Coach Mike Norvell Has No Real Answers After Another Abysmal FSU Loss Amid One Of The Worst Seasons In School History

Florida State Football’s Struggles: Talent on Paper, Disappointment on the Field

The Florida State Seminoles are experiencing a frustrating reality in the 2024 season. With a roster filled with talent and a coaching staff led by Mike Norvell, the team’s 23-4 record over the past two years set high expectations. However, the Seminoles have faltered, dropping games to teams with inferior talent. The situation has prompted many to question the decisions made, particularly at the quarterback position and the overall execution on both sides of the ball.

Quarterback Struggles: DJ Uiagalelei’s Underperformance

One of the most glaring issues this season is the underwhelming play of transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. After showing promise at Oregon State in 2023, Uiagalelei was expected to bring stability and leadership to the Seminoles’ offense. Unfortunately, he has not met those expectations. Inconsistent throws, poor decision-making, and costly turnovers have hampered the team’s offensive performance.

Uiagalelei’s lackluster outing against SMU epitomized the struggles. He finished the game 16-of-30 for 201 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Despite brief flashes of brilliance, including a 67-yard pass to Malik Benson that led to a touchdown, the offense as a whole remained stagnant. The failure to capitalize on opportunities and frequent miscommunications left FSU scrambling for answers.

Offensive Woes: A Systemic Breakdown

FSU’s offensive line was supposed to be one of the team’s biggest strengths this season. However, the line has struggled with physicality, playing soft and failing to provide consistent protection for the quarterback or open up running lanes. As a result, Florida State’s running game has been nearly nonexistent, with Lawrance Toafili being one of the few bright spots, occasionally making things happen on his own.

The tight ends have also been a disappointment, with Kyle Morlock’s crucial drop in the third quarter against SMU symbolizing the unit’s inefficacy. Wide receivers have had difficulty getting open and rarely make contested catches, further stifling an offense that has been described as worse than even the 2018 team—a low point in FSU’s modern history.

Despite being known as an offensive-minded coach, Norvell’s offense has become the team’s weakest link. As the head coach himself put it, “Offensively today, it was pretty easy to see it was a very disappointing performance.” The Seminoles finished the first half against SMU with just 67 yards of total offense, ending the game with only 238 yards after a brief second-half surge.

Defensive Resilience But Lack of Support

The defense, while not without flaws, has been left in untenable situations by the offense. Against SMU, the Seminoles gave up 42 points, but at least 14 of those came directly from offensive turnovers. The defense has improved but continues to falter at critical moments, especially on third and fourth downs. Memphis converted 7-of-17 third downs and 2-of-3 fourth downs, keeping FSU’s defense on the field and grinding down any momentum they tried to build.

“I thought the defense had good moments, still too many times we aren’t getting off the field in third down situations,” Norvell said after the loss.

Norvell’s Challenge: Turning Talent Into Results

Norvell’s disappointment is palpable, especially given the team’s preparation each week. “I was extremely disappointed with the outcome,” Norvell said. “The things that we work and emphasize throughout the course of the week, preseason, offseason, things that are critically important to being successful are not showing up as consistent as we need them to be.”

He remains confident that the team has more potential than what’s been shown on the field. However, after an 0-3 start to the season, translating that belief into tangible results has proven difficult.

The Road Ahead

As the season continues, Norvell and his coaching staff will need to make significant adjustments if they hope to salvage what remains of the 2024 campaign. Fixing the quarterback situation, addressing offensive line issues, and getting more out of a talented but underperforming roster will be key to turning things around.

For now, though, the Seminoles find themselves in a precarious position—loaded with talent but unable to make it count where it matters most: on the field.

 

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