Mike Norvell Discusses The Latest With Two Of Florida State's Injured Starters
The injuries have begun to pile up for Florida State over the last two weeks as multiple members of the two-deep were unavailable against Southern Miss and Boston College. The Seminoles are hoping to get a couple of players back in the lineup as the focus shifts to the Clemson Tigers.
READ MORE: Mike Norvell Provides An Update on FSU Quarterback Jordan Travis' Arm Injury
One of the main hits has been along the offensive line as left tackle Robert Scott and center Maurice Smith did not suit up in each of the last two games. Scott was injured early in the blowout victory against LSU and has been replaced by Bless Harris in the lineup. Redshirt junior Darius Washington has continued to show his versatility by stepping in for Smith in the middle.
The offensive line had plenty of struggles during the close victory against Boston College over the weekend. As a team, the Seminoles recorded 34 rushes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. The main gripe was averaging 3.8 yards per carry against a defense that had allowed 200+ rushing yards and five yards per carry entering the contest.
On Monday night, head coach Mike Norvell discussed the latest on Scott and Smith during his appearance on Inside Seminole Football. Neither player traveled with the team to Chestnut Hill. However, Smith was spotted with a boot on his foot while joining the team on the sideline for the victory over Southern Miss while Scott wasn't observed at all.
“We are hopeful that as the week progresses you get a better sense of Maurice [Smith], see where Rob [Scott] is at. I’ve been really proud of Darius Washington and the way that he has played, stepping in at center," Norvell said during the course of the show. "Obviously, Bless [Harris] and JB [Jeremiah Byers] have done a nice job at tackle. We’re pleased with our depth that we have, but hopefully can get at least one or maybe both of those guys back here this week and see where that can put us as we move forward.”
This could be good news for the Seminoles if the pair of veteran offensive linemen continue to recover from their respective injuries. Florida State is going to need everything it can muster on Saturday afternoon while matched up against an opponent that has defeated the program seven consecutive times.
Scott and Smith have both been there and done that. It's worth noting that each player started in Death Valley during the close defeat in 2021. At that time, Scott was playing both tackle spots and actually manned the right side during that matchup against the Tigers. He settled in solely at left tackle last year.
Florida State and Clemson are scheduled to kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC as the Seminoles try to snap a losing streak and defeat the Tigers for the first time in the Mike Norvell Era.
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