FSU FOOTBALL
Florida State welcomes the Pittsburgh Panthers to town on Saturday at noon after they dropped the last two games against the Virginia Cavaliers and Miami Hurricanes. There is a portion that acts like the sky is falling when the Seminoles could be 4-2 on the year if they win this game.
I get that both losses were disappointing in their own ways, but Florida State still has an opportunity to have a productive 2025 campaign if it can get back to form.
This is a make-or-break game for head football coach Mike Norvell because the Seminoles could elevate themselves with a win or snowball into nothing with a loss. This could be one of the most pivotal contests of the Norvell era.
PASS RUSH HAS TO COME ALIVE
Florida State already faced the Nick Saban curse last year, when he mentioned that the Seminoles had one of the best defensive lines in the country (a claim that proved to be completely false, as they finished with a 2-10 record).
However, the Seminoles were busy in the transfer portal this offseason, landing James Williams, Jayson Jenkins, Deamontae Diggs, and Deante McCray. McCray has been the most productive, especially when he is in run support.
However, all the transfer defensive linemen have combined for one sack in five games, which will not cut it if the Seminoles want to be productive. Florida State will be facing off against Pittsburgh's true freshman quarterback, Mason Heintschel, this weekend. It also helps matters that their starting offensive tackle, Jeff Persi, is out for the game.
This is a situation where the Seminoles need to make him feel uncomfortable after Heintschel recorded 323 passing yards and four touchdowns last week against Boston College. This is a monumental game for the defensive line and defensive coordinator Tony White to scheme around some pressure to make him uncomfortable.