Three Players to Watch as Seminoles Look to Avoid 0-4 Start Against Cal

The Seminoles have to start climbing out of an early-season hole this weekend.

Mike Norvell’s team has certainly fallen from grace. With three losses under their belt, the Seminoles are the last remaining winless college football team in the Power 4 and wholly unrecognizable from where we left them at the end of the 2023 regular season. Postseason hopes and expectations have gone by the wayside. Instead, Norvell and his program are desperately searching for some semblance of winning football. This weekend’s contest against the California Golden Bears is but the next opportunity to finally put things together, but FSU will have their work cut out for them. No, you’re not dreaming. The undefeated California Golden Bears will travel to Tallahassee, Florida, to take on the winless Florida State Seminoles. 

California, in the midst of a three-game win streak that includes a victory over the SEC’s own Auburn Tigers, has impressed, thus far. Despite facing criticism prior to the start of the season, the ACC newcomers have climbed to the top of conference Power Rankings according to experts and national media pundits around the country. The Golden Bears will have their first taste of ACC conference play against the ‘Noles come Saturday, but the matchup isn’t gearing up to be the daunting welcome many had once believed. Cal is playing some top-notch football to begin the 2024 season, and the 3-game win streak is emblematic of their performance. If the trend continues, the Golden Bears should have no issue taking down a floundering Florida State team. Cal's victory over Florida State won’t be a signal of their ascendancy to the ACC throne, but it would certainly set them on the right path for a promising tenure within the conference. 

READ MORE: Florida State Releases Depth Chart For ACC Game Against Cal

Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting between these two programs all-time. As the stakes rise, this matchup promises to be a defining moment for both programs; California is aiming to solidify its status as a legitimate ACC contender and Florida State is desperate to stop its free fall. The challenges on the field have been compounded by injuries and a lack of cohesion, leaving Florida State fans anxious about the team's performance. Norvell will need tangible production from his players if the Seminoles hope to finally notch a victory in 2024. 

1. Malik Benson, Wide Receiver

Malik Benson burst on to the college football scene after a breakout 2021 season for Hutchinson Community College. The 6’1”, 195-pound receiver tallied 43 receptions for 1,229 yards and 11 touchdowns en route to first-team NJCAA DI All-American and Salt City Bowl Offensive MVP honors. Benson’s record-breaking season caught the attention of Division I powerhouse programs with the likes of Oregon, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama vying for the commitment of the no. 1 JUCO recruit during the 2023 cycle. In fact, Florida State had also offered him out of JUCO, but the highly sought after receiver would narrow down his list to Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama shortly thereafter. Eventually, Benson committed to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and joined the team prior to the 2023 season. He appeared in all 14 games for the Crimson Tide with six starts, recording 13 receptions for 162 yards and 1 TD during Alabama’s 2023 season. After just one season with Alabama, however, Benson had announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. Five days later, he was set on joining the Florida State Seminoles. 

Head coach Mike Norvell and his staff were eager to feature Benson in the Florida State offense. Having witnessed the successes of transfer wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, the ‘Noles were optimistic that the Alabama transfer would follow suit. Plus, the departures of Coleman and Wilson meant playing time and targets were up for grabs. Off-season practice observations continued to stoke the Malik Benson hype, declaring him as the most explosive wide receiver within the offense. However, his performances throughout the first two games of the season left many confused. Benson failed to make any sort of dent in the passing game against Georgia Tech and Boston College, tallying 39 and 33 yards, respectively. Granted, the Seminoles have had their fair share of issues at the quarterback position, which has prevented the speedy wide receiver from making plays with the ball in his hands. Florida State offense has struggled immensely, but Benson’s recent performance against Memphis has served as a slight glimmer of hope. He was able to reel in 5 receptions for a total of 99 yards, including a 67-yard gain that set up FSU’s first touchdown of the game. For the first time this season, the Florida State faithful were able to see the Malik Benson many had heard about during the off-season. 

Given Florida State’s struggles with the rushing attack (more on that in a moment), the passing attack has provided the majority of FSU’s offensive production. Benson’s near 100-yard performance has sparked some hope in the receiving game, but the Seminoles will need him to fully embrace the WR1 role if they wish to spark an offense that has been wildly inconsistent and, at times, downright stagnant. Most of the passing game woes can be attributed to quarterback play, but if Benson can find ways to get open consistently, the ‘Noles might be able to alleviate some of the pressure on QB DJ Uiagalelei. Through three games, the Cal defense has yielded an average of 184.0 passing yards per game. For reference, that’s 10 spots below the Seminoles defense and 56th in the country. Perhaps, OC Alex Atkins and Benson can find a way to continue that momentum and take the top off of the Cal defense.

2. Lawrance Toafili, Running Back

The run game has been downright atrocious for the Florida State offense. FSU’s 52.0 rushing yards per game ranks 133rd in the country, which only ranks above one other team in the FBS [Miami (OH)]. This inability to run the ball with any sort of consistency or success has perplexed the Florida State faithful. Norvell and his staff worked diligently to assemble a “loaded” backfield that features the talents of Roydell Williams, Caziah Holmes, and Sam Davis. But, it was the presence of program veteran Lawrance Toafili that inspired hope for a strong presence on the ground in 2024. 

Following the departure of RB Trey Benson, Toafili was set to be the beneficiary of both increased playing time and increased touches. He has proven his multifaceted toolset over the past few seasons with the ‘Noles, specifically his abilities to attack defenses both on the ground and through the air. Prior to the start of the season, most believed that the 2023 ACCCG MVP would play a pivotal role in the offense throughout 2024 and carry a significant portion of the offensive production. The hope was that the opening-game matchup against a Georgia Tech defense, which ranked among the worst in the country in 2023, would be a breakout game for the back. For a moment, that appeared to be the case, with Toafili scoring the first TD of the 2024 college football season. Since that touchdown, however, he has been noticeably absent on the stat-sheet. 

Toafifli recorded 1 carry for 5 yards in the game against BC and 4 carries for 30 yards against Memphis (which, in all fairness, accounted for all but 7 of FSU’s rushing yards during that game) and he has failed to find the end zone since the first touchdown. His impact in the receiving game has been relatively unexceptional, with 7 receptions for 44 yards. Toafili does not carry the blame for the troubles experienced by the FSU rushing game, thus far, but it’s not hard to believe that his drop-off in overall production has negatively affected the overall offense. Florida State must find an answer for its rushing troubles and fast. Toafili’s experience within the Mike Norvell offense makes him a likely candidate for providing a spark in that area. The ‘Noles just have to find a way to get their veteran back going. After providing most of the rushing production last week (albeit small), I expect Norvell to return to that well against Cal in hopes of building upon what has worked. 

3. Justin Cryer, Linebacker

Florida State fans will be hearing the name Justin Cryer for years to come. The sophomore linebacker, a former 3-star prospect out of Texas, is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Tallahassee for both his promising play on the field and his recent post-game press conference. (At the time of writing this, the team’s social media accounts also just posted a gameday graphic that featured the linebacker in the post). Cryer, just a second year member of the program, addressed the team during the press conference following the Memphis loss. He said, “I believe in us…I’m fully committed. I’m fully bought into what we have here…Things aren’t clicking right now, but the people we have on this team — the people we have on this staff — are the right people, and we’re going to figure it out.” Cryer’s words have inspired a sliver of hope amidst the turmoil surrounding the Florida State football program. His belief in the process and his commitment to the people in and around the team echoes the culture Norvell worked diligently to establish throughout his first four years with the ‘Noles. Moreover, Cryer’s presence on the field has been hard to ignore. The sophomore linebacker has made the case for more playing time week in and week out, and his most recent INT against Memphis was evidence of that. Cryer is definitely someone to keep an eye on come Saturday against Cal for both his presence as a culture setter and his play on-field. 

Things are bleak for the Seminoles right now. There’s no other way to characterize their current disposition. However, not all is lost just yet. Play from guys like Malik Benson and Justin Cryer have provided the ‘Noles with the faintest bit of optimism that this roster has what it takes to turn things around. The pressure is on for Norvell and his staff to find the right mix of players both new and old in order to flip the script against a rolling Golden Bears squad. 

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READ MORE: Former FSU Star Reasons With Fanbase Amidst Struggles

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