Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell had a record of 9-2 in his head coaching career coming off an open week. The Noles and their fans entered Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday afternoon with confidence and fire against Norvell’s former team, the Memphis Tigers.
That extra time from the bye week wasn’t enough as Memphis forced its will to win over the Seminoles with a 20-12 victory. The loss drops the team to 0-3 for the season, with two of the losses against ACC opponents. FSU remains at the bottom of the conference standings.
The 'Nole defense did its best job this season on the scoreboard, holding Memphis to 20 points. However, a long Memphis drive and touchdown to open the second half was the beginning of the end as the Noles' offense sputtered most of the game.
With only 238 total yards —and only 37 of that on the ground—the FSU had to rely on weak offensive line pass blocking and the arm of Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was perfect again with two field goals, the longest being 54 yards. The 12 points scored was the lowest total of the season, and questions remain about this team as they now face six straight conference opponents.
The passing game did show some signs of life with a breakout game by wide receiver Mallik Benson. Benson’s 99-yard total topped all receivers in the game, and Uiagalelei showed his arm strength, accuracy, and flashes of emotion and leadership that hadn’t been evident in the prior two games.
The Noles will be looking for their first win of the season next Saturday night as FSU hosts California.