It is exhausting to fathom the Florida State fan base having the ability to love Jordan Travis anymore than they already did.
However contemplating how issues have appeared on the FSU offense because the legendary Seminole quarterback suffered an harm that prematurely ended his taking part in profession with this system, I might say the Seminole trustworthy might be able to discover extra room of their coronary heart for Travis.
As a result of whereas some regression was anticipated contemplating all of the FSU offense misplaced and all Travis introduced, the offensive drop off the cliff has been beautiful.
After FSU surpassed 300 yards of offense in every of the ultimate 27 video games Travis began — it additionally had 400+ yards in 19 of these video games and 500+ yards in eight — the Seminoles have failed to succeed in 300 yards of offense in any of the 5 video games since Travis was injured final yr vs. North Alabama.
Whereas just a few of these video games had been in opposition to excellent groups in Georgia and Louisville, the opposite three had been in opposition to a nasty Florida workforce and two groups to start out the 2024 season (Boston School and Georgia Tech) that every went 7-6 in 2023.
It was identified Travis could be missed. However what was not identified is strictly what number of warts the quarterback could have been overlaying up inside the offense.
The apparent problem when inspecting the FSU offense with out Travis is his successor at QB. There have been some identified points with DJ Uiagalelei when FSU took his dedication as a switch. Regardless of an enormous arm, he is had some intermediate accuracy points, struggles to learn defenses and tentativeness to run all through his time at Clemson and Oregon State.
And but, it appeared like he might function a bridge quarterback of kinds with the expertise round him. Whereas he could not have been a world-beater in 2023 at Oregon State, he did common 219.8 passing yards per recreation, 8.4 passing yards per try and throw 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
By way of two video games at FSU, he is averaging 6.7 yards per try and has only one landing go together with one interception.
Thoughts you, that landing go within the third quarter Monday evening snapped a streak of 19 straight quarters with out an FSU passing landing, relationship again to the third quarter of FSU’s win over North Alabama on Nov. 18, 2023.
The combination of an inaccurate quarterback and a large receiver/tight finish room that’s struggling to consistency create separation and likewise coping with a collective case of the drops is a horrific mixture for FSU’s passing recreation.
“There’s not a lot that did click on,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell mentioned of the passing recreation vs. BC. “We struggled to win one-on-ones early. There have been occasions the place we had been giving up, getting stress. There have been occasions the place we missed a throw or missed a chance for a catch, making an attempt to get some issues to discover a rhythm offensively. We weren’t ready to do this very properly.”
The offense’s struggles Monday evening induced a number of “We would like Brock” chants from followers at Doak Campbell Stadium who had been clamoring to see the backup quarterback get an opportunity.
Whereas it isn’t honest to guage Glenn from getting thrown into the deep finish as a real freshman vs. Louisville and Georgia final yr attributable to accidents to the 2 gamers forward of him on the depth chart, his play in these video games (17 for 47 for 194 yards, no TDs, two interceptions) wasn’t precisely encouraging that he is able to take over now.
Whereas Uiagalelei hasn’t been what FSU hoped it was getting in a bridge quarterback, he is removed from the one problem on the offense.
Travis’ absence could also be felt much more severely within the run recreation early this season. Whereas he used his legs much less and fewer as he grew as a passer over his FSU profession, that risk was at all times there.
His 31 speeding touchdowns and 1,910 speeding yards had been each far and away essentially the most by an FSU quarterback in program historical past.
It seems that athleticism and playmaking potential could have led to a extreme overestimation of how FSU’s offensive line would carry out within the run recreation as soon as he left this system.
By way of two video games this season, FSU has 119 whole speeding yards and is averaging 2.53 yards per carry. Contemplating PFF says that 96 of FSU’s 155 sack-adjusted speeding yards have come after contact, that speaks to it being extra of an offensive line downside than a working again downside.
Not having to account almost as significantly for Uiagalelei as a quantity within the working recreation has completely modified how opposing defenses can scheme in opposition to the FSU offense.
After the working recreation completely fell flat after an amazing opening drive vs. GT, these struggles carried over in a significant manner vs. BC. FSU’s 21 speeding yards in opposition to the Eagles had been the fewest because the Seminoles had -21 speeding yards vs. Clemson in 2018.
“In terms of the run recreation, it takes everyone. And we have to have the ability to create house. We have to have the ability to be on observe. We have to be sure that we’re making the most of all positions doing their half,” Norvell mentioned. “Persons are stacking the field. Persons are squeezing the field. We have to have the ability to benefit from it out on the perimeter. Had a plan to attempt to have the ability to take what they had been giving us. And clearly we didn’t do a ok job and put our guys able to attain success in that regards.
“There’s some issues that we have simply obtained to be higher in our execution. However we have to seek out methods to have the ability to have success on the bottom. For 2 video games, we positively haven’t been in a position to obtain that to the extent that I used to be anticipating. And, as soon as once more, I’ve obtained to place guys in a greater place than what we’re doing there offensively, within the run recreation to have the ability to create angles, to create house, to let our guys have an opportunity to have the ability to maintain and excel there on the bottom.”
Even earlier than his time at FSU, Norvell has fairly a powerful observe report of doing a superb job of constructing his offense across the strengths of that yr’s workforce. In separate seasons at Memphis, he had a 4,000-yard passer and a number of 1,000-yard rushers on the identical workforce.
The top of the 2023 season and the beginning of the 2024 season have drilled house that a lot of Norvell’s offensive success was predicated on what he was in a position to get out of Travis. That, in its personal proper, was remarkably spectacular. He took Travis from a participant who was contemplating quitting soccer or a place change to an ACC Participant of the 12 months.
Now, he’d higher discover the brand new identification of this FSU offense in a post-Travis period in a rush or his repute as an offensive guru could also be tarnished.