Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 10, 2020 25 BY PATRICK ENGEL T o say Florida State showed up when it last traveled to Notre Dame is correct, technically. The Seminoles were sentient and in the stadium. On the field, though, they were barely present, miserable in every way. They were cold. And they were no match for Notre Dame in a 42-13 loss on Nov. 10, 2018, at that point stuck in a back- slide that eventually resulted in head coach Willie Taggart's dismissal a year later. Two seasons later, Florida State is slated to arrive at Notre Dame Sta- dium Oct. 10, having offered little hope of a result anything different than the last time. Notre Dame's 2-0 start before its three-week break does not help matters either. Florida State's hiring of former Memphis head coach Mike Norvell produced two instances of offseason player insurrection and one Norvell positive COVID-19 test before it produced a win. The Seminoles opened with a 16-13 loss to Georgia Tech — predicted to finish last in the ACC — and then were noncompetitive in a 52-10 loss to Miami with Norvell sidelined due to his positive test. "When you sit there and go through a game like that, I hurt for everyone," Norvell told reporters from isolation after the Miami loss. "It's sickening to have to live through that. But the only way to live through that is how to choose to respond." An Oct. 3 game against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Jacksonville State is a chance to get right, but even a big win won't erase the horrors of the first two games. Perhaps this season and this start to it isn't the fairest time to draw a firm conclusion on the Norvell hire, but it hasn't produced anything different on the field than the program's 18-20 record from 2017-19. Signs of life are as infrequent as snow in Tallahas- see. The Norvell era sure seems like it might get worse before it gets better. "This is something that completely falls on me," Norvell said. "I have to do a better job of putting our guys in the best position possible to play a better brand of football. We have to play more disciplined, more physi- cal and more consistent in all three phases. "We're still at the beginning stages. But I know what we're doing and what we're teaching is the right way. It does win." But not yet. And maybe not very much this year. A scan over the schedule doesn't yield much confi- dence Florida State will win more than a couple ACC games. Meetings with Notre Dame, Clemson, Pitt, Lou- isville and North Carolina remain. A rut like this and embarrassing losses are a foreign world for Nor- vell, who went 38-15 in four years at Memphis with three American Athletic Conference West Division titles and a pair of top-25 finishes. The Tigers were 13-1 and reached the Cotton Bowl in 2019. Issues are everywhere, in all three phases. An offense that cratered in 2017, Jimbo Fisher 's final year as head coach, remains largely incom- petent. Norvell has yet to make an impact on that end, despite his back- ground and track record with that unit at Memphis. Through two games this year, Flor- ida State was averaging 4.16 yards per play, which was the third-worst mark nationally. Nine sacks — ahead of only five others — have tanked an offense that already struggles to com- plete downfield throws. It's a disap- pointing showing for an offensive line whose primary five all started multiple games in 2019. From the moment redshirt junior quarterback James Blackman started his first game as a wiry freshman in 2017, he has been under siege. That hasn't changed. He took four sacks in the loss to Miami Sept. 26 and averaged just 7.5 yards per completion. This year, he's averaging 4.6 yards per pass at- tempt, ahead of just two qualified passers. For parts of the Miami game, he worked in tandem with redshirt sophomore Jordan Travis, a transfer from Louisville. Asked after that game if there are any personnel changes coming, Nor- vell offered no specifics but ruled nothing out. "We're going to play the guys that give us the best chance to win games," he said. "The reality is that we haven't won a lot of football games around here as of late. … We need competition." Florida State has 12 rushes of at least 10 yards in its first two outings, hinting at some run-game potential. Excluding sacks, the Seminole are averaging 5.48 yards per carry. Primary running back Jashaun Corbin totaled 1,025 all-purpose yards in 14 games at Texas A&M from 2018-19. He gained 43 yards on his six carries against Miami and has a team- high 11 receptions (for 70 yards). Problems and disappointment exist on defense, too, especially the latter. The defensive performance against Miami was equally woeful but more disheartening. No one expected Flor- ida State to be a potent offensive team right away. Its defense, though, had four players in Pro Football Focus' preseason top 50 NFL Draft prospects. Against Miami, the Seminoles al- lowed 6.08 yards per play and seven touchdowns. The defense hasn't played to its talent level in recent seasons, but still finished better than average in rushing defense, yards per pass attempt, sacks, passes defended and takeaways in 2019. Its best play- ers have either been quiet or inactive. Defensive tackles Marvin Wilson, a senior, and Cory Durden, a red- GAME PREVIEW: FLORIDA STATE Redshirt junior wide receiver Tamorrion Terry and the Seminoles are off to a rough start in 2020, first losing to Georgia Tech (16-13) at home and then getting crushed at Miami (52-10). PHOTO BY DON JUAN MOORE/COURTESY ACC MEDIA LONG WAY TO GO The Seminoles' rocky 0-2 start portends a rough and disappointing debut season for head coach Mike Norvell