Tomahawk strike at FSU football game in Dublin, Ireland
Florida State Athletics captured this video from the sidelines of Aviva Stadium before FSU played Georgia Tech on August 24, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.
Contributed video by FSU Athletics
The Florida State football team opened the 2024 season with a precise 75-yard touchdown drive against Georgia Tech.
The trip gave the impression that the Seminoles’ 10th-ranked offense could be on the verge of a special performance in Week Zero.
But a series of missed opportunities and a lack of explosive plays ended FSU’s momentum, and the Seminoles’ offense seemed devoid of identity and suffered a surprise 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.
“Ultimately, we have to be more explosive,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell told reporters after the game. “We have to have that explosive element with a good group. We have explosive players, so obviously we have to continue to work on that and get better at that.”
Lawrance Toafili’s 28-yard touchdown on that opening drive was arguably the Seminoles’ most explosive offensive play on Saturday.
The following drives were characterized by many short passes from quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and running plays that could not escape Georgia Tech’s pressing and confident defense.
“I think we need to improve some things on offense,” Toafili said. “We’ve played well for the most part. There are things we can learn from and improve on.”
“We simply have to learn from our experiences today.”
Short passes and a ready-to-run defense bring Uiagalelei and FSU’s offense to a standstill
The running backs were a factor for FSU from the start, as four different running backs scored on the first scoring drive. Toafili, Williams, Caziah Holmes and Jaylin Lucas all touched the ball on that drive.
After that drive, however, the Yellow Jackets defense was prepared for the Seminoles’ ground attack by throwing gaps and preventing runs early, preventing the dynamic running backs from breaking out of tackles and gaining long yards.
The Seminoles gained 58 rushing yards on their first drive, but were only able to gain 40 more yards during the rest of the game, finishing with 98 rushing yards.
The Yellow Jackets’ defensive line won the battle in the trenches, and smart blitzes by the linebackers and safeties prevented any big plays by the Seminoles’ running backs from getting through the defensive front.
Williams led all runners with 38 yards, while Toafili was the second-best runner with 32. FSU averaged 3.2 yards per carry, while Georgia Tech averaged just 5.3 yards per carry.
“We had some explosive runs in that first drive,” Norvell said. “Obviously, we couldn’t replicate that as the game went on. They did a good job with some of their adjustments. For us, some of the plates were the smallest gaps that make the difference on big explosive plays. We’ve got to go to work and be better at that.”
While Uiagalelei completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards, he rarely completed a pass that traveled more than five yards in the air. Some big yardage gains came from blocks and quick passes.
Uiagelelei finished the first half 12-14, with his average air yards per attempt at -0.1 yards.
Uiagalelei put in arguably his best performance of the day during the Seminoles’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive that tied the game.
He made some crucial fourth-down passes to lead the team down the field and set up a one-yard rushing touchdown for running back Roydell Williams.
However, it was too little, too late for the Seminoles, as Georgia Tech stormed down the field and scored a 44-yard walk-off field goal.
“That was a really great drive in the fourth quarter, there were some fourth down calls and tougher situations and I thought he delivered in that moment,” Norvell said. “There were a couple of drives in the third quarter where there were some opportunities that we’re going to grow from.”
Mistakes on third down and limited possession cost the Seminoles dearly
Third downs were a challenge for FSU, as they managed only 5 of 12 conversions during the team’s seven offensive possessions.
“There were some third down opportunities that we were able to capitalize on,” Norvell said. “It starts with me and making sure I put our guys in the best position to be successful.”
There were a few occasions where the offense opted for a run or short pass in third-and-long scenarios, resulting in punts or high-pressure fourth-down conversion attempts where the team went a respectable 2-3.
The only missed fourth down gamble came on the Seminoles’ second drive of the game.
After FSU reached Georiga Tech’s 31-yard line, the team faced a fourth-and-long attempt, and a pass to Toafili was stopped one yard short of the line by Tallahassee’s Ahmari Harvey.
Norvell felt that this play gave the Yellow Jackets momentum.
The Seminoles scored on four of their seven offensive drives, with two field goals and two touchdowns.
Both field goals were from over 50 yards, with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald making a 53-yard kick and a career-best 59-yard kick for FSU.
Norvell said his team will have to work harder on finding touchdown plays against the Seminoles this season.
“We had seven drives in the game and scored on four of them. But we ended up settling for field goals twice,” Norvell said. “You have to get the ball in the end zone.”
Liam Rooney covers Florida State University athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @__liamrooney
