Mackey Winner Butt Brings Challenge for FSU

There is plenty that Florida State should be worried about when it faces No. 6 Michigan in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, but on the defensive side of the ball, one guy FSU will need to account for is the Michigan tight end.

Jake Butt, a 6-6 senior, took home the John Mackey Award on Thursday which annually goes to the nation’s best tight end. Playing in a run-first offense, Butt for the season has 43 catches for 518 yards and four touchdowns.

The Dec. 30 Orange Bowl will mark the sixth time that FSU has had to face a Mackey Award winner. As one can observe from the chart below, slowing them down has been a struggle for the Seminoles. The chart shows how the Seminoles fared against Mackey winners during their Mackey Award season:

If there is any historical consolation for FSU, it might be that the most pedestrian day from a Mackey Award winning tight end came in the Orange Bowl. Following the 2003 season, the Seminoles met Miami for a second time and though they again came up on the short end of a 16-14 score, they largely held Kellen Winslow in check.

More concerning for FSU however, is how it how it fared against elite tight ends this season. In the opener against Ole Miss, Evan Engram caught nine passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Clemson’s Jordan Leggett put up similar numbers with five grabs for 122 yards and the game-winning touchdown. N.C. State’s hybrid tight end Jaylen Samuels finished with 60 yards and a touchdown on just seven touches. The Seminoles dodged a bullet against Wake Forest as Cam Serigne was unable to play.

Covering Butt will be a team effort among mostly the team’s linebackers and safeties. FSU’s corps of linebackers have been a noticeable liability in pass coverage this season, but that group could be aided by a pass-rush that leads the nation in sacks.

When it comes to Butt, the Seminoles will need to account for him most in the red zone and on third down. Those are two areas where the Florida State defense has excelled of late.

During FSU’s 4-game winning streak, the Seminoles are holding opponents to just 12-for-57 on third down — a 21 percent rate — and have allowed just two touchdowns and four scores in seven red zone trips. Opposing tight ends over that span have combined for just six catches for 65 yards.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson