Weekly Mailbag: NC State, Kicking Woes and Penalties

Questions and answers with the Seminoles eyeing another ranked matchup this weekend.

Florida State slipped up for the first time this season after falling to Wake Forest, 31-21 on Saturday. The Seminoles couldn't establish a rhythm on offense in the first half while an injury-depleted defense was worn out after spending more than half of the game on the field. It was a sloppy, uncharacteristic, and penalty plagued performance from the entire team.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell, John Papuchis remain confident in kicking game despite Ryan Fitzgerald's struggles

Head coach Mike Norvell will have to regroup the 'Noles quickly ahead of a contest against No. 14 North Carolina State. Norvell has yet to defeat the Wolfpack since arriving in Tallahahassee but he's also been without his starting quarterback in both contests. Jordan Travis missed the 2020 (injury) and 2021 (illness) losses to the Pack.

FSU will need to put together its most complete game to this point of the season to take down North Carolina State on the road. The Wolfpack have struggled on offense but an experienced defense has carried them through their first five games of the year.

Let's reach into the mailbag and see what's on the docket this week.

Why was BC sold out and WF not, despite a better matchup on paper? - @mario.r.cooper

It's simple. There was a major hurricane that hit the state which affected normal game day travel to Tallahassee for some fans. Considering the circumstances, I thought there was a sizable number of people in attendance, which was announced at 69,749.

Can you be our kicker? - @cma022

I wish but I've used up my seven years of eligibility and yes, that includes my COVID year. Unfortunately, Florida State will have to take its search elsewhere.

How much longer of a rope can Norvell give Ryan Fitzgerald before he is forced to change? - @graysonwood32

The rope is shortening by the day. The Seminoles can't afford to have the kicking game cost them wins down the stretch. Five of Florida State's final seven opponents are currently .500 or better which means there are likely to be some close games.

Fitzgerald has missed five of his last seven field goals and is under 50% on the season. If he doesn't start turning it around this weekend, I think there's no other choice but to pull him. I get he's done well in practice but that hasnt been translating to game days.

Thoughts on penalties against Wake Forest? - @jckptry

Just like Mike Norvell and Jordan Travis said after the game, I thought it was very uncharacteristic compared to how we've seen Florida State play to this point of the season. Florida State was flagged a season-high 11 times for 96 yards and the majority of those penalties came in crucial situations.

A few of the whistles were definitely questionable but this kind of sloppiness out of the Seminoles is unacceptable. FSU only committed two penalities in the first half, one of those flags was thrown on cornerback Omarion Cooper for pass interference after stopping Wake Forest on a drive that that the Demon Deacons eventually scored on.

Trailing by two scores in the third quarter, Florida State was driving to further cut into the deficit. Travis connected with wide receiver Ontaria Wilson, who cut near the 5 to make it 1st and goal. However, Darius Washington was called for holding on the play. The drive kept going backward and the 'Noles were forced to punt.

Penalities killed the Seminoles on their final drive as well. Tight end Markeston Douglas was called for ineligible man downfield while Jazston Turnetine got caught holding. In a last ditch effort, FSU ran out Ryan Fitzgerald for a 50-yard attempt but were pushed back even further due to a delay of game. Fitzgerald promptly missed.

I'm trying not to get too caught up in it since FSU has played pretty clean football this year but Saturday was ugly.

What are your thoughts about Jordan Travis? - @preston.c5

I think he's playing at the highest level thus far in his career as far as throwing the ball. Jordan Travis is completing a career-high 65.9% of his passes for 1,226 yards with eight touchdowns and one interceptions. That's a 10.9% jump in completion percentage from his first year as a starter in 2020 and his 9.7 yards per attempt are by far (8.1 in 2020, 7.9 in 2021) the best of his career.

Travis got rattled a few times against Wake Forest but he's consistently been putting the offense in a position to win.

With that being said, I would like to see him do a little bit more on the ground. After all, Travis does hold school records for most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He's only at 21 rushes for 50 yards and one touchdown on the season.

Finding more of a balance could help the offense be a little more dynamic moving forward. It is important to note that Travis has been using his legs to make plays outside of the pocket but most of the time it's to set up a pass downfield. Hard to not be pleased with his overall performance through five games.

Why does FSU not get more pressure on opposing QBs? - @scott_e_brock

Two of Florida State's best pass-rushers have been dealing with injuries in defensive tackle Fabien Lovett and defensive end Jared Verse. It sounds like Verse will be a full go on Saturday night after being limited in his snaps last week. Head coach Mike Norvell did not update Lovett's status so he'll likely be out for the fourth consecutive game. Along with those two, Malcolm Ray, Robert Cooper, and Patrick Payton have all been injured at stretches during games.

Despite that, only 19 teams in the FBS have more sacks than Florida State (14). The Seminoles are averaging 2.8 sacks per game, which is tied for No. 25 in the country. I don't think it's the pass-rush as much as it's the consistency of the defense and speed that opposing offenses are getting the ball out.

Can Florida State win against Clemson? - @livi.schalk

It will be extremely tough but it's definitely possible. Florida State played Clemson down to the wire last season in Death Valley. The Tigers have improved on offense but so have the Seminoles. Plus, this one will be a night game in a rocking atmosphere in Doak Campbell Stadium.

We'll talk about it more next week but Florida State will have to put together a strong passing game against an inexperienced Clemson secondary to pull it out.

Chances of Jared Verse playing the full game on Saturday? - @david_delgado_43

Looking pretty likely following Norvell's comments on Wednesday, "fully expect him, barring any setbacks, fully expect more out of him."

Despite playing the least snaps amongst defensive ends against Wake Forest, Verse recorded 4 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He'll be instrumental in limiting North Carolina State.

Thoughts on FSU and NC State? - @jaxton_f09

We're going to see what these guys are really made of. The Seminoles are facing some adversity after being defeated for the first time this season. Florida State has an opportunity to bounce back but it won't be easy against the Wolfpack. North Carolina State returns 10 of 11 starters on defense from 2021 and only two teams have scored 20 or more points against them this season.

Florida State's offensive line will need to respond in a big way. The Wolfpack only allow 94.4 yards on the ground, which is one of the best marks in the country.

I think NC State's defense will be too much in the end, along with the road environment, and I'm going with the Wolfpack, 21-17.

Record for the next four games? - @brandonmcconnell02

Florida State's next four games: @ NC State, vs. Clemson, vs. Georgia Tech, @ Miami

I'll play it safe and say 2-2. I'm not quite sure which two are wins and which two are losses though. 

READ MORE: Florida State releases Depth Chart for North Carolina State Wolfpack

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