Mike Norvell on Notre Dame game, quarterback situation

If Florida State head coach Mike Norvell wants to make a statement early in his second season, he has the perfect opportunity. 

Two of college football’s most storied programs will meet again to kickoff their 2021 campaigns. This time it will be under the lights at Doak Campbell Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 5 as part of college football’s five-day opening weekend. It is the only game on Sunday.

“It’s what college football is all about. It’s what you want to be a part of,” Norvell said Thursday, according to 247Sports’ Brendan Sonnone. 

Florida State is looking to bounce back from a 3-6 season in 2020, one filled with inconsistent play in Norvell’s first year at the helm. The Seminoles were either scoring 40 points, or they were scoring 15. They were either beating No. 5 North Carolina, or they were having to scrape together a comeback against Jacksonville State.

Norvell’s squad will need to greatly improve from last season to quell hot seat rumors from an ever-impatient fanbase. Luckily for them, there is plenty of talent with which to work.

Questions remain at QB

Norvell said he will not publicly name a starter until game time against Notre Dame, but he has two primary options. 

One of the most high-profile transfer portal pickups this year was McKenzie Milton. The former UCF quarterback was responsible for UCF’s 13-0 season in 2017 and the majority of their 12-1 season in 2018. A gruesome leg injury in late November 2018 sidelined Milton, but after an intense, multi-year rehab period, Milton is able to play again. If he is healthy, Milton could be one of the nation’s most dynamic quarterbacks. 

Jordan Travis is the other quarterback in the conversation if Milton is not be ready yet. Travis was named FSU’s starter for last season’s Oct. 10 game against Notre Dame, and finished out the season in that role for the Seminoles. Travis threw for 1,056 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions, and added 559 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2020.

Concerns in the trenches

With a dual-threat quarterback in Travis and multiple formidable running backs in Jashaun Corbin, La’Damian Webb and Lawrance Toafili, the Florida State run game should have really clicked last year. The only problem? Its offensive line.

To say the Seminoles’ offensive line needs improvement would be a gross understatement. They had a sack rate of 9.5% in 2020, which was tied for 111th in the country, per Football Outsiders. 

They brought in graduate transfer Dillon Gibbons from Notre Dame who can play anywhere on the offensive line. Florida State also returns several projected starters, but a few of them like Devontay Love-Taylor and Dontae Lucas have faced injuries in their careers that could slow them down. Robert Scott, a freshman All-American last season, has a lot of potential. 

Florida State lost a fair amount on defense including second-round NFL Draft pick Asante Samuel Jr. The defensive line lost three starters to the NFL in defensive ends Joshua Kaindoh and Janarius Robinson and defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. The only returning starter is defensive tackle Robert Cooper, who will need to perform at a high-level and lead an inexperienced group.

Georgia transfer Jermaine Johnson will look to make a big impact at linebacker for the Seminoles as well.

Don’t sleep on Florida State

If Norvell has a healthy quarterback and can maximize the talent in Tallahassee, this Florida State team could return to prominence. It will certainly help that the Seminoles will have the hostile environment that is a packed Doak-Campbell Stadium back. Norvell said he’s especially anticipating both a full-capacity crowd and resuming Florida State’s in-state rivalry with Florida, two things that were eliminated last season by COVID-19.

“I’m kind of looking forward to that as well,” he said.

Image courtesy of Don Juan Moore/Getty Images