Florida State gets a chance to reset this week, and it comes against a familiar name for Mike Norvell. The Seminoles are set to face Central Arkansas, Norvell’s alma mater, after last weekend’s collapse against Alabama left plenty of questions hanging over the program.
That Alabama game had the kind of wild swing that makes everyone in the building uneasy. Florida State opened with a 21-6 lead, then watched it disappear in a hurry. The offense did enough to put up 36 points, but the defense gave up 50, and the sideline frustration between Norvell and defensive coordinator Tony White was hard to miss.
Now the Seminoles are back in a spot where nothing short of a clean win will do. Central Arkansas is an FCS opponent, and anything close would only turn up the pressure. There hasn’t been quite as much chaos around this matchup as there was last week, when athletic director Michael Alford was fired and the Jimbo Fisher rumors picked up steam, but the expectations are still simple: Florida State needs to handle business.
One of the biggest reasons to keep an eye on this game is the quarterback room. Malachi Marshall has been one of the more intriguing names waiting in the wings, and the JUCO Offensive Player of the Year has already climbed to QB2 after arriving in the summer.
He brings a livelier arm than what Florida State has been getting, and while he isn’t much of a runner, the Seminoles need someone who can threaten defenses vertically. Ashton Daniels did push the ball downfield against Alabama with some success, but the bigger issue remains whether he can consistently get the most out of Florida State’s skill talent.
Marshall might be the answer, and Saturday could offer the first real look at what that future might look like.
Of course, that only matters if Florida State puts this one away early. The Seminoles didn’t do that against New Mexico State, and that lingering problem has to be solved now. A fast start would also take some pressure off a defense that is currently on pace to post the worst yardage numbers in program history.
Injuries are shaping the backfield picture, too. Samuel Singleton left the Alabama game on crutches and is expected to miss an extended stretch.
The hope is that he won’t be out for the rest of the season, but that remains a possibility. With Singleton sidelined, Ousmane Kromah is the clear RB1, though Tre Wisner should see a bigger role.
Singleton had been the third-down back because of his value as a receiver and in pass protection, which makes Wisner the logical next man up if Florida State wants to keep Kromah out of those situations. The staff has already taken heat from fans for investing resources in Wisner without seeing much production, and if freshman Amari Thomas gets the nod ahead of him, that frustration will only grow.
Central Arkansas comes in at 2-2 and has already shown a little bit of everything. It opened the year with a solid win over UT Martin, then lost 27-9 to Southeast Missouri State and got blown out by West Florida in the second week.
Donovyn Omolo is the player Florida State has to account for first. He’s a true dual threat and leads the team in rushing with 404 yards.
Jalen Washington adds 305 yards on the ground, and the Bears clearly want to lean on the run.
That makes this an interesting test for a Florida State defense that has been shaky all season. Central Arkansas is giving up 28 points per game, though its run defense has been sturdier, allowing just 115 rushing yards per game.
The pass rush has been spread around, with seven different players recording a sack, but nobody has more than 1.5 on the year. In the secondary, Bryson Adamoh has three interceptions and Jacob Sekiyoba has two.
Still, this is the kind of game Florida State should control from start to finish. The talent gap is obvious.
The problem is that the Seminoles haven’t exactly played like a team capable of blowing anyone out, and their defense hasn’t shown much ability to get off the field. That makes even a matchup like this feel less secure than it should.
Even so, the expectation is clear enough. Florida State needs a convincing win, needs the depth to show something, and needs to avoid turning this into another uncomfortable night. The pick here is the Seminoles getting to 50-plus, with Ousmane Kromah doing the heavy lifting.
In Other News...
Florida State Suddenly Has A Backfield Concern Fans Feared After Alabama
Florida States win over Alabama came with a familiar kind of late-summer worry attached to it, and the Seminoles are now facing it again in the backfield. Running back Samuel Singleton Jr. went down with a leg injury in that game and is expected to miss multiple contests, a setback that puts more pressure on the depth chart just as the seasons first real tests begin to stack up.
The timing is especially tricky because Florida State has been building momentum across the department, from volleyballs five-set ACC-opening win over Miami to the womens basketball schedule news and Rylee Blades ACC cross country honor. But the injury is the sort of development that can change the feel of a football season quickly, and it leaves the Seminoles waiting to see how they piece together carries while one of their backs recovers. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Norvell Faces An FSU Problem A Win Wont Fix
Mike Norvell is back in the familiar place of trying to steady Florida State amid a storm of scrutiny, and the problem around the program has grown beyond any single Saturday. The Seminoles have been under a harsh spotlight because of recent struggles, and the conversation has shifted from whether they can win to whether any one result is enough to change how the team is being judged.
Norvell is finding that even a convincing victory does not necessarily move the needle, while a tight win over a weaker opponent can bring a fresh round of criticism. That leaves Florida State with a tougher assignment than simply adding to the win column: the Seminoles need a stretch of consistent, strong play before the narrative around the program starts to bend. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State May Have Found A Needed Answer Up Front
Florida State got a useful glimpse of a developing answer up front against Alabama, and it came from a name that had been building momentum behind the scenes. Kevin Wynn, a second-year defensive tackle, logged a career-high 16 snaps in the opener, finished with two tackles and posted the highest PFF grade on the Seminoles defense. For a group looking to tighten up its run defense, that kind of interior presence matters, especially when it comes from a player still working his way into a bigger role.
Mike Norvell and Tony White have both pointed to Wynns power and progression, and the added conditioning shows up in the way he is moving after recovering from injury. Wynn has also trimmed his weight to improve his athleticism, a sign Florida State believes his ceiling is still rising. If he keeps trending in that direction, the Seminoles may have found a much-needed piece in the middle of the defense. [Read more 🡒]