FSU football: 3 major red flags we missed going into 2024

Offseason Approach

One thing that kept sticking out was Mike Norvell saying multiple times this offseason was the biggest install they had. Was that the best approach in hindsight after losing so much talent? One of the issues in the first two games has been a lack of fundamentals and understanding of the defense and offense. Listen, these coaches didn't forget how to coach in less than six months. It's the same coaches who went 23-4 over the past two seasons. However, if there's more focus on installing new things on both sides of the ball, there's a lack of focus on the fundamentals. FSU has made mistakes on defense that no upperclassman like DJ Lundy should be making. FSU got beat by a wheel route three times in less than three quarters against Boston College on Monday night.

AZ Thomas and Shyheim Brown have played together for three years and had communication issues on Monday night. Cam Riley literally looks lost on defense and he's been in college for multiple years. It all seems like FSU coaches tried to throw too much at these guys and failed to address the basics until after they lost against Georgia Tech. Fundamentals and technique were a big focus in practice last week, but the defense looked worse in the second game than in the first.