Raleigh, N.C. - Willie Taggart's "Lethal Simplicity" offense has been anything but so far this season.

Despite skill talent galore, the Seminoles have struggled to execute offensively and entered Saturday averaging 21.4 points per game against FBS competition, 108th out of 130 FBS teams.

That's part of why FSU's head coach elected to turn the offensive playcalling duties over to offensive coordinator Walt Bell ahead of Saturday's game at North Carolina State.

It may not have affected the result as the Seminoles (4-5, 2-5 in ACC) fell 47-28 to the Wolfpack (6-2, 3-2), but the offense showed signs of life.

The Seminoles averaged 6.5 yards per play against N.C. State, more than in all but one game this season (6.93 vs. Wake Forest).

"In the moment, I thought he did a good job," Taggart said of Bell.

"We've got to execute, we've got to put our guys in a position to execute, but for the most part, I thought he did a good job, just, again, without watching the film or anything."

In each of his previous eight seasons as a head coach and his first seven games at FSU, Taggart had handled playcalling duties himself from the sideline.

Realizing he may be needed elsewhere, Taggart handed the duties over to Bell, who called plays in his previous job as Maryland's offensive coordinator.

"I think that our football team, where we're at right now, we have a fragile football team that's been through a lot over this last two years. I think our entire football team needs me in other areas than where I was," Taggart said.

"I'm making sure I'm giving all my time and effort to our entire football team and coaches to make sure that we get everything right."

The Seminoles outgained the Wolfpack 445-417 and showed some progress on offense. It marks just the second time this season FSU has surpassed 400 yards of offense against an ACC opponent.

The team said afterwards, however, that the difference between the two's styles was negligible.

"No, sir," Blackman said of if he noticed a difference in Bell's playcalling from Taggart's.

"They work together. They go over gameplan together so I feel like the plays coach Bell called, coach (Taggart) would have called the same plays."

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Second-year breakout

FSU had its best passing game of the season – and since 2014 – against the Wolfpack with 421 yards and four touchdowns.

The Seminoles had 29 catches in the game and 26 of those receptions came from players in their second year in the program.

Wide receivers D.J. Matthews and Tamorrion Terry led the way for the FSU offense.

Terry was a big-play machine against the Wolfpack with five receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns. That doesn’t include the 59-yard reception that was wiped off the board due to a penalty.

He averaged 28.4 yards per reception in the game.

“I feel like nobody can stop me,” Terry said.

“I just know that once the ball gets in the air, it’s mine. I just try to get every ball that comes to me.”

Terry is one of the hardest working players on FSU’s roster and gives everything he has on every play, even if the ball isn’t coming his way.

He’s just as good of a blocker as he is a receiver, even though it’s much less flashy.

“I wish everybody played like him,” Taggart said.

“I wish our o-line, quarterback, our receivers, linebackers, I wish everybody played like the kid. He makes plays for us. It was good to see out of him, making those plays. We know he’s capable of doing that week in and week out.

"He does a great job of going and getting the ball and he’s a great player for us.”

Matthews finished the game with a team-high 10 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.

It was the first time since 2016 that FSU has had two players finish a game with more than 100 receiving yards. Bobo Wilson had 120 yards and Dalvin Cook had 106 yards in that game.

Tight end Tre’ McKitty (five catches for 57 yards), running back Cam Akers (four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown), and wide receiver Ontaria Wilson (two catches for 13 yards) were the other second-year players to catch passes.

Senior wide receiver Nyqwan Murray (two catches for 35 yards) and junior wide receiver Keith Gavin (one catch for 11 yards) were the only other players to catch passes.

Red zone defense tested

N.C. State held the ball so much and moved it so efficiently that it almost seemed to live in the red zone.

It didn't help that the Wolfpack's average starting field position was its own 42-yard line.

The Wolfpack made eight trips to the red zone and came away with points all eight times.

It's the second time this season FSU has allowed eight red zone trips, but the Seminoles allowed just six scores in eight trips against Syracuse.

Eight red zone scores are the most allowed by FSU in a game since at least 2008.

"It was a good feeling the whole game," N.C. State center Garrett Bradbury said.

"I thought we were in rhythm and controlled the game the whole game."

FSU entered Saturday allowing scores on red zone trips just 78.79 percent of the time, 34th among FBS teams.

Saturday's performance skews that up to 82.93 percent, moving them down to 57th before factoring in the rest of Saturday's results.

One of the only bright spots was FSU holding N.C. State to field goals on three of those eight trips.

"I'm sure we'll be upset about a few things, specifically red zone offense," Bradbury added.

Still, FSU's red zone touchdown percentage allowed this season went up from 60.61 percent to 60.98 in the loss.

Florida State at No. 3 Notre Dame

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

TV/Radio: ABC/103.1 FM