Florida State football overreactions: Seminoles season already lost after opening defeat?

Disappointment is a natural reaction, one experienced by many fans across college football, and one that’s amplified following season openers.

There’s so much buildup, so much excitement, so much anticipation.

One team wins. The other loses.

And disappointed fans on the losing end may think the world is ending.

That could be the feeling at Florida State following Saturday’s stunning 24-21 defeat to underdog Georgia Tech in Ireland. It was the Yellow Jackets’ first win over a Top 10 team since it beat FSU in 2015.

The defeat was a surprise but let’s also offer some perspective to a few overreactions.

DJ Uiagalelei is not the answer at QB for Florida State

The seasoned transfer quarterback completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. That looked good on paper but Uiagalelei and the offense are capable of much more. The timid passing game lacked rhythm, relying on dinks and dunks. And a cautious Uiagalelei struggled early when throwing the ball downfield.

However, when needed in the fourth quarter and with the game on the line, Uiagalelei responded as he completed 6-of-8 passes for 82 yards. He converted a pair of fourth downs in that series, making a big time read and throw to Ja’Khi Douglas for 20 yards, followed by a dart to Malik Benson over the middle for 19 yards. Overall in the game, Uiagalelei was 10-of-11 on passes 5 yards and under; 7-of-11 on passes between 5 and 14 yards; and 2-of-5 on passes 15 yards or more.

While not a dual-threat quarterback in the traditional sense due to his size, Uiagalelei can keep defenses honest with quicker decisions in the pocket. The transfer and his young receivers will get better as their comfort levels increase.

“I thought DJ did some good things. I think he did a great job there with that fourth-quarter drive. I thought he delivered at…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-state-football-overreactions-seminoles-173815764.html

Author : Tallahassee Democrat

Publish date : 2024-08-25 17:38:15

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