Florida State made the trip to Ireland but lost to Georgia Tech on a last-second kick. The Seminoles could do the same in Atlanta! A transatlantic flight to Tallahassee would be fun.
The worst thing about opening the season on vacation in an exotic location is having a football game at the end of the celebration, but the Seminoles seemed to forget to factor that into their itinerary. Given roughly eight months to prepare for the 2024 season, FSU seemed unprepared against an opponent that finished ninth in the preseason ACC poll.
The Seminoles started with a touchdown drive and converted a two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead about five minutes into the game, but were stymied by an offense that couldn’t get the run going or get the ball downfield after that. Offensive problems that arise in Week 0 often carry over into November.
The Seminoles’ problems began with a chicken-and-egg debate surrounding new quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Was FSU unable to spread the field because its unproven receivers struggled to create separation, or was Uiagalelei simply reluctant to throw more than five yards from the line of scrimmage? Defensively, FSU struggled against a veteran offensive line, allowing nearly 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The good news is that the 12-team College Football Playoff gives championship favorites a bit more leeway than previous postseason formats — FSU, for example, could still get a wild-card berth in the playoff if it loses again, depending on how the ACC goes.
But a team that loses to Georgia Tech can’t and won’t move forward — its remaining opponents are Memphis, Clemson, Miami, North Carolina and Notre Dame. After falling just short of the top four a year ago, are the Seminoles’ 2024 playoff hopes doomed from the get-go?
The top winners and losers from Week 0 are Florida State and Georgia Tech.
Award Winners
Georgia Institute of Technology
Tech may have been picked ninth in the preseason conference poll, but it did receive one first-place vote, so at least one person predicted Saturday’s game. Looking back at last season, the Yellow Jackets have scored multiple touchdowns in eight of their last nine games. Establishing things up front has taken the pressure off quarterback Haynes King and has been a hallmark of the team under coach Brent Key. Just as this loss changed the national perspective on FSU, this win has Tech ranked in next week’s USA Today Sports US LBM Coaches Poll, which should triple the number of Jackets supporters.
Brent Key
Tech promoted Key from Geoff Collins’ staff at the start of the 2022 season and never looked back. After going 4-4 in a tentative season and 7-6 a year ago, the former Tech offensive lineman has established an identity for the program and repositioned the Jackets into an ACC contender. One of the biggest improvements has been on offense, where the Seminoles’ reimagined front seven will dominate the scoring and should be a strength all season in conference play. If they’re on track for a seven-win preseason, a win against FSU would catapult Tech into the top third of the conference early on.
SMU
SMU, the newest member of the ACC, avoided a tough loss at Nevada and may be the winner of the night regardless of what they did to get to 29-24. Trailing 24-13 entering the fourth quarter, the Mustangs turned to junior tight end RJ Maryland, who had nine catches for 162 yards and a go-ahead touchdown with 1 minute, 18 seconds to go, to cap a 16-0 run. Nevada was picked to finish last in the Mountain West preseason poll, but one week in, that seems completely off the mark. At least, that’s what SMU is saying.
loser
Florida
Performances like this (and losses) are straight out of the first two years of the Mike Norvell era. Despite major player turnover causing uncertainty throughout the Power Four, the Seminoles seemed established as major national title players and one of the top three or four teams in the ACC. At the very least, the loss in Dublin recalibrates expectations for FSU, resetting them closer to eight wins instead of 10 or more.
DJ Uiagalelei
With Uiagalelei under center, you see serviceable, sometimes powerful, relatively error-free and incredibly careful quarterback play. Expecting more will disappoint. The question for Norvell is whether the Seminoles need more than that to win another ACC title, and after one game, the answer is a resounding yes. But you can build a team around Uiagalelei, just like Oregon State and former coach Jonathan Smith did last season. One big advantage is that he can protect the ball, and another is that he can be a weapon on the ground, but he was used lightly as a runner in the season opener. After three years at Clemson and one game at FSU, Uiagalelei may not be cut out for the ACC.
Nevada
After going 4-20 over the past two seasons, new coach Jeff Choate and Nevada have a lot to build on. Even if the Mustangs aren’t a top Power 4 team, their last stretch of running back SMU is a sign of progress. Can they use this same formula to find success in the Mountain West? The competition was good, but it also felt like a missed opportunity for the Wolf Pack. If Nevada plays to its potential after Saturday night, an upset could be the difference between five wins and a bowl berth.
New Mexico
New Mexico, playing nearly two touchdowns behind Championship Subdivision powerhouse Montana State, looked like it would pull out a win in coach Bronco Mendenhall’s debut, but collapsed in the fourth quarter and lost, 35-31. The Lobos built a lead thanks in large part to two defensive touchdowns, the second of which put them up 31-14 less than two minutes into the second half. But the Bobcats scored on touchdown drives of 80, 93 and 89 yards in the fourth quarter and a short touchdown run with 10 seconds left to secure the win. UNM would eventually get back on track under Coach Mendenhall, a proven winner who played the same position at Brigham Young University and the University of Virginia.