FSU last season broke the rock 13 times. Last night Boston College took hold of the hammer and broke FSU. As fans when you lose they will say this team is SO TALENTED BUT...And then the excuses come. The reality is this TEAM is not better than last year. That is not even debatable any longer. This was and has been a big concern of mine. When you look at FSU I said to Jason Staples on a podcast where is FSU better this year on offense then last year...QB: NO, RB: NO, WR: NO, TE: NO, OL - HELL NO. I won’t even go over the defense where both the loss of Jared Verse and Braden Fiske can’t be over stated. I want to say I TOLD YOU SO...But that is not me. ...so what next.
I have stated over and over again I am not a fan of the TRANSER PORTAL. Some will bring up the success FSU had. There are so many variables that go into that success....First off Mike Norvell was the first one or one of the first to attack the portal. With Covid which originally hurt MN helped. It allowed MN to keep veterans like Jordan Travis. Having 5 and 6 year players really benefited FSU. The Portal Giveth...Takes it away.
Add in a Transfer class in for 2024....
Shawn Murphy-LB, Cam Riley-LB, Omarion Cooper-CB, Jacob Rizy, Richie Leonard-OG, Roydell Williams-RB, TJ Ferguson, Sione Lololea-DE, Tomiwa Duriojaiye-DL, DJ Uigalelei-QB, Malik Benson-WR, Davonte Brown-DB, Jaylin Lucas-Ath, Grady Kelly-DT, Jalen Brown-WR, Marvin Jones JR-DE
That is 16 transfers....and after two games you could say they have gone at best 2 for 14. This group of transfers was my biggest concern all along with the portal. During this spring portal opening I spoke to one college coach who said to me "Fish this round of players is a bunch of backups...Do we really need to take other teams castoffs and backups and replace our backups with them". He was basically saying the transfer portal during the spring was not good. FSU needs heading into the spring transfer portal where another receiver, offensive tackle, a rush end and linebackers.....linebackers, linebackers. They did not get any of them. It may be time to adjust the thinking.
Analytics - Recruiting and Coaching.
First I will get into coaching....I have had this argument on 4th down and going for it in games. I get it the percentages in certain situations are in your favor to go for it. That being said I compare it to baseball where a manager has a choice. He has a pitcher who is the set up guy who comes in the 8th inning. On three straight pitches the set up guy gets all three batters out. Three up, three down. Analytics tell you as a manager it is time for you to go to your reliever. I think this is a flawed way of thinking. You are allowing a computer to tell you to go against your gut in this situation and the manager goes to the reliever and the next thing you know the team takes an L. I can't stand this. Why, because sometimes you have to go with your gut. Coach MN loves to go for it on 4th down. I get it. He has confidence in his team that they can get the first down. My gut tells me watching DJ and this offense not only last week but this week, I have zero faith in DJ getting it done. I feel until he does do it...PUNT THE BALL. I feel that coaches today take to many points off the board early and don’t kick field goals and field position in a game like last night is huge. You give BC a short field....Bad. I think this team is not built to take those chances at least not yet.
Now to the team....
QB - DJ Uiagalelei - Three plays over the first two weeks are a major concern for me. The corner route in the Tech game and the flea flicker and corner route in the BC game. These were three simple throws all which would have resulted in touchdowns. When FSU was in the market last year for a QB, I felt DJ was a decent bridge QB. Good kid....he looked much better at Oregon State and with MN coaching could be good enough to win 8-9 games. The downside was his inability to be accurate. That problem has reared his ugly head. DJ is a one read QB. He showed that on the flea flicker. #21 slipped by the DB and was wide open and DJ threw to Kyle Morlock. Bad decisions. I said before the season DJ is going to give you the BIG PLAYS....and he will also give you a lot of three and outs. I pegged DJ and so far it has been a disaster. 5 years ago....10 years ago I would have told you that DJ is a student athlete and deserves to run this team. These are paid professionals now and feelings be damned. This is not DJ's team. He was paid and very fairly. I would have benched him at halftime. Glenn and Kromenhoek are the future...Or they better be. Now is the time to go to them. You have two weeks now to get them ready for Memphis. This team is not responding to DJ. If he wants to leave and take a RS and play somewhere else next year, let him. MN held out for Cam Ward and now you see why. DJ - Great kid...but is just what it is...A MAJOR MISS.
RB
Trey Benson loss and the addition of Roydell Williams...UGHHH...Roydell has zero burst. ZERO. I have no idea why Caziah Holmes even gets reps. Kam Davis is the guy. Twice he got the ball and dragged multiple defenders down the field. I really think if he gets 15-20 carries against Memphis the production for the offense will improve. He is the guy. I also think Danzy needs to be put in there. FSU needs more speed in the backfield. Right now the guys playing are 3-4-5 yard backs. With DJ, you need the guys who can go the distance. Davis-Danzy are those two. Danzy reminds me of a bigger Chris Thompson. Time to move on.
WR
As Rick Pitino once said coaching the Celtics, Larry Bird is not walking through those doors...Neither is Coleman or Johnny Wilson. Benson would have been the third option last year. This year he is the number one option. Once again outside of Poitier the WR recruiting until this past year has been subpar and now it is rearing its ugly head. I can't stay it enough FSU needs Hykeem Williams. He needs to be on the field against Memphis. He may not be fully ready but at least he gives someone the defense must respect on the outside. Hykeem HAS TO PLAY.
TE
When FSU took Morlock, I was against it. I took a ton of heat on this board. Said his ceiling was Caz P. At this point I would take Caz 10 out of 10 times over Morlock. He could at least block. Morlock is not a good blocker and as he showed last night there was a part of the game he was targeted 5 times and had zero catches. Some that were not contested. He was at the D2 level for a reason. Not saying you can't find gems down there but there is a reason why. KM, Courtney, West, Powers...You can't keep missing at a position and FSU has. I feel that Landen Thomas and the kid from Nebraska will change that issue but that is next season. FSU needed a TE out of the portal this off-season. Thomas got open last night but DJ could not hit him. He is a better athlete and looks like the future.
OL
I will say this if the OL Coach who is interning right now for Coach Atkins better have his resume ready. I don't like calling coaches out but the job of the OL has been the most disappointing aspect of this team. These guys are not good. I never understood the take of Richie Leonard. He is short (6'2), has short arms and can't push anyone off the ball. Ferguson penalty was terrible. I am sorry but Armella, Early and Simmons need to be given legit shots at playing. FSU needs to produce guys THEY RECRUITED from HS. The portal lineman from Beyers, Leonard and Ferguson are not good.
DE
Out of the gate PP made a tackle for loss....We did not see that last week and may have only seen it one other time last night. He has been a major disappointment for FSU this year. I won't even get into MJJ. He was downright terrible last night. Have this group gotten any sacks this year. I am not going to lie...MJJ may need to be benched as well. Cam Riley needs to move to the Christian Jones position. I think he can be good.
DT
Daniel Lyons and KJ Sampson...Next MEN UP. Darrell Jackson and Joshua Farmer took the money and ran. Guys show their character. These two wanted to stay, then wanted to leave, then stay....They were paid more to stay. I have been there with my business. When you get put in a pinch we don't always make great decisions. These two went to the public about their disgust about the portal. Well guess what those two leaders have done this year. NOTHING. Payton did the same thing. Moving forward Norvell needs to tell his team...You want to get paid come to me. Go out and make this public and your gone. I rather go with guys who want to be there. These guys held the program hostage. That loser mentality is against everything that MN preaches. The interior lineman need to reset the line of scrimmage. They do....constantly going backwards.
LB
I always talk about roster management....This position has been handled terribly. I know everyone wants to blame Randy. He is the easy target. This has been a problem for a while now. Coach MarvE was fired because of his recruiting and coaching. FSU has missed at this position for over a decade now. The only way to fix this is recruiting, recruiting and more recruiting and take BODIES. FSU needs to really re-evaluate the way they recruit this position. DJ Lundy is a major liability in pass coverage. I see enough of Nicholson that he will be fine in the next two years. Needs to hit the weight room. He gets into position to make plays but gets physically whipped. On BC td pass...Nichelson made the right read, he just could not get out there in time to make the play. Nichelson shows instincts. He reminds me of Dan Morgan. Former running back...struggled at times as a freshman and ended up very good. Crier played....he needs to get some more reps.
DB
Kevin Knowles got a tackle for loss early on. You see AZ Thomas running around and making plays. I like Quindarrius Jones. I think he will still be very good. This unit is still pretty good. Shyheim Brown....There was a reason he was a 3 star who did not get much attention outside of FSU. He is really struggling. FSU really needs some guys to step up at safety. I think there are players here but some work needs to be done.
Final Thoughts: When FSU stepped on the field and the clock was not working that should have been a sign. This team never seem to show up. They sure as heck did not show up in time. When MN was hired I questioned it. Now, I am 100 percent behind MN. He took a program that was a mess and turned them into a 13-0 team. Now they were screwed for their excellent season but that should have zero impact on this team. That being said this team looks broken right now. It is still a long season. FSU needs to regroup. Coaching is great...but this team is not talented....And it is nowhere as talented as we were led to believe. Realize that Mike Norvell offered Thomas Costelanos. Now they passed but where is this team with that kid at QB. They sure as hell are not 0-2. He is Russell Wilson all over again. He is on a sub .500 team but he alone will help them be a bowl team. I don't know where this team is heading but it is time for the fans and boosters to get behind this team. They earned that respect last year with what they produced. I will say this....Recruiting has become that much more important. FSU really needs to restock this roster. One last thing...Guys like Louis Riddick kept bringing up the talent FSU has. I love guys like him and Mike Tannebaum who were bust as football personal guys judging what I can see with my own eyes...THIS TEAM IS NOT TALENTED.
I have stated over and over again I am not a fan of the TRANSER PORTAL. Some will bring up the success FSU had. There are so many variables that go into that success....First off Mike Norvell was the first one or one of the first to attack the portal. With Covid which originally hurt MN helped. It allowed MN to keep veterans like Jordan Travis. Having 5 and 6 year players really benefited FSU. The Portal Giveth...Takes it away.
Add in a Transfer class in for 2024....
Shawn Murphy-LB, Cam Riley-LB, Omarion Cooper-CB, Jacob Rizy, Richie Leonard-OG, Roydell Williams-RB, TJ Ferguson, Sione Lololea-DE, Tomiwa Duriojaiye-DL, DJ Uigalelei-QB, Malik Benson-WR, Davonte Brown-DB, Jaylin Lucas-Ath, Grady Kelly-DT, Jalen Brown-WR, Marvin Jones JR-DE
That is 16 transfers....and after two games you could say they have gone at best 2 for 14. This group of transfers was my biggest concern all along with the portal. During this spring portal opening I spoke to one college coach who said to me "Fish this round of players is a bunch of backups...Do we really need to take other teams castoffs and backups and replace our backups with them". He was basically saying the transfer portal during the spring was not good. FSU needs heading into the spring transfer portal where another receiver, offensive tackle, a rush end and linebackers.....linebackers, linebackers. They did not get any of them. It may be time to adjust the thinking.
Analytics - Recruiting and Coaching.
First I will get into coaching....I have had this argument on 4th down and going for it in games. I get it the percentages in certain situations are in your favor to go for it. That being said I compare it to baseball where a manager has a choice. He has a pitcher who is the set up guy who comes in the 8th inning. On three straight pitches the set up guy gets all three batters out. Three up, three down. Analytics tell you as a manager it is time for you to go to your reliever. I think this is a flawed way of thinking. You are allowing a computer to tell you to go against your gut in this situation and the manager goes to the reliever and the next thing you know the team takes an L. I can't stand this. Why, because sometimes you have to go with your gut. Coach MN loves to go for it on 4th down. I get it. He has confidence in his team that they can get the first down. My gut tells me watching DJ and this offense not only last week but this week, I have zero faith in DJ getting it done. I feel until he does do it...PUNT THE BALL. I feel that coaches today take to many points off the board early and don’t kick field goals and field position in a game like last night is huge. You give BC a short field....Bad. I think this team is not built to take those chances at least not yet.
Now to the team....
QB - DJ Uiagalelei - Three plays over the first two weeks are a major concern for me. The corner route in the Tech game and the flea flicker and corner route in the BC game. These were three simple throws all which would have resulted in touchdowns. When FSU was in the market last year for a QB, I felt DJ was a decent bridge QB. Good kid....he looked much better at Oregon State and with MN coaching could be good enough to win 8-9 games. The downside was his inability to be accurate. That problem has reared his ugly head. DJ is a one read QB. He showed that on the flea flicker. #21 slipped by the DB and was wide open and DJ threw to Kyle Morlock. Bad decisions. I said before the season DJ is going to give you the BIG PLAYS....and he will also give you a lot of three and outs. I pegged DJ and so far it has been a disaster. 5 years ago....10 years ago I would have told you that DJ is a student athlete and deserves to run this team. These are paid professionals now and feelings be damned. This is not DJ's team. He was paid and very fairly. I would have benched him at halftime. Glenn and Kromenhoek are the future...Or they better be. Now is the time to go to them. You have two weeks now to get them ready for Memphis. This team is not responding to DJ. If he wants to leave and take a RS and play somewhere else next year, let him. MN held out for Cam Ward and now you see why. DJ - Great kid...but is just what it is...A MAJOR MISS.
RB
Trey Benson loss and the addition of Roydell Williams...UGHHH...Roydell has zero burst. ZERO. I have no idea why Caziah Holmes even gets reps. Kam Davis is the guy. Twice he got the ball and dragged multiple defenders down the field. I really think if he gets 15-20 carries against Memphis the production for the offense will improve. He is the guy. I also think Danzy needs to be put in there. FSU needs more speed in the backfield. Right now the guys playing are 3-4-5 yard backs. With DJ, you need the guys who can go the distance. Davis-Danzy are those two. Danzy reminds me of a bigger Chris Thompson. Time to move on.
WR
As Rick Pitino once said coaching the Celtics, Larry Bird is not walking through those doors...Neither is Coleman or Johnny Wilson. Benson would have been the third option last year. This year he is the number one option. Once again outside of Poitier the WR recruiting until this past year has been subpar and now it is rearing its ugly head. I can't stay it enough FSU needs Hykeem Williams. He needs to be on the field against Memphis. He may not be fully ready but at least he gives someone the defense must respect on the outside. Hykeem HAS TO PLAY.
TE
When FSU took Morlock, I was against it. I took a ton of heat on this board. Said his ceiling was Caz P. At this point I would take Caz 10 out of 10 times over Morlock. He could at least block. Morlock is not a good blocker and as he showed last night there was a part of the game he was targeted 5 times and had zero catches. Some that were not contested. He was at the D2 level for a reason. Not saying you can't find gems down there but there is a reason why. KM, Courtney, West, Powers...You can't keep missing at a position and FSU has. I feel that Landen Thomas and the kid from Nebraska will change that issue but that is next season. FSU needed a TE out of the portal this off-season. Thomas got open last night but DJ could not hit him. He is a better athlete and looks like the future.
OL
I will say this if the OL Coach who is interning right now for Coach Atkins better have his resume ready. I don't like calling coaches out but the job of the OL has been the most disappointing aspect of this team. These guys are not good. I never understood the take of Richie Leonard. He is short (6'2), has short arms and can't push anyone off the ball. Ferguson penalty was terrible. I am sorry but Armella, Early and Simmons need to be given legit shots at playing. FSU needs to produce guys THEY RECRUITED from HS. The portal lineman from Beyers, Leonard and Ferguson are not good.
DE
Out of the gate PP made a tackle for loss....We did not see that last week and may have only seen it one other time last night. He has been a major disappointment for FSU this year. I won't even get into MJJ. He was downright terrible last night. Have this group gotten any sacks this year. I am not going to lie...MJJ may need to be benched as well. Cam Riley needs to move to the Christian Jones position. I think he can be good.
DT
Daniel Lyons and KJ Sampson...Next MEN UP. Darrell Jackson and Joshua Farmer took the money and ran. Guys show their character. These two wanted to stay, then wanted to leave, then stay....They were paid more to stay. I have been there with my business. When you get put in a pinch we don't always make great decisions. These two went to the public about their disgust about the portal. Well guess what those two leaders have done this year. NOTHING. Payton did the same thing. Moving forward Norvell needs to tell his team...You want to get paid come to me. Go out and make this public and your gone. I rather go with guys who want to be there. These guys held the program hostage. That loser mentality is against everything that MN preaches. The interior lineman need to reset the line of scrimmage. They do....constantly going backwards.
LB
I always talk about roster management....This position has been handled terribly. I know everyone wants to blame Randy. He is the easy target. This has been a problem for a while now. Coach MarvE was fired because of his recruiting and coaching. FSU has missed at this position for over a decade now. The only way to fix this is recruiting, recruiting and more recruiting and take BODIES. FSU needs to really re-evaluate the way they recruit this position. DJ Lundy is a major liability in pass coverage. I see enough of Nicholson that he will be fine in the next two years. Needs to hit the weight room. He gets into position to make plays but gets physically whipped. On BC td pass...Nichelson made the right read, he just could not get out there in time to make the play. Nichelson shows instincts. He reminds me of Dan Morgan. Former running back...struggled at times as a freshman and ended up very good. Crier played....he needs to get some more reps.
DB
Kevin Knowles got a tackle for loss early on. You see AZ Thomas running around and making plays. I like Quindarrius Jones. I think he will still be very good. This unit is still pretty good. Shyheim Brown....There was a reason he was a 3 star who did not get much attention outside of FSU. He is really struggling. FSU really needs some guys to step up at safety. I think there are players here but some work needs to be done.
Final Thoughts: When FSU stepped on the field and the clock was not working that should have been a sign. This team never seem to show up. They sure as heck did not show up in time. When MN was hired I questioned it. Now, I am 100 percent behind MN. He took a program that was a mess and turned them into a 13-0 team. Now they were screwed for their excellent season but that should have zero impact on this team. That being said this team looks broken right now. It is still a long season. FSU needs to regroup. Coaching is great...but this team is not talented....And it is nowhere as talented as we were led to believe. Realize that Mike Norvell offered Thomas Costelanos. Now they passed but where is this team with that kid at QB. They sure as hell are not 0-2. He is Russell Wilson all over again. He is on a sub .500 team but he alone will help them be a bowl team. I don't know where this team is heading but it is time for the fans and boosters to get behind this team. They earned that respect last year with what they produced. I will say this....Recruiting has become that much more important. FSU really needs to restock this roster. One last thing...Guys like Louis Riddick kept bringing up the talent FSU has. I love guys like him and Mike Tannebaum who were bust as football personal guys judging what I can see with my own eyes...THIS TEAM IS NOT TALENTED.
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