You won’t have to wait long to hear from Mike Norvell at ACC Media Days. Along with Florida State DT Joshua Farmer, EDGE Patrick Payton and OL Darius Washington, Norvell will take to the podium on the very first day the event begins in Charlotte on Monday, July 22.
Three Most Significant Questions for Mike Norvell at ACC Media Days
The last time we saw the Seminoles on the football field was an experience they likely hope we had forgotten about. After they were snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee, Florida State laid an egg the size of Tallahassee in a 63-3 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
The 60-point margin of defeat was the largest in Orange Bowl history as the Seminoles looked like a depleted shell of the team that entered the contest at 13-0, including a program-record nine conference wins.
As they enter the season as the conference favorites (according to Caesars Sportsbook) at +290, Florida State now must handle life as the hunted as opposed to the hunter.
What are some of the biggest questions Norvell will face on stage at Media Days?
1) How Do You Turn The Way Last Season Ended Into Fuel For A Successful 2024?
“Leave last year in the past,” or some version of that quote, is probably in a book of coaching clichés somewhere, but it is at least easier to say and much harder to actually do.
Florida State won each and every game on their schedule last season before they were left out of the final four on Selection Day to become the first unbeaten Power Conference champion of the CFP era deprived of an opportunity to play for a national title.
Yes, quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury prior to the ACC Championship Game, which the Seminoles won despite playing with a backup quarterback, but there really isn’t getting around the plain and simple fact that the Seminoles were robbed.
MORE: 2024 Florida State Seminoles Depth Chart
Fans of Florida State might not be quite ready to move forward but Norvell has to get his team to move in that direction.
He has rebuilt what was a very much broken program over his four seasons at the helm of the Seminoles, improving the team win total in each year. There are now tangible reasons to believe Florida State can contend for ACC championships year in and year out.
Can the Seminoles hit the reset button after a forgettable ending to what was a program-defining season?
2) How Do You Replace All The Lost Offensive Production?
It is a tough task for Norvell to replace not only a quarterback who established career records at Florida State in touchdown responsibility (97) and total offense (10,564) but also the 2023 team’s leading rusher (Trey Benson) and top-three leading receivers (Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, and Jaheim Bell).
Oregon State and Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei was brought back to the conference this offseason to compete with redshirt freshman Brock Glenn for the starting quarterback job.
Ja’Khi Douglas is the only returning receiver who caught at least 10 passes for the Seminoles last season, meaning SEC transfers Jalen Brown (LSU) and Malik Benson (Alabama) should have a chance to make an immediate impact in the passing game.
The running back situation is largely unproven, though Lawrence Toafili, who averaged 6.7 yards per carry last season, does return along with transfers Roydell Williams (Alabama) and Jaylin Lucas (Indiana).
The strength of the team, on this side of the ball at least, has to be on the offensive line where there is continuity thanks to the return of three starters: Darius Washington at left tackle, Maurice Smith at center and Jeremiah Byers at right tackle.
The offense averaged 34.6 points per game last season to lead the conference and rank among the top 20 nationally. If this group is capable of repeating that level of performance, there is no doubt they will be competing for a spot in the playoff with how good the defense is.
3) What Impact Does The Early Schedule Have On FSU Football?
The Seminoles open the 2024 season in Dublin, Ireland, against Georgia Tech on Saturday, August 24.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is FSU’s first international game in program history. The date of the game (August 24) also matches the earliest on the calendar for an FSU game in program history.
The following weekend will conclude with another standalone game for the Seminoles when they wrap up Labor Day Weekend on Monday against Boston College (September 2). It is the fourth straight standalone game on Labor Day weekend for FSU after hosting Notre Dame in 2021 and playing LSU in neutral-site matchups in 2022 and 2023.
FSU is opening its season with consecutive ACC games for the first time since 2003, when it opened with North Carolina, Maryland, and Georgia Tech in the first three weeks.
Playing back-to-back standalone games on national television to open the season — especially ones where they will be heavily favored to win — can be a great way to create positive momentum…so long as they win those games.
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