Florida State football’s offense has struggled to make an impact this season.
The Seminoles rank near the bottom of Divison 1 schools in total offense, scoring offense and rushing offense, among other major statistical categories. Those struggles are a big part of FSU’s 1-6 record heading into rivalry week at No. 5 Miami (7-0).
FSU head coach Mike Norvell said he knows how important this week is to the program and its fan base, especially with the Hurricanes undefeated and possibly on pace for an ACC title game appearance.
Saturday’s kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium is 7 p.m. on ESPN.
“I’m excited for what we have in front of us,” Norvell said. “It’s going to be a great challenge but a great opportunity. I know our guys are excited for the chance to go down there and compete. I’m looking forward to a great week of preparation.”
The Seminoles have won the last three meetings between the two programs, but Miami holds the all-time series record at 35-33. A win seems unlikely for FSU, mostly because of the offensive failures.
FSU ranks 132nd among Division I offenses in scoring (15 points per game) and total offense (276 yards per game). The Seminoles are no longer the worst rushing team in the country, moving from 133rd to 130th after their 162 rushing yards against Duke last Friday.
The 23-16 loss to Duke was the sixth straight game FSU has not scored over 20 points. And the Seminoles haven’t recorded over 300 yards of total offense since the 45-13 win over North Alabama last season.
It wasn’t a pretty game with multiple drops, miscues and errors plaguing offensive production, something that has been a consistent trend this season.
While the Hurricanes offense is well established as one of the best in the country with quarterback Cam Ward, the Miami defense hasn’t been on the same level in recent weeks. That unit has allowed 117 points in its last three games versus Virginia Tech (34 points), Cal (38 points) and Louisville (45 points).
That may offer a brief glimmer of hope for FSU fans looking for a better offensive showing. However, most of the struggles FSU has faced are self-inflicted and an upset appears extremely unlikely.
So what can be done offensively, especially with the season all but washed away?
Let Brock Glenn or Luke Kromenhoek run the football
Brock Glenn is a more than capable runner at quarterback and he holds a true dual-threat ability that the Seminoles have underutilized in his first two starts.
In his two games, Glenn has rushed for 62 yards, with a large chunk of those coming on scrambles rather than designed runs. The Seminoles’ run game issues have been well documented. However, when Glenn got out of the pocket versus Duke it slightly changed the Blue Devils’ approach and allowed for a few more holes for running backs to hit.
Glenn obviously struggled against Duke. His three turnovers in three plays were a far cry from his performance vs. Clemson. That will be in the minds of the Seminoles coaches and maybe more opportunities on the ground will help him build confidence and find a rhythm.
Luke Kromenhoek offers the Seminoles another threat on the ground. He isn’t as elusive as Glenn, but he is a powerful runner who is capable of making plays in the open field. Both quarterbacks played at Duke, and Norvell said things will be evaluated when asked if both quarterbacks will play on Saturday.
The threat of a mobile quarterback could help the Seminoles’ offense as a whole as it forces defenses to adapt and change coverages to account for the threat out of the backfield.
It’s an option that FSU didn’t have with DJ Uiagalelei under center prior to being injured. And while FSU tried to run him, it didn’t yield results. A few more chances for Glenn or Kromenhoek on the ground could give the Seminoles a different way to attack in the last five games.
Get fresh faces on the field
There is a need for fresh faces on the offensive side, especially with the lack of productivity from some of the veterans.
Drops have been far too common as the team has recorded 21 dropped passes this season, with many of them coming in crucial situations.
In the loss to Duke, Malik Benson dropped a would-be first down on a third and long, Kentron Poitier dropped a 50-plus-yard touchdown pass from Kromenhoek. and Hykeem Williams dropped a ball that would have got the Seminoles in field goal range before the break.
The three drops cost the Seminoles of what could be a minimum of 13 points, which if converted, those points would have been enough for FSU to win. Offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said he takes responsibility for the drops and he has challenged his team to be better.
“I took the heat,” Atkins said. “Because I have to make sure that whatever the problem is, whatever the ball is, maybe over-the-shoulder catch, underneath, flipping the hands, whatever it is I’ve got to make sure they do it so much that they can’t mess it up, to build the confidence.
“Sometimes you then can overdo it and overthink and overprocess and overpress like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to catch it, I’ve got to catch it, I’ve got to catch it.’ Then now you’re overthinking it instead of doing what you naturally can do.”
Drops have been the theme of the season, dating back to week zero vs. Georiga Tech. While there is no instant fix, a move toward fresher faces could offer FSU improvement.
Freshmen Lawayne McCoy and Elijah Moore have both been named on the depth chart this season but have received limited action offensively. Both have excelled in practice and offer the Seminoles a different dynamic with McCoy’s route running and Moore’s athletic ability and his 6-foot-4 frame.
In a season where freshman wide receivers have taken college football by storm, FSU needs to see if its young duo can join the party, even if it’s late. The freshmen tight-end duo of Landen Thomas and Amaree Williams made an instant impact with more opportunities, it’s time to see if the young wide receivers can do the same.
How to watch FSU-Miami football game
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football’s offense needs change versus Miami. Here’s how to do it
