Can BC upset the Seminoles?
It’s nearly time for BC’s first game of the season. On Monday, they’ll have a shot of beating Florida State and handing the Seminoles their second loss of the year. Huge thank you to Perry Kostidakis of Tomahawk Nation for answering a few of our questions about FSU!
Last weekend was rough for Florida State fans. Losing overseas as a top-10 team to an unranked conference opponent in a primetime game is certainly not the way you guys wanted to start 2024. What are the feelings around the fanbase like right now?
PK: Saturday felt like a crash to earth, since FSU hadn’t lost a regular season game since beating Georgia Tech back in 2022. The grieving process has gone its regular route — denial (no way that FSU just blew a game on a national stage after this entire past year), anger (THEY ONLY HAD ONE POSSESSION IN THE FOURTH?!), bargaining (okay, so at least if Miami or UF look awful next week, it’ll be okay), depression (I cannot believe I predicted 11-1), and acceptance (welp).
The point the fanbase is at now is whether Saturday was the default or a slip-up. It’s obvious that Georgia Tech is better than expected, but it remains to be seen if FSU is worse than believed. Was the inefficiency on both offense and defense a result of a well-planned and well-executed Yellow Jackets approach, or will it be a long year for a Seminoles squad unable to make any sort of impact in the trenches? Right now, it feels like mainly column A, with a sprinkle of column B.
I understand that there’s already been some talk among FSU fans about replacing DJU. Do you think most people want to see him remain the starter and do you think he’ll remain the starter all year?
PK: I do think that he’s going to remain in place as QB1, barring a complete meltdown or play that actually hurts his team. He wasn’t particularly stunning in the loss, but really he didn’t do anything that actively hurt the team’s chances at winning — and when Norvell let the offense loose, they did manage to get a touchdown. The issue was a lack of sustained drives, brought on by a disappointing performance in the run game (an area where FSU was supposed to excel and lean on in 2024).
If you were to single out one aspect of the Seminoles’ game that they do better than anyone else, what would it be and why?
PK: Really, at this point, I’d have to say special teams. It sounds depressing, and it kinda is, but FSU might actually have one of the best kicker-punter combinations in college football. Alex Mastromanno legitimately can win games by flipping the field, and Ryan Fitzgerald has elevated himself to a clutch kicker capable of hitting 50-plus yarders routinely.
Which players are your x-factor for the FSU-BC game?
PK: On the Eagles’ side, it’s Thomas Castellanos. He was an absolute terror last year and, after seeing how much FSU struggled in keeping contain against GT, he’s going to be a nightmare.
For FSU, I’m going with Pat Payton — the defensive end was pinpointed as one of the key parts of Florida State’s defense this year, but failed to make a major impact in the season-opener alongside his teammates in the trenches. If he’s able to get going and push the rest of the line along with him, the difference in attack will be huge.
How would you define a successful season for the Seminoles after the way it started?
PK: Most FSU fans have attempted to cope with the loss — and a potential follow-up to Boston College — by pinpointing the 1989 season. After an 0-2 start FSU ran the table to finish 10-2, winning the Fiesta Bowl and finishing No. 3. While looking at what a team 35 years ago did isn’t exactly the soundest science, in the new era of the College Football Playoff, your season isn’t over until you really mess it up. Norvell’s teams have shown an ability to shake off disappointments and turn seasons around. Any fantasies of pummeling through the ACC with a BIG-style offense have pretty much faltered away, but a 10-2, 9-3 season is still a success especially if it is enough to push the Seminoles into the dance.