WATCH: Mike Norvell’s post-workout on Wednesday
Here is FSU football coach Mike Norvell after practice on Wednesday.
Florida State football’s record is 0-3 for the first time since 2021.
Although the Seminoles performed better than Memphis in some areas, the result remained the same and the Tigers left Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday with a 20-12 victory.
The defense played arguably its best game and gave FSU a chance after the offense got off to another slow start.
Memphis forced a fumble on the Seminoles’ third play and ripped the ball out of Roydell Williams’ hands, allowing a field goal to open scoring mode.
The Tigers scored a touchdown pass from quarterback Seth Henigan to Greg Desrosiers Jr. and a field goal before halftime to take a 13-3 lead into the break. Memphis opened the second half with a touchdown drive after Henigan brought tight end Anthony Landphere down for a touchdown.
While DJ Uiaglaelei and the FSU offense immediately followed up with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, the Seminoles only scored one more field goal and fell short of the goal despite an improved second half.
Here are the takeaways from FSU’s 20-12 loss to Memphis.
Slow start and inconsistency of the Seminoles offense prove costly
While the FSU offense showed improved performance in the second half, the disappointing first half and the same inconsistencies that had plagued the team all season ended up paying dearly.
Uiagalelei completed 7 of 14 passes for 31 yards and an interception in the first half, and it seemed as if the offense was lost before halftime.
He came to life early in the second half with his first pass, a 67-yard pass to wide receiver Malik Benson, doubling his first-half passing yards in a single play. He finished the game 16 of 30 passing for 201 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Benson rushed for 99 yards and was nearly unstoppable when he got the ball in the second half, helping the Seminoles get back into the game. However, late-game sacks, poor throws and an inability to get into the end zone left FSU facing defeat.
Things briefly went smoothly for FSU, as Uiagalelei went through his progressions well and made mostly smart throws and the running backs gained important yards on the ground. But after a long 16-play drive ended in a field goal in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles’ offense seemed in shock for the rest of the game.
When the Seminoles got the ball with 2:51 left on the clock and had a chance to tie the game with a point and a two-point conversion, Uiagalelei was sacked twice and missed a shot.
FSU had a chance to tie the game with just under a minute left, but was unable to capitalize as the Seminoles were inconsistent on offense and a three-and-out cost the team any chance of overtime.
Improved defense performance cannot save FSU
The Seminoles defense delivered its best performance of the season against Memphis. The defensive line looked better, led by a strong performance from Joshua Farmer, who recorded a sack and five tackles, as this unit finally showed signs of improvement.
FSU allowed Memphis 65 rushing yards and 272 air yards, and while it wasn’t the cleanest game, it limited the Tigers to two field goals and made some crucial stops on third and fourth down to give the team a chance.
Still, some key plays were allowed that helped Memphis gain momentum, including a 43-yard pass that set up the Tigers’ first touchdown.
In his first start, safety KJ Kirkland led the team with nine tackles as he filled in almost seamlessly for Shyheim Brown.
While the defense gave the Seminoles offense opportunities in the first half, that unit was unable to capitalize on them. The defense had the same tackling issues and hesitant tackles at times, and that was ultimately one of the reasons for the loss.
Unnecessary penalties, mistakes and bad tackles
FSU forced Memphis into a fourth-and-8 situation in the fourth quarter, with the Tigers punting and giving the Seminoles the ball back with about four minutes left and a chance to tie the game.
However, due to an offside penalty, Memphis managed to lose another minute on the fourth and third attempts, thus stopping the Seminoles’ momentum.
In total, the Seminoles received six penalties over 43 yards, some of them in crucial situations.
Combined with poorer tackling and hesitation on defense, FSU challenged itself more at times as Memphis challenged the team en route to its third straight loss.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State University athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @__liamrooney
