Tomahawk chop at FSU football game in Dublin, Ireland
Florida State Athletics took this video from the sidelines at Aviva Stadium before FSU played Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland on August 24, 2024.
Contributed video by FSU Athletics
Florida State football opened the 2024 season with an upset loss to Georgia Tech.
Falling to the Yellow Jackets 24-21 in Dublin, Ireland, the Seminoles lost the program’s first ACC game since 2022, previously unbeaten in the past 12 conference matchups.
“They did a good job of extending drives, and obviously making the plays that were necessary there until the end,” Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell said. “I was proud of how our guys prepared. I thought the mindset and approach was good.”
“But as we got into the game, the smallest of things whether it is the discipline on the call or discipline of the overall execution… for me I’ve got to be better in helping put our guys in position to make those plays in the moment.”
After an explosive first drive that went 75 yards in seven plays and ended with a 28-yard Lawrance Toafili touchdown and a 2-point conversion, the Seminoles offense went flat. Georgia Tech responded with a six-play, 79-yard scoring drive, running all over the FSU defense, a theme that would continue throughout the day.
The Yellow Jackets took a 14-11 lead on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock in the second quarter. A 59-yard career-long field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald tied things up at halftime.
Georgia Tech went on an 89-yard scoring drive, and the Seminoles responded with an 84-yard drive that saw DJ Uiagalelei complete two fourth-down conversions. Roydell Williams punched it in to level the score.
The Seminoles’ defense, however, couldn’t contain Haynes King and Jamal Haynes as the duo drove down the field to set up a walk-off 44-yard Aidan Birr field goal.
Here are three takeaways from the Seminoles’ loss to Georgia Tech.
FSU’s running backs can’t carry offensive load after poor passing display
It seemed like the Seminoles’ offense was set for an explosive game after going 75 yards on the team’s opening drive, running the ball all over the Georgia Tech defense, capped off by the 28-yard Toafili touchdown run.
FSU could not replicate its success, however, as short passes and runs into a run-ready Georgia Tech defense kept the Seminole offense grounded.
“Offensively we have to be more explosive,” Norvell said. “I thought we had some missed opportunities. We got to create the explosive play. They did a good job of trying to stack the box and get the safetys down, they definitely gave us some challenges and certain fits in the run game.”
“At the end of the day we’ve got to control us and make sure we go out there and play at a high level.”
Uiagelelei went 12/14 in the first half, throwing primarily short passes, going 1/2 on passes over 6 yards in the air. He finished 19/27 for 193 passing yards.
“I thought DJ did some good things,” Norvell said. “That was a really great job on that fourth-quarter drive, had some fourth down calls and tougher situations and I thought he delivered in that moment. There was a couple of drives in the third quarter where there are some opportunities that we will grow from.”
The Seminoles continued to put an emphasis on the running game in the second half, but Georgia Tech’s defense remained solid and stuffed the FSU running backs at the line on multiple occasions, and forced Uiagalelei to make throws downfield, which more often than not ended in an incompletion.
A 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions to tie the game was the biggest, and only, moment of success for the Seminole offense in the second half.
It wasn’t enough as the Seminoles left too many plays on the field after falling flat on offense.
FSU’s defense can’t erase poor start as Yellow Jackets run free
The Seminoles’ defense couldn’t contain the run as the Yellow Jackets recorded 190 rushing yards, with Haynes scoring two on the ground.
The Georgia Tech offensive line nullified the Seminoles’ defensive front, keeping Patrick Payton, Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson quiet.
The FSU defense couldn’t make clean tackles, allowing the Georgia Tech players to get extra yardage on broken tackles.
“That rushing offense was the number one rushing offense in the league a year ago, and they returned everybody,” Norvell said. “They got a lot of dynamic players that do things that force you to be great on your fits and obviously execute in those moments.”
“We got to be better and tighter in certain situations. We got to make some of those tackles when we get the opportunity to do that.”
Haynes posted 75 yards and two scores to lead all rushers for the Yellow Jackets, with King accounting for 54 yards. The quarterback added 154 yards passing, going 11/16.
The Yellow Jackets outgained FSU’s offense 336 yards to 291 yards, adding 146 passing yards to the 190 yards on the ground.
Outside of the first scoring drive, the Yellow Jackets took over six minutes off the clock on each of the scoring drives, keeping the Seminoles’ defense on the field and running all over that unit.
FSU’s defense couldn’t capitalize on multiple third-and-long situations, allowing the Georgia Tech offense to stay on the field.
During the Yellow Jackets final touchdown drive, King fumbled a handoff on second down, which three Seminoles couldn’t recover, giving King and Georgia Tech another chance.
On the following third down, King completed a 15-yard pass for the first down. The next play was a 21-yard run from King that set up a first and goal for the Yellow Jackets, with Haynes converting that for a score.
On the field goal-winning drive, King again fumbled an exchange that took the Yellow Jackets out of field goal range and set up third-and-long. A 12-yard King pass to Eric Singleton got Georgia Tech back in field goal range and allowed Birr to kick the winner.
Ryan Fitzgerald, special teams can’t save the Seminoles from an upset
Fitzgerald kicked two field goals in the first half, 52 and 59 yards.
“I thought Ryan did a great job of putting points on the board,” Norvell said. “He hit the 59-yarder coming in at half, which was big.”
His kicks kept the Seminoles in the game in the first half as the FSU offense lost its spark after its initial scoring drive.
After the first drive, the Seminoles went for two and scored on the swinging gate play with Brian Courtney taking the ball in for the 2-point conversion.
Punter Alex Mastromanno showcased his ability to pin opponents deep. One punt forced the Yellow Jackets to start a drive on its 11-yard line after Edwin Joseph leveled the punt returner and seemed to give FSU some momentum.
Georgia Tech would eventually score on that drive, going 89-yards.
The special teams heroics seemed to be one of the few positives for FSU, as the defense couldn’t contain the dynamic Georgia Tech ground game and the offense never got going.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
