Florida State’s season has been full of the usual headaches - inconsistency, injuries and plenty of questions about where Mike Norvell’s program is headed - but special teams have at least offered one steadying force.
The biggest reason is Gabe Panikowski. The Seminoles’ kicker has quietly become one of the most dependable players on the roster, and the numbers back it up. Through seven games, Pro Football Focus has given him an 84.3 field-goal grade, which puts him tied for 16th nationally among Power 4 kickers.
Even more telling is the production behind that grade. Panikowski has made all six of his field-goal attempts, including a spotless 4-for-4 from 40 to 49 yards, and he has also drilled all 27 of his extra points. For an offense that has too often stalled before reaching the finish line, that kind of consistency matters.
Among ACC kickers in the PFF rankings, Panikowski sits third, behind only Clemson’s Nolan Hauser, who leads the nation with a 94.2 field-goal grade, and Pitt’s Antonio Chadha, who is fifth.
Florida State has also gotten real value from the players doing the dirty work on coverage units. Linebacker AJ Cottrill has been one of the busiest special teams pieces on the team, piling up 126 snaps through seven games.
His workload has included 37 kickoff-return coverage snaps, 41 kickoff coverage snaps, 22 punt-return snaps and 26 punt coverage snaps. PFF has credited him with a 75.0 special teams grade.
Tight end Chase Loftin has been just as involved, logging 123 special teams snaps with a 66.8 overall grade. His assignments have mirrored Cottrill’s in a lot of ways: 36 kickoff-return snaps, 38 kickoff coverage snaps, 22 punt-return snaps and 26 punt coverage snaps. Both players are graded in the Top 20 in special teams coverage in the ACC.
That kind of work usually flies under the radar, but it shapes field position and keeps things from unraveling further. Florida State has at least shown it can get dependable execution from those units.
The one area that still stands out as a problem is punting. Daniel Hughes, in his first season with Florida State after transferring from New Mexico, is averaging 44 yards per punt.
The bigger issue is hang time. He’s sitting near the bottom of the ACC at 3.12 seconds, and anything above four seconds is generally considered elite.
Among Power 4 punters who have registered a punt, only teammate Ethan Post - who punted against Louisville because Hughes was injured - and Maryland quarterback Malik Washington have worse average hang times.
For Norvell, that kind of detail matters when the offense and defense are already leaving so little room for error. Florida State has enough problems this season.
Special teams, at least, have shown that reliable execution is still on the table. Panikowski has been steady, Cottrill and Loftin have handled heavy workloads, and the unit has given the Seminoles something to lean on.
It just may not be enough to change the season by itself.
In Other News...
Florida State Basketball Faces A Test Luke Loucks Cant Buy Away
Florida State heads into the season with a roster spending estimate somewhere between $7.1 million and $9.9 million, a figure that sits well below the $13.5 million average for Power Five programs and Gonzaga. In the current college basketball economy, that gap matters, and it puts a premium on every evaluation decision the Seminoles make as they try to keep pace with deeper-pocketed programs across the sport.
Still, Luke Loucks has already shown that money does not have to define the ceiling. Florida State beat Auburn and LSU in preseason games despite those SEC programs spending more, and that is the kind of early evidence the Seminoles need if they are going to stay relevant in the ACC race. The real test will come in how well Loucks continues to identify and develop those post-hype sleepers, because that is the path that could keep Florida State in the NCAA tournament conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Duce Robinson Suddenly Carries A Huge Burden For Florida State
Florida State came out of its bye week trying to steady itself for a Week 9 trip to Clemson, and the timing of the pause could hardly have been more important. Recent injuries to running backs Ousmane Kromah and Samuel Singleton Jr. have forced the Seminoles to adjust on the fly, with more of the offensive burden shifting toward the passing game and the players who can help keep it moving.
Duce Robinson now looms larger in that plan. The senior wide receiver has flashed at times this season, and Florida State is expected to lean on him more heavily while also working in other targets such as Jayvan Boggs. The Seminoles also have to be careful with quarterback Jordan Traviss rushing usage because of injury concerns, which only adds to the pressure on Robinson to help carry the offense into a difficult conference test. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs Clemson Push Says A Lot About The Doak Problem
Florida State is trying to turn the Clemson game into more than just another ACC date. The school announced Operation Garnet Storm for the Oct. 31 matchup at Doak Campbell Stadium, layering in Halloween activities, concession specials, a halftime drone show and a ticket promotion that also covers the NC State game through Oct. 25 as the Seminoles look for ways to make the home atmosphere feel bigger.
The push says plenty about where things stand on game day in Tallahassee. Attendance at Florida State home games has dropped from last season, and the university is clearly leaning on extra entertainment and discounted seats to spark more interest as Clemson comes to town. Whether that kind of promotion can shift the mood around Doak is the question hanging over the effort. [Read more 🡒]