Florida State’s early season struggles have put the program in a position that not many saw coming. After a 13-1 finish in 2023 that included a 12-0 regular season, the Noles’ start in 2024 has been very underwhelming.
The loss of star players such as Jordan Travis, Tatum Bethune and Jared Verse has seen the Seminoles struggle with two losses in ACC play to open the season. With the conference additions of Cal and Stanford, FSU now sits in sole place for the worst team in the conference. But can the Seminoles bounce back against Memphis after the bye this week?
The resurgence of this team starts with the offense. FSU’s inability to run the ball and push the ball down the field via the passing game has to improve. DJ Uiagalelei does not look to be the answer at quarterback to replace Travis. Therefore, Mike Norvell should turn to Brock Glenn to start against his former team next Saturday. As we close in on Florida State hosting Memphis, every position has to improve.
The major problem with Florida State is their discipline. Every play that the Seminoles run, there are miscommunications and mistakes. Norvell has to rally his team and win back the locker room after the abysmal 0-2 start. In those two games, FSU has allowed a total of 52 points and only accounted for 34.
The defense had major issues stopping Boston College signal-caller Thomas Castellanos. Entering the Labor Day game against BC, all eyes were on Uiagalelei and the offense. Yet again, fans were left outraged and unimpressed with the transfer quarterback. The inability to run the ball effectively has Florida State’s offense in a downward spiral. The offensive line is not blocking well, and the running backs cannot find open holes downfield.
If Norvell does not fix the issues quickly, his tenure in Tallahassee could quickly come to an end. The FSU fan base is one that will quickly jump ship on a coach that loses winnable games such as Georgia Tech and Boston College. Florida State has the talent to be a 2-0, top-10 ranked team. But at this point, the discipline has to improve and some players should be replaced for their backups.
The big question surrounding this program is can there be a turnaround and hope for this program to still contend for the ACC? Without a quick fix and roster changes, that answer is no. However, the coaching staff must make changes if the Seminoles want to still be viewed as a contender in the conference and for a quality bowl game.