Know the Enemy 2024: Florida State Seminoles Football

A friend answers our questions

credit: calbears.com

We asked our friend to answer some questions about FSU football, and Perry graciously answered the call to be our go-to expert for the upcoming matchup.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Some answers were edited slightly for clarity. Any additional input provided will be clearly denoted with “WFC:” at the start

Which player on offense should Cal fans know about?

Since they’re familiar with DJ Uiagalelei, I’m going to go with Kam Davis. The freshman running back, a former four-star, is getting more and more snaps as FSU tries to figure out its offense. He’s shown both struggles and flashes as he eases into the college game, but he’s got the skillset to eventually break out once he does piece it together.

Which player on defense should Cal fans know about?

Patrick Payton, who despite a disappointing start to the season started to get into the swing of things against Memphis. The defensive end was getting lofty NFL Draft projections before the season (key word there: before) and was an All-ACC honorable mention selection last season.

Who’s one under-the-radar or X-factor player who could swing this game for you?

Wide receiver Ja’Khi Douglas — he’s one of FSU’s most explosive players, though he hasn’t gotten the chance to showcase that during the Seminoles’ struggles. He’s been able to produce major gains on designed plays for Florida State in the past and the team will definitely try to get him involved.

What does FSU need to do to win the game?

I’m trying to figure out how to write, “exactly the opposite of what FSU has done this whole season” without sounding glib, but uh, that’s kind of the answer. The team needs to put up more than 21 points (which it hasn’t done this year) and the defense needs to get off the field (which it hasn’t done this year).

What does Cal need to do to win the game?

Pound the rock, drain the clock and if that doesn’t work, attack the linebackers in the passing game. The formula for beating Florida State is out there, as Boston College and Georgia Tech basically did the same thing before Memphis came in and leaned on its experienced quarterback when FSU showed a pulse in defending the run.

How do you see the game going?

This is in complete contrast with reality and how I view this team, but I for some reason think that FSU wins — for no other reason than a gut feeling and that college football at its core is a silly, stupid, ridiculous sport.

Realistically and ignoring Twitter chatter, how hot is Norvell’s seat? Does the fanbase want change despite being less than a year removed from a playoff appearance robbery?

You know the “I Think You Should Leave” sketch where Tim Heidecker’s character eats gazpacho soup, but thinks he burnt his mouth because it wasn’t chilled like he was expecting? It’s sort of like that (though I may have just wanted to reference ITYS). Norvell’s seat was as about ice cold as you could ask heading into the year, but the shock of it becoming room temperature has been enough that a decent amount of the fanbase feels burned — not to a degree where he’ll be fired, but enough that all the warm and fuzzies elicited from last year’s run (pre-snub) have looped back around to the frustrations that many had during his first three years on the job. The clamor for change is real, but it’s 99.9% for an overhaul of the coaching and support staff.

How annoying is it that your poor start has overshadowed Florida’s troubles?

It is so, so, so annoying, perhaps even more annoying than Miami being actually good with a potential Heisman candidate in Cam Ward that FSU tried itself to bring in. “At least I’m not that guy” is one of the few valid ways of coping with disappointment, and not only has it been taken away, it’s how UF fans basically feel at the moment since Napier isn’t making it past this season and DJ Lagway has offered some sort of excitement.

Obviously it was going to be hard to match 13-0, but what is the most surprising aspect of Florida State’s slow start?

The complete erosion of culture that Norvell had cultivated throughout his tenure. It sounds very sports-coluministy to talk about things like “passion,” but even when FSU was bad, you saw fight and investment and flashes of what would eventually lead to the 2023 season. Through three games, the team has just looked broken and disinterested, like to the point where you don’t even see the frustration emerging.

What unit was expected to be good and disappointed the most?

The defensive line was projected to be one of the best in the country -- and not just by FSU media, it was a unit hyped by national analysts and NFL Draft prognostics alike. Darrell Jackson Jr., Joshua Farmer, and Patrick Payton were pinpointed as the next great trio in the trenches but have fallen extremely short of expectations.

Do you think the suspension of FSU’s OC/OL coach Alex Atkins for the first 3 games has had a major impact on the team’s performance?

I don’t know if I would say major, but I think that it has been a factor in the team’s preparation and in-game mindset. Losing him as just an offensive line coach or coordinator would be one thing, but his dual roles showcase how much of a presence he maintains in carrying out Norvell’s vision and with how lost the offense has looked, it’s obvious he’s been missed.

Football is a game of inches. What individual plays in the last three games could have gone differently and completely changed the outcome?

This is going to sound defeatist, but you’d basically have to change 70% of the plays in each of them to get a different outcome. There was a missed fumble recovery opportunity against Georgia Tech that could have perhaps changed that to a win, but FSU was so ineffective for the bulk of the game it’s not a guarantee. If the Seminoles don’t fumble on the second play of the game against Memphis, maybe they don’t trail the entire game, but again, the offense didn’t do anything that made you go “if only.”

We don’t condone violence at W4C, but we like this question as an opportunity for folks to air it out. Whom do you most want to punch in the face?

I’ve got a few names, but the one that I can’t shake is 14-year-old Perry, mainly for being an annoying Gator fan (my dad went there) and to prove to myself that I’m not washed as a 30-year-old (I don’t have much faith).