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Labor Day is usually a time for celebration and relaxation, but it was anything but that for the Florida State Seminoles football team on Monday night. The Seminoles suffered their second consecutive loss of the young 2024 season, falling to Boston College, 28-13, in Week 1.
Florida State had the distinct pleasure of being granted a Week Zero contest against Georgia Tech the previous week. The game, held in Dublin, Ireland, essentially kicked off the 2024 college football season. However, it may have marked the beginning of the end for the Seminoles this year, as they lost to the Yellow Jackets, 24-21.
Remember, this was a team that entered the season ranked No. 10 in the preseason polls and was projected to be one of the 12 teams in the newly formatted College Football Playoff. As of Tuesday's AP top-25 poll, they are now unranked.
Needless to say, the wheels are quickly falling off for Florida State this season, and, as usual, there is plenty of finger-pointing to go around. None of these culprits should surprise you. Here's who to blame for Florida State's loss to Boston College on Monday:
DJ Uiagalelei… again
If we're going to do these “most to blame” pieces every week, it's easy to assume who the culprits might be. Just like in the loss to Georgia Tech, the Seminoles' starting quarterback deserves his fair share of blame in the defeat against Boston College.
It's pretty evident after just two games that Uiagalelei is not living up to expectations, and that coach Mike Norvell's one saving grace during his time at Florida State was last year's starting quarterback, Jordan Travis. While some of the blame should again be placed on Florida State's offensive line, as it was against Georgia Tech, Uiagalelei had an even worse performance against Boston College.
Uiagalelei completed just 21 of 42 passes, a mere 50 percent completion rate. He threw for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception, struggling to find his receivers all night with errant throws and lobs. His worst moment came on the Seminoles' opening drive of the third quarter.
With Florida State down 14-6 at the half, they got the ball to start the third quarter. After six plays that moved them just 22 yards, the offense faced a fourth-and-5 at their own 47-yard line. Norvell decided to go for it, but Uiagalelei, facing pressure, lobbed the ball up with no Florida State receiver in close proximity. Boston College's Max Tucker intercepted the pass, and the Eagles scored two plays later to extend their lead to 15 points.
With two losses to two ACC teams, there is now little to no hope for Florida State's season. Does this mean Norvell will eventually replace Uiagalelei?
Offensive line and running game woes
There is no other way to put it: Florida State's offensive line is horrendous. While Uiagalelei is certainly far from great, he also has little time to throw. However, the pass protection is still a touch better than the run blocking.
The Seminoles were projected to have one of the best running back groups in the ACC, yet they've failed to account for 100 yards rushing as a team in either game this season. On Monday night, they were even worse. Florida State could only muster a measly 21 yards on the ground in 16 attempts. Their leading rusher, Kam Davis, had just 11 yards on three carries.
Defensive line can't stop the run
Florida State is struggling on both sides of the line of scrimmage, which is a recipe for disaster. If you can't win at the line of scrimmage, you're not going to win many games. Is it any surprise, then, that Florida State is 0-2 to start the season?
The Seminoles wish they could run the ball as effectively as their opponents. Against Georgia Tech, they allowed 190 rushing yards. Boston College, however, one-upped them, racking up a whopping 263 rushing yards on 52 carries for two touchdowns. Kye Robichaux led the night with 85 yards and one touchdown, while quarterback Thomas Castellanos scored another on the ground in addition to his two passing touchdowns.
Last season, Florida State allowed 150 or more rushing yards in just four games, with three of those teams rushing for 190 or more. This year's team is now ranked 123rd in the country in rushing defense, allowing 226.5 per game. The only Power 4 team below them is another ACC team, Syracuse, who averages 255 yards per game.
Norvell now has two weeks to think about how he's going to adjust against his former team, Memphis. In their first game, the Tigers ran for just 59 yards on 26 carries.
