former isn’t too surprising since Smith is a fifth-year senior who seems to always make important plays when needed.
The latter Hoskins is who many are wondering about. He’s a redshirt sophomore who played sparingly in 2014 before finally getting his first career start against Boston College. With all the questions surrounding the depth and injury issues at linebacker, he seems to be a breath of fresh air for frustrated Florida State fans.
Both players were instrumental in stifling a potent Boston College rushing attack on Friday night. Between forced fumbles and plugged running lanes, Smith and Hoskins formed a dynamic duo that will most likely be here for the rest of the season. Each have instincts and discipline that give FSU some security in the position.
The 14-0 victory over Boston College was probably one of the best games for both players. They combined for 13 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and a forced fumble in what was a defensive chess match. We will be looking at the game tape for each of them and providing context to their performances. There’s too many snaps to have each one get analyzed, so we will try to limit our focus onto plays where they had a noticeable impact. For example: A run stopped in the backfield by the defensive end where neither were near the play will not make the review.
We will once again try to answer the question: Did the numbers back up the play?
1st Quarter
7:11 – Both Hoskins and Smith see that the run is heading to the right. Hoskins is able to push through a cluster of linemen to wrap up the ball-carrier for only a 1-yard gain.
2:25 – Smith does a great job of getting around the right side of the offensive line and being the first one to meet BC running back Jon Hilliman. Play results in a loss of one. Good recognition by the senior.
:56 – Hoskins shows how strong he is with this tackle behind the line again. He tosses his blocker to the side before wrapping up yet another run play from the Eagles. So far the right side of the line has not been kind to Boston College, as Smith, Hoskins and others are doing whatever they want over there.
First Quarter Summary: Ro’Derrick Hoskins’ strength was on full display this quarter with him tossing blockers left and right to get to the play. Both linebackers showed a great ability to gravitate towards a play before the runners were ever able to get momentum.
2nd Quarter
15:00 – The play is a read-option with Boston College quarterback Darius Wade pulling it and trying to run to the left side. Smith follows the running back while Hoskins stays on the quarterback. Initially, it looks like Wade will get a chunk of yardage since Hoskins is met by a tackle on the left side. However, he gets great leverage with his arms and is able to separate himself enough to bring down Wade for a small 2-yard gain. While this is partly the result of an inexperienced lineman, it is also a great move by Hoskins to not get tangled up in the block.
14:20 – Another option play, this time though it’s a pitch-option to the right. Neither Hoskins nor Smith bite too hard on any potential ball-carrier, so Wade decides to keep it and try to run where his blockers are. This is a play where the offensive line seems more at fault than anything else. Terrance Smith weaves his way past the linemen for the tackle, but it’s not an especially hard play to make. At least two linemen (No. 72 and No. 77) had ample room to block him but they just weren’t aware enough to see the linebacker streaking across the field.
:50 – The option handoff does not fool Smith and he sprints over to the left and makes the stop for a 4-yard loss on second down. Josh Sweat was the catalyst on this play by commanding attention from almost three blockers to help stop him from making an even bigger tackle for loss. Smith took advantage of the push and made a big play on second down.
Second Quarter Summary: Boston College’s offense started to rely much more on the option plays to try and establish some sort of run game. This is where Smith really begins to shine, because he did not once lose his bearings or gamble incorrectly on any of them. It’s clear that the senior is by far one of the most disciplined players on the defense and a guy coaches can rely on to make the right decision.
3rd Quarter
12:24 – A pitch-option to the left is the play call, but it is very well defended by FSU. Josh Sweat is able to force Wade into tossing it to the running back, who gains four yards before Smith tackles him short of the first down. Part of what makes Smith so reliable is his tackling — when he wraps up, he stops the player in his tracks. He rarely allows extra yards to be gained after the first contact. This stop was crucial because Boston College was driving and looked like it had gained some sort of rhythm. Reggie Northrup was also having a bit of rough time with his assignments during the series. Smith making the tackle before the first down marker was more valuable than initially thought at the time.
8:55 – Smith gets called to blitz on this 3rd-and-7 and provides enough pressure to force Wade to pass before he was ready to. While he didn’t record get any statistic for this play, he was instrumental in yet another third down stop.
6:30 – This is a rare instance where we see Smith drop back in coverage on pass defense. The wide receiver goes in motion to the right side and Smith makes sure to meet him early to prevent himself from getting beat in a one-on-one situation. Wade quickly realizes that none of his options are open and he tries to run for it. Nile Lawrence-Stample is there for the stop.
1:24 – The tackle by Hoskins isn’t the best part of this play, even if it was a good stop for no gain. What impresses the most is how he was the first one on the defense to react to the snap. The reason he was able to make the tackle in the first place was due to his split second reaction at the very beginning of the play. After that, he just pushed his blocker inside and was able to restrict the Eagles to a 1-yard gain.
:42 – Wade scrambles for a first down to help Boston College get out of the shadow of its own end zone, but blame can be attributed to a lot of players on this run. Jacob Pugh got too aggressive going for the safety and the BC guard pushed him aside to make a huge hole for Wade to escape through. Hoskins dropped back pretty far in coverage and there was some confusion in the secondary. Smith, Hoskins, and Jalen Ramsey combine for the tackle.
:07 – A read-option play is snuffed out by Hoskins, who disrupts the play enough for Jalen Ramsey to finish it. Even though he didn’t make the tackle, Hoskins exploded past the line and was able to force the runner into swinging more outside than he intended to. Another play where a number won’t be written down but an impact was clearly made.
Third Quarter Summary: Impact is felt in ways that statistics can’t truly measure no matter how much they try. While Smith and Hoskins didn’t make any spectacular highlight-worthy plays, both prevented any sort of offensive consistency from the Eagles. Boston College was stopped on both the inside and outside runs due in part or solely because of both linebackers.
4th Quarter
13:15 – Boston College attempts a bit of a trick play with the pitch-option reverse. Unfortunately for them, Smith was not fooled and is the first defender to notice the crossing receiver. He sprints over to the right side and delivers a brutal hit to the runner for a loss of one. Perhaps the most exciting stop of the game, save for one fumble return.
12:32 – The delayed handoff is stopped by Demarcus Christmas in the backfield, but the play isn’t over as Terrance Smith comes in and knocks the ball loose with his helmet. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey scoops up the fumble and runs 36 yards for a touchdown. This is the type of play-making that has made Smith such a mainstay in the FSU lineup. He has the ability to completely change a game on even the simplest of defensive tackles.
5:03 – Boston College’s last attempt to score is an pitch-option play with the backup quarterback on 4th-and-2. Smith makes a fitting end to the game by meeting the quarterback behind the line and forcing him into the arms of DeMarcus Walker.
Fourth Quarter Summary: Terrance Smith stole the show in the final quarter with three plays that basically sealed the victory for the Seminoles. He stunted a potentially big run, forced a fumble that gave FSU a two-score lead, and ended Boston College’s hopes on its final offensive play. Wherever the ‘Noles needed him, Smith was there.
Overall
Smith’s performance was not the surprising part of the this film review. Hoskins and his play was what immediately stuck out. Many thought that it would be Terrance Smith and Reggie Northrup dominating the snaps with the others only getting some rotational play. Turns out that Hoskins is too talented to keep off the field for an extended period of time. What he might lack in straight line speed, he makes up for in pure power; he’s a strong bull rusher and almost never gets pushed back when he engages with a blocker.
That being said, it’s important to realize that Boston College’s offensive line was incredibly young and not indicative of what others opponents will have. Both Smith and Hoskins benefited from players outright missing blocks or just not delivering good ones. The Eagles were often out of place or jumbled up in one area that allowed the linebackers a straight path towards the ball-carrier or passer. Better teams will not make life so easy for the defense.
Regardless of the level of competition, both Smith and Hoskins showed traits that will be valuable for a young Seminole defense still trying to figure out its strengths. Disciplined football with physical play provides a good blueprint to at least slowing down opposing offenses.
Featured image courtesy of Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports
