In perhaps the most overlooked game of Week 0, No. 10 Florida State fell to the unlikely odds that predicted a Georgia Tech victory. In case you haven’t heard it enough, college football is here. Welcome to a new season where the tide has turned in Ireland.

Georgia Tech defeated Florida State with a walk-off field goal by Aidan Birr. Loud cries were heard around the world as Florida State’s war cry was laid to rest.

It was a 24-21 victory for Brent Keys and the Yellow Jackets. This is only the second time in FSU history that the Noles, ranked in the top 10 or higher, lost to an unranked opponent.

After about 24 hours of digestion, I saw the following…

Defense was perhaps the biggest question mark for both teams and one of the most crucial factors in this upset.

Although Georgia Tech had continuity at key defensive returners, there were still plenty of question marks. There was no doubt that the Yellow Jackets struggled tremendously in the running game last year, but today was a different story.

Florida State established the running game from the beginning through many different players. Ultimately, it was extremely effective from the beginning. I was very concerned after the Seminole’s first drive, where they seamlessly got the ball into the end zone.

Florida State then scored two points and ran a swinging gate game.

The Seminoles’ core offense was based on the running game, and when Georgia Tech made those defensive adjustments, the Noles were lost. The Yellow Jackets essentially shut down DJ Uiagalelei and FSU’s passing game, making the game a tough slugfest.

The defense, led by Kyle Efford, Ahmari Harvey, LaMiles Brooks and Romello Height, was too much for Florida State to handle. Ultimately, I expected FSU’s defense to outshine the Yellow Jackets’ defensive unit in many aspects, but I was proven wrong.

It turns out that hiring Tyler Santucci as defensive coordinator was very beneficial and necessary.

In my game previewI predicted it would be a ground game. I didn’t really believe DJ Uiagalelei would throw the ball in the air much, but I didn’t expect this result.

Uiagalelei rushed for a disappointing 193 yards on 19 of 27 attempts. He threw no touchdowns or interceptions, but overall his performance was not particularly impressive.

As mentioned, the Seminole running game was essentially the offense. Norvell was not afraid to use his entire running back corps, including Roydell Williams, Lawarance Toafili, Jaylin Lucas and Caziah Holmes. Those three backs combined for 98 yards, which was pretty unsatisfying considering the early success.

It was inevitable that Georgia Tech would have to adjust their running game, and they did. Florida State had limited options after the first drive. I was very curious to see which of Uiagalelei’s number one receivers would become.

Unfortunately, it just never happened.

I thought Malik Benson would be the guy to start this game, but his talents were completely overshadowed by the Yellow Jackets defense. Ja’Khi Douglas ended up leading the team with 55 yards on 4 pass catches. Benson followed with 39 yards on 4 pass catches.

Mike Norvell’s offense isn’t built around screen passes or short checkdown passes, which is what DJ Uiagalelei was limited to on most of his throws. We saw Norvell try to be creative and open up the offense, but the first option was just never there.

When comparing to last season, the difference between the threats in depth is quite clear.

In the magical year of 2023, Florida State had a very simple but effective game plan. Norvell would start on the ground and establish a presence in the running game through Trey Benson.

This allowed Jordan Travis to open up the court and get some shots off. At least on some key plays between Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell, there was never any doubt.

Those playmakers are gone. Honestly, that was one of my concerns going into this game and it was a good reason why the offense was so stagnant. Norvell needs to come up with alternatives to open up the passing game, especially with an arm talent like DJ Uiagalelei.

OK, we can point fingers at everyone. This is a bad loss for many reasons. It goes back to Coach Norvell, DJ Uiagalelei, and many others. But one area that Florida State fans weren’t expecting was the utter dominance that Georgia Tech displayed in the trenches.

Let’s put it this way: Florida State has had major problems with its offense and defense. If there was one major focus for the Noles, it was to not just control the offense, but to dominate it.

The Seminoles’ heart and foundation in all things important was overshadowed by Georgia Tech. Florida State was simply beaten at its own game.

Georgia Tech came up with the game plan and executed it. Again, kudos to defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci, who played a damn good first game. His game plan was to attack, attack more, and keep attacking.

It was no secret that there were a lot of unknowns in Florida State’s passing game, especially given DJ Uiagalelei’s checkered past and lack of depth at receiver.

Georgia Tech took that and ran with it. Santucci decided to leave his cornerbacks on an island and trusted that his guys would collide head-on with Florida State’s front five.

We saw Uiagalelei get a few shots downfield and there was some pass interference, but for the most part the passing game was quiet. This was largely due to the overwhelming victory on offense.

We’re talking about a relatively experienced offensive line that failed. Right tackle Jeremiah Byers was hit multiple times on the outside edge and that wasn’t a good feeling.

Romello Height, the transfer from USC, wreaked absolute havoc, making 3 tackles on the day. Ultimately, FSU’s offensive line was put under pressure by Georgia Tech’s unanswered blitz.

Florida State’s defensive line wasn’t much better. I talked about Florida State’s running game, which I saw potential in. But on the other hand, it was ground and pound. The difference between the Seminole’s running game and the Yellow Jackets’ was like night and day.

Florida State has revamped its defense, focusing on the defensive line. Many have predicted NFL potential for some of these guys on offense, but the first game was a huge flop.

The imbalance in rushing yards was clearly won by Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets ran for a total of 190 yards, while the Noles only ran for 98. Jamal Haynes accounted for 75 of those yards, while Haynes King ran for 54 yards.

There is nothing more to say than that Florida State was beaten at its own game. Haynes King only managed 16 pass attempts.

If I had seen this stat before the game, I would have definitely picked Florida State. Unfortunately, the Noles’ defensive line was very disappointing and ineffective.

State of Florida: Take a deep breath, Noles fans. I get it, this game was highly anticipated for many reasons. Coming off an undefeated season, Florida State was ready to carry on the torch of fury that followed last season.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. If you want a silver lining and a little hope, just leave things to the newly expanded 12-team playoffs. A loss in Week 0 is certainly tough, but if there’s any time to lose, it’s now.

The Noles have a lot to deal with, from top to bottom. I’d expect a bounce back for my favorite ACC champs. It’ll have to happen quickly, as Florida State faces Boston College at home on Monday, September 12th.

Georgia Tech: Atlanta is riding high with this game. The improbable has happened and now a real spark has been lit in every Georgia Tech fan.

Haynes King looked good, Jamal Haynes looked good, but the Yellow Jackets have a lot of work to do if they want to have a real shot at the ACC.

If there’s one thing to take away, it’s the defense that held on and pulled through. Tyler Santucci showed us what an offseason can do. The Yellow Jackets will look to carry that momentum into Week 1, where they face Georgia State on Saturday, August 31.