After suffering a loss in Week 6 where Florida State was "not good enough" in the eyes of coach Mike Norvell, the season has officially reached the halfway point. Norvell entered the year expecting a tough challenge ahead of him, and the result has unfortunately been worse than many had thought it would be through six games.
With Week 6 done and dusted and the team moving forward onto Week 7, it is a great time to hand out grades for the offense, defense, and special teams units. Additionally, there will be passing and failing grades given out to the most deserving members of the program.
Offense: C-
Given the talent and potential this Florida State offense has on paper, the result is honestly disappointing and unacceptable. The Seminoles entered the year with playmakers like Duce Robinson, Ousmane Kromah, Samuel Singleton Jr., and Jayvan Boggs scheduled to take a step forward. However, the offense has been woefully inconsistent, and despite a valiant effort from Kromah in particular, the production across the board has not been there.
The issues for Florida State on offense start and end with Norvell and the manner in which he formed the current roster. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has been doing exactly what his track record as a starter suggested, and it is hard to place a ton of blame on Daniels when it was absurd of Norvell to assume the quarterback would suddenly put everything together on the field.
The biggest and most glaring problem with the offense has been the line, which was never truly addressed during the offseason. Florida State lost a significant portion of the offensive line and replaced key players with lower-level guys. There are some positions you cannot afford to cheap out on, and Florida State opted to do so with two vital positions, like quarterback and the offensive line.
Perhaps the one thing saving the Seminoles from receiving a lower grade is the flashes of potential that have been present at times. Florida State is the only team that has scored more than 23 points against the Alabama defense this season, and much of that scoring occurred early in the game as well. This offense has the potential to be much better and far more consistent than it has been, which makes the struggles more frustrating.
Defense: D+
Defensive coordinator Tony White previously stated that the defense does not execute the same play in the same manner each time, which has led to big plays and plenty of scores. While White believes his team is not responding consistently, the real issue could be that his play-calls have been oversimplified and opposing teams can pick up on what the Seminoles are trying to do rather easily.
It is hard to give the Florida State defense a truly awful grade solely because there is no way of knowing if the roster is solely to blame. White has done a poor job this season, and often, bad playcalling or moving players around into different positions and roles can have a bigger impact on the result than the overall talent of the unit. The Seminoles have multiple players who are not playing their true position, and that can have a much bigger impact than many realize.
Special Teams: B-
One of the only bright spots for Florida State this season has been the kicker, Gabe Panikowski. After a combined 28 extra point and field goal attempts, Panikowski is perfect this season for the Seminoles. Consistency has been a major issue for Florida State across the board, but Panikowski has been the one constant on the team each week.
The only reason the Seminoles cannot receive a higher grade is due to the fact that Panikowski is not the only member of the special teams units. Punt and kickoff return coverage has been less than stellar this season for Florida State, and Week 6 was not exactly the best showing from punters Daniel Hughes and Ethan Post.
Passing Grades: Ousmane Kromah and Chris Jones
Two players in particular that have prevented Florida State from completely falling apart this season, and those two men are Ousmane Kromah and Chris Jones.
Kromah has been a star on offense, battling through a bad offensive line to find consistent yardage each game. The running back is averaging 5.7 yards per carry and roughly 94 yards per game this season for Florida State. Without Kromah, Florida State would currently be relying upon Tre Wisner and Ashton Daniels to do all of the rushing, which does not exactly scream success.
Kromah is irreplaceable on offense, and on defense, Jones fits the same mold as the leader of the defense. The linebacker currently has 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season, but it is the timing of his plays that has been truly important for Florida State. Jones is a guy who always appears to be in the right spot at the right time, and players like that often succeed with ease.
Failing Grades: Mike Norvell and Tony White
With the absolute chaos that currently is Florida State football, the first two failing grades go out to Norvell and White. Regardless of roster and injury issues, this Seminoles team has been poorly coached from the start. Florida State has one of the worst passing offenses in the conference, with an average of 222.3 yards and a tie with Syracuse for the most interceptions (7).
When Florida State is in a situation where the team needs to pass, fans clench and hope for the best before the ball is even snapped. The offense cannot challenge teams down the field, and opposing defenses are not afraid to overcommit because the Seminoles cannot consistently pass the football with success.
White's defense has been nothing special either, unless being notably bad counts. The Seminoles allow 410.2 total yards of offense and 244.7 passing yards per game, with opposing teams scoring an average of 25.3 points. Louisville struggled to crack the 30-point mark against NC State and Wake Forest, but handily scored 44 points against the Seminoles without the help of multiple key players.
The roster may not be where it should be, but the staggering losses are on Norvell and White more than any of the players.
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