Is it too late for Florida State to turn its season around?
-
Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State coach Mike Norvell has dealt with 0-2 starts. Bad home losses. Negativity. Quarterbacks getting booed.
Never, however, as a defending conference champion.
And never as a top-10 team.
Coming off a season when Florida State was left out of the College Football Playoff as an undefeated conference champion, Norvell had plenty on his plate: rebuilding a roster, developing leadership and getting his team past a snub that continued to sting months later.
He felt good about his plan, telling ESPN in July, “This has been arguably the best offseason I’ve ever been a part of. The way that they approached our winter drills, spring practice, summer, the work has been there. It’s a fast, explosive, powerful football team.”
But Florida State’s first two games exposed not only flaws in what should have been team strengths but also a general lack of cohesion and leadership that has led to mistrust on the field. What’s more, all of this played out with a national television audience watching and with the school’s lawsuit against the ACC challenging the grant of rights as a backdrop.
The Seminoles have not looked fast, explosive or powerful. Rather, they allowed Georgia Tech and Boston College to be the aggressors, dictating exactly how the first two games of the season would go. Meanwhile, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins will miss his third game Saturday as he serves an NCAA-mandated three-game suspension for recruiting violations.
Norvell has vowed to be better as his team attempts to hit the reset button on its season against Memphis.
The question, of course, is this: Is it too late?
AS THE GAME clock wound down against Boston College, the Florida State sideline was as quiet as the rest of the stadium. Athletic director Michael Alford stood with his arms crossed, looking up at the scoreboard, disbelief settling in over a 28-13 loss that would drop the Seminoles from preseason No. 10 to outside the AP Top 25.
Another Florida State official used the word “bewilderment” to describe the scene. Norvell glared straight ahead as he ran off the field. Nobody — from Alford to Norvell to the coaching staff and players — expected to start 0-2.
Florida State was supposed to be past all this after Norvell elevated the program from irrelevance to an ACC title in four years. Perhaps the lowest point came in 2021 when the team got off to an 0-4 start and quarterback Jordan Travis was booed so badly he considered quitting football. From that point to the 2023 ACC championship game, Florida State went 28-6.
If the Seminoles engendered any sympathy after getting left out of the playoffs, it quickly dissipated after the school opted to sue the ACC to get out of the league. The team’s 0-2 start has drawn widespread ridicule on social media and whispers in ACC circles about karma being delivered to the two schools that have filed lawsuits (Clemson having lost 34-3 to Georgia in Week 1).
The lawsuits, however, have nothing to do with the on-field performance. The snub did send the program reeling, at least in the short term. For four years, Norvell had told his players that if they put in the work, the reward would follow. Except in the case of the playoff, it had not, leading to anger and a crisis in confidence.
Nearly a quarter of the roster either opted out of last season’s Orange Bowl or entered the transfer portal; Florida State lost that game to Georgia 63-3. Ten players off its 2023 roster were drafted, including Travis, receiver Keon Coleman, defensive end Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
Players throughout the offseason, and at ACC Kickoff, lamented the snub and vowed not to fall short of the playoff again. Asked whether the playoff snub has lingered this year, receiver Kentron Poitier delivered an emphatic no.
“It ain’t about last year, it’s about this year,” Poitier said. “Yeah, we talk a little bit about [the snub], but this is a whole new team.”
Norvell, meanwhile, had conversations with Alabama in January about replacing Nick Saban. But he stayed at Florida State and earned a contract extension that will pay him $10 million a year until 2031. At the time, he said, “There’s a lot of excitement around our program. I’m just excited to continue to build upon the foundation that’s been laid.”
Florida State dipped into the transfer portal again to rebuild. Since his arrival, Norvell has been strategic about the type of players he has brought into the program. Early on, he brought in players with multiple years of eligibility to help lay a foundation, including Verse, Trey Benson and Jammie Robinson. Florida State rose back to an elite level thanks in large part to the portal evaluations the program made — from Verse, Fiske and Coleman to Johnny Wilson, Benson, Jermaine Johnson, Keir Thomas and Robinson.
This year, though, Norvell wanted to add complementary players to a roster that returned 82 players — many of whom Norvell recruited. In his mind, the foundation had been set, and the Seminoles wanted to rely on their role players taking on bigger starting roles while using portal players to complement what they already had.
The Seminoles signed 17 transfers this time around, bringing in a top-10 portal class. The Seminoles knew they had to bring in a veteran quarterback with Travis gone and Brock Glenn still in need of development. They targeted the two biggest names: Cam Ward and DJ Uiagalelei. The quarterbacks visited on the same weekend in December.
Ward had also visited Miami and told ESPN in a previous interview that he made it clear to both coaching staffs that he planned to declare for the NFL draft but would keep his options open to return to college. “A lot of schools wanted to rush my decision, but I was going to do it on my time no matter what,” Ward said. Ultimately, Uiagalelei committed to the Seminoles on Jan. 1; Ward declared for the draft the same day but did not sign with an agent. He changed his mind and decided to play at Miami, committing Jan. 13.
Uiagalelei had previously played in the ACC, starting his career at Clemson before going to Oregon State for 2023. From the beginning, there were questions about whether he would be able to play at an elite level at his third school. One opposing coach observed, “I just never felt like that guy was a championship quarterback. He’s just never been able to be accurate.”
Two games in, Uiagalelei has been erratic at best, and he was booed against Boston College, where the crowd also chanted for the backup, Glenn. In two games, Uiagalelei has thrown for 465 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he is averaging just 6.7 yards per completion.
The other portal additions have been quiet, too. Defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., whom the staff raved about all spring and summer, has been neutralized as a threat (two total tackles). Alabama transfer receiver Malik Benson ranks third on the team in receiving yards. Roydell Williams leads the team in rushing but is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry.
Asked after the Boston College game whether he had missed on his portal evaluations, Norvell responded tersely, “Obviously I’ve not done a good job putting our guys in a position to showcase what I believe that they are. So I’ll be better.”
But the issues go beyond the portal players. Between 2020 and 2023, Florida State signed 25 ESPN 300 players; 13 remain on the team. Three are starters. Players Florida State wants to rely on — including DJ Lundy and defensive end Pat Payton — had to be persuaded to return to the Seminoles in the first place. In December, Payton threatened to enter the portal before changing his mind; Lundy entered the portal, and committed to Colorado, before opting to stay with the Seminoles.
What also has been glaring is the lack of leadership. Perhaps the staff thought replacing 10 NFL draft picks would not be as difficult as it has been, both from a standpoint of production and leadership. “Travis, Verse and Fiske were all next-level guys who had been through the battles, and they don’t have it this year,” another opposing coach said.
Florida State worked the entire offseason on this needed intangible. Norvell held a retreat for the veterans who made up his leadership council in January, six months earlier than usual, understanding he had a new group that had big shoes to fill. Players in March discussed the need to get to know each other better, identifying three key words to building a successful team: relationships, accountability and mindset.
At a team meeting the day before spring practice began, center Maurice Smith told his teammates to get out of their comfort zones and start building relationships with guys outside their position groups: “We’re not here for NIL,” Smith told them. “We’re here to create a team and make a run. We only go as far as our relationship goes.”
Asked about the opportunity for players to step up in the face of adversity to emerge as leaders, Norvell admitted, “There’s an open door for that. I don’t want a team that waits for the adversity for the people to arise, but it’s also necessity that in these moments, when it does happen, who are you? What is the true core identity?”
After the Boston College game, Poitier and linebackers Lundy and Cam Riley said multiple times that players had to start trusting each other.
“I would probably say really believing in each other, trusting our brothers, knowing if a safety is in the fit, just trusting he’s going to be there and not being hesitant and second-guessing yourself,” Riley said.
A third opposing coach noted that it usually takes a few games before a team identity emerges, something that has become more challenging in the portal era with a revolving roster door. “Internally how you hold it together is even more challenging,” the coach said.
PERHAPS MOST DISCONCERTING to those close to the program is the performance against Boston College. Florida State lost to Georgia Tech on a last-second field goal on a different continent. Against the Eagles at home, Florida State got dominated across the board and, by the end of the game, looked like a team that had given up.
In both games, Florida State failed to both run the ball and stop the run, a head-scratcher to those around the program because the coaching staff believed its offensive and defensive lines would give Florida State an opportunity to contend again.
Florida State returned the most experienced offensive line in the ACC with 190 starts and two preseason All-ACC players in Smith and tackle Darius Washington. With added depth in their running back room, the Seminoles felt they could be a dominant run team and rely on Uiagalelei to be a complementary player, allowing him to thrive without putting the pressure of an entire offense on his shoulders.
The first drive of the season against Georgia Tech showcased exactly that — five rushes for 58 yards, two passes for 17. But since that drive, Florida State has not been able to run with any consistency. The Seminoles have routinely lost their one-on-one matchups, making it far more difficult to run. In two games, they have 119 total yards and are averaging 0.92 yards before contact — the worst under Norvell.
Not only that, the running backs were simply not involved against Boston College. Florida State had four designed runs for running backs in the first half, the fewest in the first half of a game by an ACC team since Duke had four against Boston College in 2011.
Although Florida State did not call many designed runs for Travis last season, he always brought the threat to run; that simply does not exist with Uiagalelei, a dynamic that has affected the way defenses have decided to play Florida State. The fact that Georgia Tech and Boston College — two teams that ranked last in the ACC in rushing defense a year ago — have shut down the Seminoles is particularly galling to those close to the program.
One factor at play is Atkins’ suspension. The NCAA handed down a three-game suspension and two-year show-cause penalty stemming from recruiting violations in 2022. Although Norvell calls the plays, Atkins is hands-on with the offensive line over the course of the game and has the best feel for when to make rotations, substitutions and specific line calls. He is not allowed to be with the team on game day, including for pregame walk-throughs and planning.
The Florida State defensive front has not been much better. The Seminoles have allowed 453 yards rushing in two games, the most they have allowed in their first two games of a season since at least 2000.
One coach who watched the opener against Georgia Tech used the word “tender” to describe the defense. Norvell said he noticed players pressing to make plays against Boston College and “trying to do almost too much.”
“That’s on the linebackers and the D-line,” Lundy said. “We’ve got to play better. Teams can’t be able to run the ball on us. We’ve got to figure out how to stop the run, and we’re going to do that, I promise you.”
There seems to be a clear disconnect between what is happening in practice and what is happening on the field. Asked why what is happening in practice is not happening in games, Lundy said, “We just got to be better at executing our game plan. We’ve got to be more disciplined, more fundamental. We’ve got to do what we do in practice. But it’s all going to come down to execution.”
AD Alford has never wavered in his belief in Norvell, even when Florida State started 0-4 in 2021 and people wondered whether the coach was on the hot seat. Alford told ESPN in a phone interview last week, “I’ve got full faith in Mike and the team. We live in such a competitive arena every day, and we know what it takes to endure tough times. We have that unconquered spirit here. They’re going to be fine. They’ll get it fixed.”
BACK IN JULY, when Norvell spoke with ESPN during ACC Kickoff, he spoke about the challenges in pushing Florida State even further — to a place where the Seminoles compete not just for ACC championships but for national championships.
Two months later, his words sound more prescient than ever.
“The closer you get to the tip of the mountain, the steeper it gets. You miss a step there, and it can be a tumble, and we’ve seen that happen within our own program years back. … Now it’s time to go take another step,” Norvell said. “It’s time to be better than what we’ve been, and the challenges, the adversity, all those things, they’re going to show up. We haven’t arrived. But there’s also a lot of excitement.”
Now is the time to see what type of response and leadership Florida State has on its 2024 team before it’s too late.
“Our program is built off responding,” Lundy said. “There’s a lot of season left, and we’ve got to decide what we’re going to make the season to be. We’ve got to come together. It’s all on us. Coach likes to take the blame, but it’s on us.”
-
Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
With schools playing as many as 16 games this season in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff format, we waited a little longer than usual to unveil our 2024 ESPN All-America team.
Postseason performances should matter, especially when you’re talking about up to four games.
Headlining the team is Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who turned in All-America performances at three spots. (We limited him to one position on our list.) The receiver/cornerback was the cornerstone of a Colorado team that won nine games in 2024 after suffering through seven straight losing seasons.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts are the only repeat selections from last season. Ohio State and Texas each have three first-team selections to lead the way, and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith is the only true freshman on the team.
OFFENSE
Ward made the most of his one season at Miami after transferring from Washington State. A Heisman Trophy finalist, he tied for the FBS lead by accounting for 44 touchdowns (39 passing, 4 rushing and 1 receiving) on the ACC’s No. 1 offense and threw just seven interceptions in 454 pass attempts. Ward, who started his career in the FCS ranks at Incarnate Word, had 10 games with at least 300 passing yards and set a Miami record with 4,313 passing yards.
Second team: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
The mere fact that Jeanty made a run at Barry Sanders’ hallowed NCAA rushing record of 2,628 yards tells you everything you need to know about Jeanty’s 2024 season. He led the country with 2,601 rushing yards and scored 30 touchdowns. Jeanty was the Heisman Trophy runner-up to Hunter, and defenses aligned to stop him all season. Even so, he entered the Fiesta Bowl with 1,882 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus, which was more than any other FBS player had in total rushing yards.
Second team: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Everybody in and around Arizona State’s program already knew Skattebo was an elite running back, but he showed the rest of the country in his two postseason outings. Skattebo finished second to Jeanty with 1,711 rushing yards and had 21 touchdowns. He also caught 45 passes, and in the Big 12 championship game win over Iowa State and playoff loss to Texas, he rolled up 450 all-purpose yards and accounted for six touchdowns, one a 42-yard pass in the Sun Devils’ double-overtime loss to Texas.
Second team: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who has been a head coach at the NFL and collegiate levels, said he has never had a receiver like Smith, with his blend of size, speed and ability to track the ball in tight coverage. A true freshman, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Smith was uncoverable in the Buckeyes’ first two playoff games, with four touchdown catches and 290 receiving yards. He’s tied for third nationally with 14 touchdown receptions and averages 17.3 yards per catch.
Second team: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Nash is the first San José State player to be named a consensus All-American. The 6-3, 195-pound redshirt senior became the fourth player in FBS history to earn the receiving triple crown in the regular season with 104 catches, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches. Nash had 39 catches of 15 yards or longer, according to Pro Football Focus, and 71 catches resulting in a first down, leading the nation in both categories. He also threw two touchdown passes this season.
Second team: Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Warren came to Penn State as a quarterback, and that athleticism was on full display in his sensational redshirt senior season. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and 13 combined touchdowns (8receiving, 4 rushing and 1 passing). The 6-6, 261-pound Warren became the first tight end in Big Ten history to catch 100 passes in a season and won the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football.
Second team: Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
Despite a left ankle injury that sidelined him for the SEC championship game, Banks was the centerpiece of a Texas offensive line that paved the way for one of the most balanced offenses in the country. The Longhorns were one of six FBS teams to average more than 275 passing yards and 160 rushing yards per game. The 6-4, 320-pound junior won the Lombardi Award this season as the nation’s best collegiate lineman and has been a starter at left tackle since his true freshman season.
Second team: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Jackson’s versatility has been a huge part of Ohio State’s run to the national championship game. He returned for his senior season after earning All-Big Ten honors at left guard each of the previous two seasons. He continued his stellar play at guard through the first half of this season but moved to left tackle after Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Second team: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina
Florida’s offensive line improved steadily in the latter part of the 2024 season, when the Gators won their last four games, and Slaughter’s play was a big reason. A redshirt junior who has announced he will return for the 2025 season, Slaughter allowed just one sack and one quarterback hit in 728 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
Second team: Cooper Mays, Tennessee
Booker was a powerful blocker in the run game during all three of his seasons at Alabama and was a two-year starter at left guard. He also started one game this season at left tackle. Booker recorded a team-high 87 knockdown blocks and didn’t allow a sack in 715 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He declared for the NFL draft following the Crimson Tide’s bowl game.
Second team: Bill Katsigiannis, Army
From the time he stepped foot on campus, Campbell was a fixture on LSU’s offensive line at left tackle, and this season, he played every offensive snap (866) in 11 of LSU’s 12 games. Campbell shared the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s top blocker with Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. Campbell is headed to the NFL after three seasons in Baton Rouge and is rated as the No. 2 tackle in the draft by ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
Second team: Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
It might be a while before college football sees another iron man like Hunter, who played a staggering 1,440 snaps this season. In addition to playing more than 650 snaps on both offense and defense, he even played some on special teams — talk about an all-purpose player! Hunter tied for fourth nationally with 96 catches and ranked second with 15 touchdown receptions in winning the Biletnikoff Award as the country’s top receiver and led Colorado on defense with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups.
Second team: Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
DEFENSE
Carter played through a painful shoulder injury in Penn State’s playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame and still managed a sack. He led all FBS players with 23.5 tackles for loss, including 12 sacks. The 6-3, 252-pound junior moved from linebacker to edge rusher this season and established himself as one of the most dynamic defenders in the country. He had four games with multiple sacks and is projected to be one of the top defenders taken in the 2025 NFL draft.
Second team: Kyle Kennard, South Carolina
The defensive front was Michigan’s strength, and it was dominant in the upset win over Ohio State in the regular-season finale. Graham was the rock of that unit and a disrupter in the interior against both the run and pass. He had 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 26 pressures and is headed to the NFL, where he’s projected by ESPN’s Mel Kiper to be the top defensive tackle taken in the 2025 draft.
Second team: Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
After transferring from Texas A&M, Nolen had his best season at Ole Miss. He’s big (6-3, 305 pounds) and has great burst. Nolen led all SEC defenders with 12 tackles for loss in league games and is the kind of interior pass rusher all defenses covet. And as a run stopper, he was ranked second among all interior defensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus.
Second team: Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Ezeiruaku blossomed as a senior and leaves BC as one of the top defensive players in school history. At 6-2 and 247 pounds, Ezeiruaka was a pass-rushing dynamo with 16.5 sacks to rank second among FBS players. He was third nationally with 20.5 tackles for loss en route to winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and the Ted Hendricks Award as college football’s top defensive end.
Second team: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
The Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker, Walker is the third Georgia player to win the award since 2017. He’s a fierce tackler wherever he lines up and led the Bulldogs with 10.5 tackles for loss. Walker played more snaps at inside linebacker than he did rushing the passer, but he still finished with 34 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Second team: Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
One of the best stories in college football, Dolac started his career at Buffalo as a walk-on, then missed most of last season because of a shoulder injury before transferring to Utah State for a semester and going through spring practice. But he knew he belonged closer to home and returned to Buffalo to have a huge senior season. He led the nation with 168 total tackles and led all linebackers with 18.5 tackles for loss to go along with five interceptions.
Second team: Jay Higgins, Iowa
The epitome of a do-it-all linebacker, Hill went from being one of the best true freshmen in 2023 to one of the best defenders in the country this season. And, yes, he has another season remaining at Texas. The 6-3, 235-pound sophomore led the Longhorns with 113 total tackles and tied for fourth among FBS linebackers with 16.5 tackles for loss. He also had four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.
Second team: Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Barron was already widely viewed as one of the top cornerbacks in college football but only raised his stock in helping limit Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith to one catch for 3 yards in the Longhorns’ playoff semifinal loss at the Cotton Bowl. Barron, a 5-11, 200-pound redshirt senior, was the Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in college football and tied for the team lead in a talented secondary with five interceptions.
Second team: Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
In his second season at Cal after transferring from UNLV, Williams led all FBS players with seven interceptions and tied for third with 16 passes defended. He finished his college career with 14 interceptions and scored touchdowns this season on an 80-yard kickoff return in the opener against UC Davis and a 40-yard interception return against Cam Ward and Miami in a 39-38 loss to the Hurricanes.
Second team: D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Watts has been everything you could ask for in the back end of the Notre Dame defense. He erases mistakes, makes big plays in big moments and raises the game of everybody around him. The 6-foot, 203-pound redshirt senior leads all FBS safeties with six interceptions and is second on his team with 74 total tackles. He has 13 interceptions over his past two seasons and will go down as one of the best safeties in Notre Dame history.
Second team: Malaki Starks, Georgia
There’s no shortage of talent on the Ohio State defense, and adding Downs in the transfer portal helped spur the Buckeyes to the national championship game. He has uncanny instincts and is a force against both the run and pass. The 6-foot, 205-pound sophomore was a Thorpe Award finalist after earning Shaun Alexander Award honors as the national freshman of the year in his first season at Alabama. Downs ranks third on his team with 76 total tackles, including 7.5 for loss, and has two interceptions.
Second team: Michael Taaffe, Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS
Zvada came to Ann Arbor by way of Arkansas State and kicked his way into Michigan history in just one season. His winning 21-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Wolverines their fourth straight victory over rival Ohio State, and he was money all season for the Maize and Blue. Zvada was 21-of-22 on field goal attempts and made all seven of his tries from 50 yards or longer.
Second team: Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana
The Trojans led the country in net punting, and Czaplicki’s ability to keep opposing offenses backed up against their own goal line was a big part of USC’s improvement on defense. Czaplicki, the Ray Guy award winner as the nation’s best punter, averaged 47.8 yards per punt, and opponents returned only 13 of his kicks. He had just one touchback all season, and 25 of his 43 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Second team: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
Shanks did a little bit of everything for UAB. The redshirt freshman led the nation in punt return yards (329) and punt return average (20.6), and he returned two punts for touchdowns, including a 58-yarder against Tulsa; he accounted for 311 all-purpose yards and four TDs in the game. Shanks also tied for the team lead with 62 catches and racked up 656 receiving yards to go with six touchdown receptions.
Second team: Rayshawn Pleasant, Tulane
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway