Florida State Seminoles
Last Laugh
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After Florida State’s win on Saturday, I wrote that FSU fans should never, ever dismiss rivalry wins. Especially when playing for so much, a loss would be devastating .
10-0 is pretty darn sweet. Even more when considering the last five or six years and THOSE challenges.
Which builds me a bridge to what happened in College Station on Sunday:
And let’s be clear, I’m not here to kick dirt on Jimbo Fisher while he’s down. Well, maybe not a wheelbarrow’s worth. It’s hard to refer to someone getting paid $75 million to not work as ‘down’. That sounds pretty up to me all things considered.
FSU fans remember and appreciate Jimbo’s run he had and the program he rebuilt in Tallahassee for about a decade. That 2013 team was one of the best in the history of the sport. He won three straight ACC championships and coached in five straight New Year’s Six bowl games.
For a time, Jimbo Fisher was a fantastic coach. He modernized a program that was in desperate need. Fisher’s accomplishments can never be overlooked, but what Jimbo never realized is he needed Florida State as much as Florida State needed Jimbo.
Fisher complained so much during his time in Tallahassee about what he wanted, about how hard it was to get things done or built or paid for or- At the end of his time there, he never came close to appreciating how great his job was.
He intimated repeatedly that Florida State wasn’t committed to winning. Which is, in today’s football, laughable.
He needed more resources. More money. More stuff. More. More. More.
Then he went to a place that has more than anyone. Jimbo fell on his face. Meanwhile, six years later, the place that isn’t committed to winning is 10-0 and ranked in the Top 4.
I truly wonder, on a day like Sunday if it ever hits Jimbo how completely idiotic a decision it was to leave Tallahassee to go coach in the talent wasteland in College Station.
I get it. His bank account has a bunch of extra zeroes now. He’s got all the ranches he could ever want.
For a dude that seemed so competitive, that just loves ball, loves coaching ball, loves winning, he absolutely torpedoed his chances at multiple championships and a lasting legacy because he was too busy whining about what he didn’t have.
Florida State was a punchline for a few years. Even Texas A&M fans, whose program hasn’t won a national title since Bobby Bowden was a 10-year-old boy, had the audacity to make fun of FSU’s plight.
Texas A&M’s savior, the one that Florida State fans warned them about, just got canned. Aggies, welcome to the punchline, you still owe Jimbo the GDP of a small country to go away.
Meanwhile, the Seminoles are 10-0 and two wins away from a perfect regular season.
Florida State has always been a special and dominant brand. Coach Norvell has re-established that.
No one is laughing at the Seminoles anymore.
Chanting Through The Storm
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It is officially Miami week for the Florida State Seminoles.
No. 4 FSU is an early 14.5-point favorite for Saturday’s game, set for 3:30 p.m. at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles are 9-0 and 7-0 in Conference, while Miami is 6-3 and 2-3.
Despite dealing with several injuries, Tyler Van Dyke is leading the Hurricanes at quarterback once again this season.
He has 2,057 yards on 170-of-251 passing, which is a solid 67.7 percent completion percentage. But he also has thrown 11 interceptions to go with his 16 touchdowns. Van Dyke has thrown more picks than any quarterback in the ACC.
Freshman QB Emory Williams has also played in four games for the Hurricanes, completing 36 of 48 passes for 295 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
In the running game, Miami has distributed carries between several different backs. Henry Parrish and Don Chaney have shouldered most of the load, but freshman Mark Fletcher ran for 115 yards on 23 carries last Saturday against N.C. State.
Parrish leads the running backs overall with 469 yards and four touchdowns on 77 carries. Chaney has 379 yards and two touchdowns on 75 carries.
Receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacoby George have been solid for Miami in the air.
As for the defense, safety James Williams leads the team in tackles with 51. All-ACC safety Kamren Kinchens and Te’Cory Couch have also been notable leaders in the secondary for Miami. Kinchens has four interceptions on the year (second in the ACC) and Couch has three, tying him for third in the conference.
Freshman Rueben Bains Jr. leads the team with 6.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. His sack total ranks 4th in the conference.
As a team, the Hurricanes have lost three of their last five games, starting with a late collapse against Georgia Tech. Then, they lost at North Carolina before beating Virginia and Clemson in overtime at home. The Hurricanes come into Doak after a 20-6 loss at N.C. State last Saturday.
The Hurricanes rank 38th nationally in scoring offense at 32.1 points per game and 30th in scoring defense at 20.0.
If history is any indication, the odds are very strong that the Florida State football team will defeat Miami this Saturday and improve to 10-0 on the season.
Since 1997, the earliest point spread records available online, Florida State is a perfect 5-0 when favored by double-digits against the rival Miami Hurricanes. And UM has never lost to FSU when favored by that much.
Miami is a bit of a mess right now (always?), but I think the game states that the Hurricanes are likely to be playing angry against Florida State. I think Miami might be able to find a little more success through the air than one would expect. Meanwhile, Florida State should be getting a little healthier on the offensive side of the ball.
FSU 38 Miami 13
Loud War Chant
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
On the heels of the Seminoles’ 45-24 drubbing of No. 5 LSU on Sunday night, it’s time for my 3-2-1, where I offer up three observations and one prediction about Florida State football.
Three things I learned.
1 — This team’s chemistry might be even stronger than 2022:
You didn’t have to be a scout to like Florida State’s roster entering the 2023 season.
The Seminoles were bringing back the vast majority of their production from a 10-3 team, and they brought in a slew of talented, experienced transfers to add to the mix.
At wide receiver, tight end, cornerback and on the O and D lines, Florida State landed several of the very best players in the transfer portal. You saw many of them shine Sunday night against LSU — everyone from Keon Coleman, Jaheim Bell and Jeremiah Byers to Braden Fiske, Fentrell Cypress and Gilber Edmond.
Physically, I think most of us expected the Seminoles to be a better football team this fall than last.
While it was only one game, and there undoubtedly will be more difficult moments down the road, there were a ton of great signs of the togetherness and commitment these players have for each other.
From the defense delivering two huge fourth-down stops in the first half, to the offense sticking together until things began to click late in the second quarter.
Jordan Travis displayed remarkable leadership after a couple of costly early mistakes and drops.
We don’t know if it will always be like this. Heck, emotions and circumstances derail college football teams all the time. I thought it was fair to wonder how this team might be affected by lengthy expectations with a changing roster and the complications that come with money.
To the contrary, I think this team might have even more positive energy and leadership than the program did in 2022. And that is saying something.
2 – Second-quarter drive spoke volumes:
As poorly as Florida State’s offense was performing for most of the first two quarters Sunday night, there was a real chance FSU ended in too big of a hole at halftime to climb out from.
They were trailing 14-7 midway through the second quarter. The offense had just finished their last four drives with three punts and an interception. There was another near-interception in there that could have been disastrous — deep in FSU territory.
When the Seminoles got possession at their own 25-yard line with 6:02 remaining in the first half, I felt like they were teetering on disaster.
If the offense didn’t find the end zone on that drive, Florida State likely would have been trailing by two scores at halftime, and LSU would have had a ton of momentum, a world of confidence, and a winning chance.
The second half the Seminoles took control of the game. But those early fourth-down stops — and that big answer by Travis in the second quarter — are what made their win possible.
3 – Player development was on full display:
The transfers will get most of the attention, and rightfully so.
Former Michigan State star Keon Coleman caught three touchdown passes. Former South Carolina star Jaheim Bell scored two touchdowns of his own. Transfers played well in their FSU debut.
But several “program players” — guys who have been at FSU for their entire careers — came through at important moments and showed just how far they have come during their time in Tallahassee. Here are a few who stood out Sunday:
Linebacker DJ Lundy came through with a huge fourth-down sack of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels to thwart one scoring opportunity, and he was in on another tackle for loss.
Lundy now looks like a completely different player than when he was forced into early action back in 2020 and 2021.
This defense will give Florida State every opportunity to achieve any goal this season, and Jordan Travis & the offense is explosive. I am calling it now FSU 13-0.
Fans, time to buy your playoff tickets.
Fear The Spear
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Excitement is in the air in Tallahassee, Florida.
For the first time since 2017, Florida State is ranked in the preseason top ten.
Everything seems to be coming together for the Seminoles to have the breakout season they want to have in 2023.
It helps that Florida State has 87% of its production returning, #1 in the country according to ESPN.
It also helps that FSU brought in some highly coveted transfers to plug in holes, the #6 Transfer class in the country according to 247Sports.
How does this Florida State team perform in 2023? Let’s take a closer look at each phase of the game.
Offense: This should be the strength of this team that is returning starters like Jordan Travis, Johnny Wilson, and Trey Benson.
Last season Jordan Travis went 226/353 (64%) for 3214 yards 24 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. One of the biggest improvements season over season that I have ever seen at quarterback.
Trey Benson and Johnny Wilson both had breakout seasons after transferring to FSU.
Trey Benson, transferring in from Oregon, carried the ball 154 times for 990 yards and 9 TDs. Johnny Wilson, standing at 6’7″ 237lbs, had 43 catches for 897 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Both had adversity to overcome. Benson had a bad knee injury while at Oregon and Johnny Wilson had major drop issues while at Arizona State. Benson and Wilson, who defenses had issues stopping last year, are now going to be paired alongside even more weapons in 2023.
Enter Jaheim Bell, Keon Coleman, and Winston Wright.
Jaheim Bell, from Valdosta, transfers in from South Carolina and brings elite athleticism and tons of versatility to the FSU offense. Bell not only played tight end at South Carolina, but he was also deployed at running back last season after some injuries piled up.
Keon Coleman, transferring from Michigan State, had 58 catches for 798 yards and 7 touchdowns. Standing at 6’4, Coleman provides another long target for Jordan Travis to throw to and has really turned heads this fall camp.
Winston Wright is more your prototypical slot receiver, who sadly broke his leg last offseason in a car accident that was not his fault. Will he be back to his pre-injury self in 2023? If so, defenses will have a tough time guarding.
The offensive line should be the deepest it has been since 2013/2014 for Florida State, with at least eight guys still battling for starting spots right now: Jeremiah Byers, Bless Harris, Robert Scott, Maurice Smith, D’Mitri Emmanuel, Casey Roddick, Keiondre Jones, and Darius Washington. Some combo of those names will be the starting five.
I expect Florida State to have a top five offense when it is all said and done.
Defense: The defensive line will be the most talented group on this defense. The starting four of Jared Verse, Fabien Lovett, Braden Fiske, and Patrick Payton will give nightmares to opposing quarterbacks.
Jared Verse may be the best recruiting job Mike Norvell did in 2022, getting a guy who would have been drafted to come back and continue his development speaks volumes for this program.
The linebacker tandem of Tatum Bethune and Kalen Deloach is the most solid set of starters FSU has had in a long time, though the depth behind them is almost nonexistent.
DJ Lundy will be the next man up at the linebacker position and is also the starting fullback when FSU uses one on offense.
The defensive back room, now coached by Patrick Surtain, has not been publicly solidified starter-wise, but there are plenty of impressive options that FSU has to choose from. At cornerback, one starter will likely be All-ACC selection Fentrell Cypress who transferred in from Virginia.
Others fighting for spots at the other corner spot and nickel position are Renardo Green, Azareye’h Thomas, Jarrian Jones, and Greedy Vance Jr.
At the safety position returning starter Akeem Dent comes back while Shyheim Brown and Kevin Knowles battle for playing time at the other safety spot, and they will both likely play a lot this season.
I expect this defense to once again improve year over year under defensive coordinator Adam Fuller.
Special Teams: After struggling with kicking the last few years, FSU has a kicking competition going between Ryan Fitzgerald, from Colquitt County, and transfer Tyler Keltner. If the Seminoles want to win big this year they need a consistent kicker.
Punter Alex Mastromanno returns for his final season averaging 42.7 yards per punt in his career.
Conclusion: I am projecting FSU to go 11-1, with a loss to Clemson, in the new division-less ACC putting up big numbers on offense and setting up a pivotal ACC Championship game this December.
Greener Grass
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In a talk that generated headlines across the ACC, Florida State Seminole athletic director Michael Alford pointed out the difference in projected conference revenue between the ACC, the Big Ten, and SEC once their new media rights deals begin.
It’s true, FSU does not have a viable escape route anytime soon. In the Texas/OU and USC/UCLA cases, the schools waited to leave until their leagues’ Grant of Rights were up. (Two Big 12 schools have since negotiated an early exit.)
The ACC’s deal goes another 13 years. In that board meeting, FSU’s general counsel threw out $120 million as a cost to leave the ACC, but as best I can tell, that’s just the league’s exit fee.
The cost to buy back more than a decade’s worth of your own TV rights from the conference would be exponentially more.
It’s been suggested that FSU and Clemson (or others) could challenge the Grant of Rights in court, but contracts that deal with millions of dollars tend to be pretty ironclad. If they weren’t, someone would have challenged one already.
FSU, as well as Clemson, are posturing for unequal revenue sharing, under the premise they bring more value than the other 12 schools, the implicit threat is lingering: if you don’t pay us, we’ll leave eventually.
This story is similar to USC’s decade of largely behind-the-scenes grumbling, but this time the other schools have no short-term incentive to agree to it. The best case the pair could make might be,
“We’re your conference’s best hope of winning a national championship in football. The 12-team Playoff Model is expected to be more performance-based than presently, if a big money team like Clemson or FSU wins three games in the playoffs en route to the 2026 national title, everyone reaps benefits.”
I don’t think anyone wants to take in less money than they are currently making. The question is one of leverage. Do Florida State, Clemson and others have actual leverage in today’s negotiations?
They’re locked into a deal with the ACC through 2036 that could cost more than $300 million to break between just exit fees and the grant of rights.
If those schools do not have offers in hand to join the Big Ten or the SEC, can they really force the rest of the conference to acquiesce on this?
For what it’s worth, I’m not sure shuffling around a few million dollars per year actually closes the revenue gaps Alford was talking about with his board.
If FSU gets, say, $5 million more per year than it does now, does that actually close the gap it’s staring down with powerhouses like Georgia? Or is this more of a philosophical conversation?
The ACC should be thinking externally, not internally, and figuring a way to generate more revenue, because soon their schools are going to be sharing it with their athletes
I see the anxiety and hear the chatter from FSU fans every day. Everyone’s worried about revenue, stratification and falling behind. So it may help fans to hear your leaders fighting for more. But I’m also not sure there’s going to be enough of a force to force real change.
My two cents: Though I do recommend making some effort to keep your marquee programs happy, FSU does not have much leverage here. You’re talking about a “threat” that might not come to fruition for more than a decade, by which point the sport’s traditional conference model could be abandoned entirely.
Who knows what will happen in 13 years’ time, programs can only plan for the near future.
Kickoff
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At the end of the first transfer period, two teams stand at the top of the transfer portal recruiting rankings according to 247Sports: LSU and Florida State.
Florida State and LSU started the season last year in a Sunday night thriller that ended with an extra point blocked by FSU.
Since that 24-23 win, both teams went on to have great regular seasons and both wound up winning a bowl sponsored by Cheez-It in Orlando. (LSU winning the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and FSU winning the Cheez-It Bowl).
In an exciting week 1 rematch to start the 2023 season, both teams will pick up where they left off – in Orlando, at Camping World Stadium.
This neutral site matchup is sure to be another classic opening weekend game, with the winner having a great resume-building win for the final four-team playoff in 2023.
But how did these teams, who started the year unranked in 2022, become likely two preseason top ten teams? Good coaching and the transfer portal.
Names like Jayden Daniels for LSU or Jared Verse for FSU, both helped elevate the ceiling of the programs they transferred into in 2022.
Now heading into the 2023 season, with Florida State and LSU sitting on top of the transfer recruiting rankings let’s see who they brought in through the portal:
LSU:
Aaron Anderson (WR) from Alabama
Paris Shand (Edge) from Arizona
Jalen Lee (DL) from Florida
Bradyn Swinson (Edge) from Oregon
Denver Harris (CB) from Texas A&M
Jordan Jefferson (DL) from West Virginia
Zy Alexander (CB) from Southeastern Lousiana
Darian Chestnut (CB) from Syracuse
Jakailin Johnson (CB) from Ohio State
Ovie Oghofu (LB) from Texas
Omar Speights (LB) from Oregon State
LSU went hard after defensive lineman and cornerbacks, grabbing four of each during this cycle to help shore up holes. They also were able to grab a stud linebacker in Omar Speights to have in tandem with rising star Harold Perkins.
FSU:
Darrell Jackson (DL) from Miami (Fl)
Jaheim Bell (TE) from South Carolina
Kyle Morelock (TE) from Shorter University
Casey Roddick (IOL) from Colorado
Jeremiah Byers (OT) from UTEP
Keiondre Jones (IOL) from Auburn
Braden Fiske (DL) from Western Michigan
Fentrell Cypress (CB) from Virginia
Gilber Edmond (DE) from South Carolina
Tyler Keltner (K) from ETSU
FSU looked to add the lines of scrimmage, adding three offensive and three defensive linemen to their roster.
They were also able to plug a big hole at tight end, by bringing in two athletic college standouts.
They were able to secure the commitment from a transfer kicker, creating a competition there this offseason.
Finally, the biggest get for their class was likely Fentrell Cypress, a shutdown corner from Virginia – a piece the Noles have been missing since 2021.
In an age when questions are being asked about the sustainability of transfer portal recruiting, and whether or not it’s possible to win a championship with schools taking ten or more transfers a year – Florida State and LSU, teams using this newer model, will likely start the 2023 season in a top ten matchup that can have serious playoff implications.
War Chief
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Most Florida State fans and media expected to see improvement from the FSU football team in 2022; few could have honestly predicted that the Seminoles would go 10-3 with wins over the likes of Florida, Miami, LSU and Oklahoma after their lackluster 2021.
Coming into the 2022 season, it would be Jordan Travis’ first year as a full-time starter but his third year in the system. On top of that, it would be Travis’ first opportunity to be the unquestioned leader of the Seminoles’ offense, which comes with large potential upside.
Travis not only emerged as Florida State’s best starting quarterback since Jameis Winston, but one of the very best in the country.
In leading the Seminoles to a 10-3 record, Travis completed 226 of 353 passes (64.0 percent) for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also rushed for 417 yards and five touchdowns and even hauled in a touchdown catch.
Travis was named second-team All-ACC. He showed great improvement as a passer and appeared completely confident in his third season in Norvell’s offense.
Since the Seminoles didn’t have a proven backup, some worried that the season could be derailed at any moment.
Fortunately for FSU, backup QB Tate Rodemaker showed great composure and led the Seminoles to a 35-31 win over Louisville.
Rodemaker’s stellar performance in a hostile environment, along with Travis’ ability to rebound quickly from injury is what alleviated most of those concerns.
After Travis’s start against Boston College, it turned out he would remain healthy for the rest of the year, and play in all 13 games.
Based on Travis’ performance and Rodemaker’s improvement as a redshirt sophomore, the Seminoles discovered one of the best quarterback situations in college football by the end of the season.
Travis didn’t waste much time in announcing that he would return and he already is appearing on some early Heisman predictions. Rodemaker and AJ Duffy are also expected to be back, and the Seminoles also will bring in freshman Brock Glenn, a four-star prospect from Memphis.
Travis not only led Florida State to its first 10-win season since 2016, but according to Pro Football Focus, he was the best Power 5 quarterback in the nation.
The way Jordan Travis played in the second half of this season, and with the moves the Seminoles are making in player retention and in the transfer takes, I think Florida State is poised to take another big step next season.
Return Of The Seminoles
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It started with a block in New Orleans and ended with a sack in Orlando. Those two moments felt like bookends to a resurged Florida State football program.
I don’t know if Florida State football is “back.” A Cheez-It Bowl victory is a step in the right direction.
But man, how sweet it must feel, a team that went from five wins a season ago to a 10-wins today.
It’s not easy to double your victory total in a year, but that’s exactly what the Florida State football team did this season. So, what outlook does that give the Seminoles in the 2023 season?
Florida State has already received a slew of good news about next season, with stars and starters like Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Mycah Pittman, Robert Scott, Kalen Deloach, Tatum Bethune, Jarrian Jones, Renardo Green and others announcing they are coming back for the 2023 season.
“The Big Three” we still don’t know about are defensive end Jared Verse, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and defensive back Jammie Robinson.
Verse and Robinson have said they will make their decisions in the coming days. Lovett hasn’t spoken publicly in weeks.
Norvell and his staff have done yeoman work in the portal this cycle. They’ve brought in one of the top offensive tackles Jeremiah Byers from UTEP), a potential starting guard (Casey Roddick from Colorado), two of the top tight ends (Jaheim Bell from South Carolina and Kyle Morlock from Shorter), maybe the best defensive tackle (Braden Fisk from Western Michigan), a rising-star defensive tackle (Darrell Jackson from Miami) and arguably the top cornerback ( Fentrell Cypress from Virginia).
That’s six potential starters; seven important rotation guys acquired in about three weeks.
To speak frankly, Norvell needed to hit the portal to supplement FSU’s lackluster high school recruiting. The Seminoles’ 2023 signing class ranked 19th; the 2022 class ranked 24th.
Sustainability when building by the transfer portal is a legit question. FSU, LSU and USC, among others, brought in big transfer groups in the offseason, and all had successful seasons. Does this foreshadow what the future of college football will look like?
I think most would agree that Florida State was the best team in the ACC during the second half of the season, and I think the Seminoles are going to be better in 2023.
I can’t say the same for the Clemson Tigers, the team that had a stranglehold on the ACC for the past decade.
With the way Jordan Travis played in the second half of this season, and with the moves the Seminoles’ staff is making in both player retention and in the transfer portal; Florida State is poised for another growth spurt next season.
And unless something changes at Clemson, (with declining talent in both players and coaches), there’s a very good chance they will continue to fall.
I won’t be the only person who writes this during this coming offseason, but I will definitely be among the first: For the first time since 2014, Florida State will be favored to win the ACC next season.
Return To Chief-Hood?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
What a difference a year makes, FSU football statistically has made huge changes.
The Seminoles are trending on both sides of the ball in elite company.
First, the ‘Noles average nearly 100 more total yards per game than last year, jumping up from 379 to 477 yards per game due to a deeper set of skill players, a better offensive line, and stronger quarterback play.
Let’s start with QBs, redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Travis and his co-starter McKenzie Milton have already eclipsed the production in 2021 with 2,300 yards and 18 passing touchdowns. FSU’s passing offense, while effective at times later in the season, ranked in the bottom half of the ACC last season.
This year, on the other hand- Travis is ranked third in the ACC in passing yards (2,414) and touchdowns (24). A noteworthy turnaround for a team pointed downhill for almost 5 years.
FSU scores about seven more points per game than last season, jumping from 27.6 to 34 in 2022, aided by 41-point, 45-point, and 38-point outbursts in the current three-game win streak.
It’s also worth noting the FSU offense took its foot off the gas while comfortably ahead during stretches of the third and fourth quarters in four ACC games this season — those three wins and against Boston College.
The Seminoles’ rushing offense lost 2021 starter Jashaun Corbin, and has gone stretches without this year’s starter Treshaun Ward. Yet, FSU only continues to skyrocket the stat book on the ground.
FSU improved from 177 rushing yards per game (No. 6 ACC) and 4.8 yards per carry last season, up to 5.5 per attempt and a dominant 213 yards per game. Aided by backs Trey Benson, Lawrance Toafilli, and along with Ward, those totals rank No. 1 in the ACC and No. 16 in the nation.
Of course, all those yards and offensive production wouldn’t be possible without a much-improved offensive line, even if the personnel stays the same.
Offensive fronts may not always have stats to back up their performance, but pass-protection wise, the returns are crystal clear: FSU gave up 36 sacks last year (2 per game) and only 16 this year (second-best in ACC).
Defensively, Florida State is in position of shaving off 8.4 points per game from its season average.
Last year, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s bunch gave up a respectable 26.5 points per outing, but this year they’re knocking that number down to 18.1 (tied for best in ACC).
The Seminoles also rose to best in the ACC in total defense (293 yards allowed), which is over an 80-yard improvement from last season’s 377.8 mark (No. 6 in ACC).
In many of these areas, FSU rose from the middle of the pack.
Special teams return yardage, the ‘Noles emerged from the doldrums of the conference.
Instead of ranking No. 12 in yards per kick return and No. 13 in yards per punt return, FSU now ranks third in the ACC in both categories.
Florida State is currently ranked No. 11 in the country in total defense and No. 16 in the country in total offense.
The only other teams to be in the Top 20 in both categories? Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
I don’t know if Norvell will ever get this program back to an elite level, but man, after these last three weeks, and considering how far they’ve come in the last three years, it’s not exactly far-fetched, is it?
Back To Earth
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve gone on record multiple times saying Norvell is a not very good coach.
He is a poor evaluator of talent with an average offensive mind. I think his energy and intensity are admirable and contagious, however he appears to be a poor recruiter when compared to his successful predecessors.
Having said all that, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say these next six games will determine Norvell’s future at FSU.
After losing two games in a row, the Seminoles are 4-2 and can still finish with a much-improved season. Saying that, there’s very little margin for error moving forward.
If the Seminoles fall to No. 4 Clemson this Saturday (they’re only a 4 to 4.5-point underdog), they must win at least three of those five for this season for their season to feel like a step in the right direction for the program.
Anything better than 3 wins will promote eight or more wins for the season, and that would give them a ton of momentum heading into recruiting season.
Anything worse will feel like treading water at best, and that’s not a good place to be for 3 years.
To finish strong, FSU must get back to playing the way they did in weeks one through four. Other than Louisiana, sure fire wins are looking slim on the schedule.
Florida and Miami are arch rivals with plenty of talent, so you know those will be hard-fought games.
Looking closely in the ACC, Syracuse is one of 2022’s biggest surprises with a 5-0 record.
We will learn plenty about the Orange in the next two weeks, as they face N.C. State and Clemson back-to-back.
Georgia Tech is now showing major improvement since firing head coach Geoff Collins; the Jackets have won their last two games to improve to 3-3 and 2-1 in the ACC. With this in mind, will FSU take the backseat in CFB and become a basketball school once and for all?
Getting back on track, after blowing a 14-point lead in the second half at N.C. State, the Seminoles return home for No. 4 Clemson this Saturday.
Can the Seminoles turn things around after back-to-back losses? Can Travis and the offense get back on track and get moving? Last week, Norvell again took full responsibility for the loss by the way.
Football coaches who accept full responsibility for losses are usually stand-up guys. Coaches who accept full responsibility for losses again and again and again are known as former coaches.
The 4-0 start was great. Realistically, it won’t be remembered if their performance this second half of this season looks like these last two weeks. They’ll be remembered as a dumpster fire.
Clemson and FSU had one of the top rivalries in the ACC for years, but it seems one-sided recently.
The Clemson Tigers have won six in a row between the two programs, including a 30-20 home win last season.
Clemson is trending up, showing improvement each week. FSU is trending… in the opposite direction.
Clemson 34 FSU 23
