Florida State’s offensive line has been a mixed bag through seven games, and Saturday night against Clemson may be the kind of matchup that shows exactly where the group stands.
The Seminoles have gotten enough push to rank 46th in the FBS in rushing at 180 yards per game, but the protection has been shakier. FSU has allowed 18 sacks, which sits 106th in the 138-team FBS, and that has left quarterback Ashton Daniels dealing with more pressure than the offense would prefer. Even so, Daniels has found ways to keep plays alive, piling up 12 passing touchdowns and a team-high 11 rushing touchdowns, which leads the ACC.
“It’s a glass-half-full situation,” is the tone around a line still in transition, and second-year offensive line coach Herb Hand has had to manage a group built from pieces. He was asked to blend Power 4 transfers Xavier Chaplin and Bradyn Welch-Joiner with Group of 6 transfers Nate Pabst and Paul Bowling, plus returning fourth-year lineman André Otto. That kind of annual overhaul is hard for any program to absorb cleanly.
“We don’t have to be perfect, but we want our guys to be at their best,” Hand said. “When we’re at our best we got a chance to be really good.”
Florida State’s 3-4, 1-3 ACC record sets up a Saturday 7 p.m. home game against Clemson, which comes in at 4-3, 2-2. The Tigers have had their own issues, surrendering 51 points in a loss at LSU and 41 in a home loss to Miami, but defensive end Will Heldt has been a disruptive force with six sacks.
FSU’s line has been trending better as the season has gone on. Hand originally went with FCS transfer Chimdia Nwaiwu at right tackle, but after struggles in the first two games, the staff made a change in the middle of the second game against SMU and moved Pabst from right guard to right tackle.
The run game has had to adjust around injuries in the backfield, too. Ousmane Kromah is done for the season after foot and ankle surgery following the Miami game, and Samuel Singleton Jr. is out indefinitely after getting hurt against Alabama. That leaves Texas transfer Tre Wisner and freshman Amari Thomas to carry the load moving forward.
Hand said Daniels’ ability to improvise has helped mask some of the issues up front, but he still wants cleaner conditions for his quarterback.
“Ashton does some good things in scramble mode,” Hand said. “Like him to have a clean pocket at all times because that in itself is a great opportunity for a quarterback just to be able to operate with the comfort level of having a clean pocket.”
Hand also addressed Xavier Chaplin’s holding call in double overtime of FSU’s 43-35 loss at Miami. The penalty came on a Hail Mary attempt after Chaplin chopped a defensive lineman’s arm, wiping out a catch by Micahi Danzy.
“That’s a technique that we teach, and we know that it is sound technique in fundamentals, and we’ll continue to teach it,” Hand said. “Our guys will continue to execute it, and we’ll do that going forward.”
Duce Robinson also weighed in on the other end of that wild Miami finish, where a second Hail Mary was ruled an interception by Hurricanes cornerback Bryce Fitzgerald and then upheld on review. Robinson was measured in his response.
“I shouldn’t have left it up to the refs,” Robinson said. “It was one of those things where it could have gone either way, and they have to stick with the call they had on the field. I shouldn’t have left it up to chance.”
In Other News...
Florida State Clemson Week Just Got Bigger Than The Game
Florida States Halloween home date with Clemson is shaping up to be more than just a rivalry game. The school is planning themed events around the matchup, including a drone show and a Trunk or Treat, giving the night a little extra pageantry before the Seminoles even take the field. On top of the holiday atmosphere, the program will also honor Peter Warrick with an NFF College Football Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute during the game, adding a nod to one of the programs most recognizable former stars.
The bigger off-field storyline, though, may be what comes next for the athletic department. Florida State president Richard McCullough said the search for a new athletic director will begin soon, an important step as the school looks to steady its leadership picture while the football program keeps moving through a pivotal stretch. With Clemson coming to town on a night packed with events and recognition, it is the kind of weekend that blends celebration, tradition and a little uncertainty in Tallahassee. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Fans Just Turned On Mike Norvell In Public
Frustration around Florida States football program has spilled beyond social media and into a public campaign aimed directly at Mike Norvell. Ahead of the upcoming game against Clemson, fans have started a GoFundMe to hire an aircraft to fly a banner over campus reading FIRE MIKE NORVELL, a stark sign of how quickly patience has worn thin as the Seminoles have struggled under the current regime.
The move also speaks to a broader sense that university leadership has not done enough to answer the programs slide, even with Norvells contract extension and buyout factors in the background. Whether the banner ever flies or not, the message is clear: a vocal segment of the fan base wants a much faster response to the on-field problems, and they are now making sure everyone inside and outside the stadium knows it. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Line Faces A Brutal Test With Ashton Daniels At Risk
Florida States offensive line has become the obvious pressure point as the Seminoles head into a matchup that will ask a lot more of Ashton Daniels than simply extending plays with his legs. Coach Hand has been clear that the group has to do a better job in pass protection if Daniels is going to work from a cleaner pocket, and the stakes are easy to see. Daniels has been one of Florida States most dangerous threats with 354 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but the protection issues have also helped contribute to eight interceptions under pressure.
Clemson is hardly the kind of defense that lets an offensive line ease into anything. The Tigers have piled up 20 sacks this season and have recently been smothering opponents on the ground, holding them to low rushing totals and keeping them out of the end zone. For Florida State, the challenge is bigger than just surviving a pass rush, because Daniels best traits and the Seminoles overall rhythm may depend on whether the pocket holds long enough for the offense to function the way it wants to. [Read more 🡒]