Seminoles' Rating vs Boston College

Florida State football’s sold-out first home game on Monday turned into a Labor Day nightmare.

The Seminoles are still looking for their first win after losing to Boston College 28-13.

It’s the first time since 2021 that the Seminoles started the year 0-2. FSU finished 5-7 in coach Mike Norvell’s second season. FSU is trending that way, as things haven’t been going well against the Eagles.

A combination of boos and chants of “We want Brock (Glenn)” echoed through the 50,000 spectators at Doak Campbell Stadium.

Here are the grades for FSU’s performance.

Attack: F

Especially in the first half, the offense was not a pretty sight.

FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei struggled with his accuracy, completing just 8 of 21 passes in the first half. He finished 21 of 42 for 272 yards and one touchdown.

He also missed completely free touchdown throws on two consecutive plays inside the 5-yard line before the end of the first half.

Uiagalelei was sacked four times because fSU’s offensive line was without right tackle Jeremiah Byers. Robert Scott Jr. started in Byers’ place.

Uiagalelei threw an intercepted pass in the third quarter that set up BC’s third touchdown of the night. The Seminoles trailed 21-6.

After the first quarter, the running game came to a complete standstill. The Seminoles managed only 21 rushing yards, while four Boston College players individually ran for more yards than the entire FSU offense.

Towards the end of the third quarter, FSU showed some rhythm.

A trick play by DJ Uiagalelei, in which he passed the ball to freshman running back Kam Davis and then passed it back to Uiagalelei, resulted in a long pass to wide receiver Kentron Poitier.

Poitier had a great game, finishing with three catches, 79 yards and a touchdown.

Defense: F

Boston College followed Georgia Tech’s playbook, playing hard and wearing down FSU’s defense. The Eagles rushed for 263 yards. Kye Robichaux was BC’s leading runner with 85 yards.

Former FSU running back Treshaun Ward added 77 yards and led the way with 61 receiving yards. Ward was difficult to cover when he was free on the wheel route several times, one of which resulted in a touchdown for the Eagles.

Quarterback Thomas Castellanos rushed for 73 yards. He also completed 10 of 16 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Because the Eagles were able to run the ball effectively, they dominated time of possession and kept FSU’s offense off the field.

FSU improved its sack numbers after recording three sacks on the night. Defensive tackle Daniel Lyons recorded 1.5 sacks.

Cam Riley led the Seminoles with 10 tackles and a forced fumble.

Special Teams A

For the second week in a row, special teams were the bright spot for FSU. A poor 20-yard punt by BC’s punter Sam Candotti gave FSU good field position for the Seminoles’ first point.

Ryan Fitzgerald remains flawless on his field goal attempts, hitting two of two in Monday’s loss.

The best play of the night goes to All-American punter Alex Mastromanno. The senior nailed a 65-yard punt that brought the Eagles to the four-yard line early in the third quarter.

Coaching: F

For the second week in a row, FSU’s coaching staff was overloaded.

The plays remain a question for both sides. While Uiagalelei continued to struggle with the passing game, Norvell avoided running the football, especially on short plays.

Forcing Uiagalelei to throw 42 passes while the running game was in limbo resulted in an unbalanced offense without adequate adjustments. The offense no longer has an identity.

On defense, there was no answer to BC’s running game, and leaving Ward free in the first half didn’t help. Boston College managed 369 yards on offense.

This time the aggression was there, but the execution was not.

FSU Football Schedule 2024: TV Channels, Dates and Start Times

All times Eastern

Saturday, August 24th: vs. Georgia Tech* (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) lost 24-21
Monday, September 2nd: vs. Boston College* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) lost 28-13
Saturday, September 7: Bye
Saturday, September 14th: vs. Memphis | 12:00 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Saturday, September 21st: against Cal*
Saturday, September 28th: at SMU*
Saturday, October 5: against No. 14 Clemson*
Saturday, October 12th: Bye
Friday, October 18: at Duke* | 7pm | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Saturday, October 26: at No. 19 Miami*
Saturday, November 2nd: against North Carolina*
Saturday, November 9th: at No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo, Peacock)
Saturday, November 23rd: against Charleston Southern
Saturday, November 30th: against Florida
Saturday, December 6: ACC Championship Game (Charlotte, NC

CLEARLY = ACC

* = Neutral location

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him via email at [email protected] or at X @_Da_pistol.