Grading Florida State football: Lackluster performance results in Boston College loss
Florida State football's sold-out home opener Monday became a Labor Day nightmare.
The Seminoles are still searching for their first win after falling to Boston College, 28-13.
It marks the first time since 2021 he Seminoles started the year 0-2. FSU finished 5-7 in coach Mike Norvell's second season. FSU is starting to lean in that direction as nothing much went right against the Eagles.
The combination of boos and "We want Brock (Glenn)" chant echoed throughout the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd of 50,000.
Here are the grades for FSU's performance.
Offense: F
It was not a pretty sight offensively, especially in the first half.
FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei struggled with his accuracy, going 8 for 21 in the first half. He finished 21 of 42 for 272 yards and one touchdown.
He also missed wide-open touchdown throws on back-to-back plays while inside the 5 yard line before the end of the half.
Uiagalelei was sacked four times as fSU's offensive line was missing its starting right tackle, Jeremiah Byers. Robert Scott Jr. started in place of Byers.
Uiagalelei threw an intercepted pass in the third quarter, which resulted in BC's third touchdown of the night. The Seminoles trailed 21-6.
The running completely vanished after the first quarter. The Seminoles only netted 21 rushing yards, while four Boston College players rushed more yards individually than FSU's entire offense.
FSU showed a little rhythm near the end of the third quarter.
A trick play by DJ Uiagalelei, handing the ball off to freshman running back Kam Davis and passing back to Uiagalelei, led to a deep ball pass to wide receiver Kentron Poitier.
Poitier had a big game as he finished with three catches, 79 yards, and a touchdown.
Defense: F
Boston College followed Georgia Tech's playbook, pounding the ball and wearing down FSU's defense. The Eagles rushed for 263 yards on the ground. Kye Robichaux became BC's top rusher for 85 yards.
Ex-FSU running back Treshaun Ward added 77 yards and led with 61 receiving yards. Ward was hard to cover when he was open on the wheel route multiple times, one resulted into a touchdown for the Eagles.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos had 73 yards. He also completed 10 of 16 passing for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Because the Eagles were able to run the ball effectively, they dominated the time of possession and kept FSU's offense off the field.
FSU improved on sack numbers after recording three of the night. Defensive tackle Daniel Lyons recorded 1.5 sacks.
Cam Riley led the Seminoles with 10 tackles and one forced fumble.
Special Teams A
For the second week in a row, special teams have been the brighter spot for FSU. A bad 20-yard punt by BC's punter Sam Candotti set up FSU in good field position for the Seminoles' first score.
Ryan Fitzgerald remains perfect in field goal attempts, as he went 2 for 2 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 put the Eagles at the four-yard line early in the third quarter.
Coaching: F
For the second week in a row, FSU's coaching was outworked.
Playcalling remains a question for both sides. While Uiagalelei continued his passing struggles, Norvell avoided running the football, especially on short-yard plays.
Forcing Uiagalelei to throw 42 passes while the running game was in limbo caused an unbalanced offense with no proper adjustments. The offense is left without an identity.
On the defensive side, there were no answers against BC's running game, and leaving Ward open on wheel routes in the first half didn't help either. Boston College produced 369 yards of offense.
The aggression was there this time, but the execution wasn't.
FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times
All times Eastern
Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Georgia Tech* (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) Lost 24-21
Monday, Sept. 2: vs. Boston College* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) Lost 28-13
Saturday, Sept. 7: Bye
Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Cal*
Saturday, Sept. 28: at SMU*
Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. No. 14 Clemson*
Saturday, Oct. 12: Bye
Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 19 Miami*
Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. North Carolina*
Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo, Peacock)
Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Charleston Southern
Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Florida
Saturday, Dec. 6: ACC championship game (Charlotte, N.C
BOLD = ACC
* = Neutral Site
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football report card: Grading Seminoles vs Boston College
