Florida State's comeback from last season's playoff loss and historic Orange Bowl rout of Georgia is off to an equally rocky start.
Just a year removed from an undefeated season and being in playoff contention, the Seminoles are off to an 0-3 start after a 20-12 loss to FBS Memphis on Saturday. Florida State paid Memphis $1.3 million to appear on its schedule this year as a buyout game, then lost anyway.
Then, after the game, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell had to cut his postgame press conference short after a fire alarm went off at the team facility.
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The fire alarm saved the head coach from having to explain more grueling details behind his team's catastrophic defeat.
“We all have to do a better job,” Norvell said during his postgame press conference. “… We can't keep coming to games and seeing things that aren't part of who we are. So we all have to prepare better. … These guys haven't stopped working.”
Florida State is now winless since infamously missing out on the College Football Playoffs last year, with four straight losses.
General view of some Florida State Seminoles fans with bags over their heads during the game against the Memphis Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium at Bobby Bowden Field on September 14, 2024 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Tigers defeated the Seminoles 20 to 12. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) ***Local Caption*** (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Florida State began the season with a heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, a week before the rest of the college football schedule began. Things got worse on Sept. 2, when they fell to 0-2 with a 28-13 loss to Boston College.
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“I'm fed up with how the season started,” Norvell said after the loss to Boston College. “In every phase, we just couldn't execute. Obviously I didn't put them in a position to show what I think this football team is all about, and it's extremely disappointing. I apologize to our fans, I apologize to everyone associated with the program — I mean, it was extremely disappointing that we weren't better.”
But the Seminoles' first two losses came against more justifiable opponents.
But Saturday's loss, which came shortly after the team's bye week, was more unexpected as it was a 6.5-point favorite.
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Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell huddles with his team during the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Truist Field on October 28, 2023 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Florida State won 41-16. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Seminoles also won't have the luxury of playing more opponents than they paid to have on the schedule in the near future.
The next three games will be against ACC opponents, starting next Saturday against Cal, then a trip to conference rival SMU, both newcomers to the conference. The game after that will be against longtime conference rival Clemson, which is looking to overcome its own struggles to start the season after a blowout loss to Georgia in Week 1.
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