5 questions, 5 answers: Where does Florida State go from here after a lethargic home defeat to Clemson?
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Florida State football (3-5, 1-4) put in an uninspiring performance against Clemson (5-3, 3-2), save for a fourth-quarter flurry, leading to a 36-24 home defeat on Saturday night.
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The Seminoles struggled in all three phases with Ashton Daniels committing four turnovers, the defense allowing CU to score double its season average (36 to 18.8), and its special teams having multiple gaffes on punts and kickoff returns.
In a tenure full of lows, Saturday night ranks near the top of the list: 90% of the crowd filed out by the end of the third quarter, and FSU looked overmatched despite coming into tonight’s game as a 5.5-point favorite.
Our TN team breaks down where it went wrong for Florida State against the Tigers and where the program should go from here.
1. Pick one: Which unit was most disappointing tonight, offense, defense, or special teams?
Jacob Smith: Defense. Clemson’s offense was ranked nationally as one of the worst. Just a total failure by Tony White and company.
LastNoleofKrypton: Defense easily; the last time Clemson had a passing touchdown was on September 19th, and they had two tonight.
Perry Kostidakis: It was the offense for three quarters, and then the defense gave up a 79-yard rushing touchdown on 3rd and 12. I could forgive the points allowed, even if it was against an atrocious offense, because of the turnovers from Ashton Daniels. But allowing that big of a touchdown, in that moment, when FSU had somehow clawed itself back into position to pull off a win, was perhaps the most egregious slip-up on that side in a season full of them.
NoleThruandThru: All of the above.
FrankDNole: Offense, 4 turnovers. ‘Nuff said. Special teams second place with terrible kick coverage and WTF is this punter experience all about? End it.
Jordan Silversmith: This might be the hardest question of the night. I was also with Perry, leaning toward the offense because they have proven they can score points and be competent at times, which they didn’t do for most of this game. But, once again, Tony White’s defense was the back-breaker. If the 97-yard TD run against UL was bad, this one might have been worse with a quarterback who is not fast on 3rd-and-12 in a five-point game. It is jarring how bad the defense is down in and down out. Half the game, they were looking at the sidelines when the ball was snapped.
Matt Minnick: Option D, the coaching staff. We let a kickoff hit the ground. Gave up a long return immediately following a TD. Nearly had 12 men on the field for a punt, did have 12 men on the field another play, and even had we scored on our final possession we wasted two timeouts to make it basically impossible to get the ball back.
2. Be honest, did you think FSU had a chance to win when they cut the deficit to five, and what did you think during Clemson’s TD run on 3rd-and-12?
Jacob Smith: Yes. I truly did think for a moment, and even somewhat on the drive where Daniels was making consistent passes before the INT.
LNOK: I thought they had a slight chance but once he broke into the open field I was reminded that this is the slowest secondary in FSU history which at a Florida school should be grounds for banishment from society.
PK: I can’t believe that I let myself believe, because for the second week in a row, I was proven a fool when given a glimmer of hope. I was fully prepared for FSU to have a 2013 Miami Heat moment and win in front of a 15% full Doak, and then I just burst out laughing the second I saw Tait Reynolds scurrying.
NTT: No, because FSU’s same head coach was still on the sideline.
Jordan Silversmith: I did believe, not because of Florida State, but because Clemson is also not a good football team. However, as David said, this is FSU under Mike Norvell, and something terrible was bound to happen. When Reynolds broke off in a sprint, the only thing I could think of was that the touchdown run is the most Mike Norvell moment of the Mike Norvell era — which is saying a lot.
FDN: Yes, I thought we had a chance till we made their QB a star.
MM: No and it is emblematic of Tony White’s defense this season.
3. Are you surprised how flat Florida State came out tonight after having a bye and coming off a competitive loss to Miami?
Jacob Smith: Not at all. I expect nothing from this team and yet again, my disappointment is immeasurable, and my Halloween is ruined.
LNOK: No, they’re lead by Mike Norvell who refuses to hold players accountable so they do whatever they want.
PK: If only because Florida State has taken care of business against lesser teams at home, but at this point in the Norvell era, I’m not surprised by anything other than the new ways the Seminoles invent to lose games.
NTT: Not one bit. The players don’t listen to the coaches anymore.
Jordan Silversmith: I am surprised because I thought Miami could have been a springboard, and FSU was almost a TD favorite. However, nobody has any idea what the Seminoles will look like week to week so no result should be a shock anymore.
FDN: No, but I was really hoping we had turned a corner, which we haven’t obviously.
MM: No. I predicted a Clemson win. When have we ever proven under Norvell that we can build off momentum of one game to the next? Maybe 2022?
4. What should FSU do at the QB spot moving forward after Daniels’ four-turnover night?
Jacob Smith: Stick with him, because we know he can do well. Surround him with a line that gives him time.
LNOK: See who’s better in live action between Kevin Sperry and Malachi Marshall.
PK: You need to see if you have anything in Kevin Sperry or Malachi Marshall. If you’re Mike Norvell and you aren’t fired at this point, you have no reason to worry about rolling with a new guy under center. Ashton Daniels doesn’t really hold too much of the blame for FSU’s losses before tonight, but four turnovers in crucial situations are enough to try and shake things up to keep ever-shrinking hopes of bowl eligibility alive.
NTT: I will be shocked if it’s anyone other than Ashton Daniels. Mediocrity is the new standard around here, so he’s perfect.
Jordan Silversmith: Should and will are two different questions. They should get another QB in there because Daniels will always have a bad moment and cannot be trusted. Theywill keep going with him because the coaching staff lacks creativity.
FDN: Keep Daniels for next game in hopes of making a bowl game, but pull him if he chokes it away.
MM: He should have been benched after the egregious pass at the end of the second quarter.
5. Does any coach get fired tomorrow?
Jacob Smith: Nope. We have about $40 million reasons why not.
LNOK: *prays *
PK: You have to move on from Tony White, right? Clemson put up 36 points tonight with relative ease, which is saying a lot for an offense that was one of the worst in the country in multiple categories heading into tonight. His system has not worked since he arrived in Tallahassee and if you’re going to continue to avoid the most obvious answer to this question, you could at least feign the idea of accountability.
NTT: Assistant equipment manager is toast.
Jordan Silversmith: I am with Perry. I don’t think Norvell is gone, but this defense keeps setting new lows every week. Someone will have to get canned soon, and it should be the defensive coordinator (if the buyout is too large for someone else).
FDN: No
MM: No, but Tony White should.