Florida State football overreactions: Seminoles season already lost after opening defeat?

Disappointment is a natural reaction, one experienced by many fans across college football, and one that’s amplified following season openers.

There’s so much buildup, so much excitement, so much anticipation.

One team wins. The other loses.

And disappointed fans on the losing end may think the world is ending.

That could be the feeling at Florida State following Saturday’s stunning 24-21 defeat to underdog Georgia Tech in Ireland. It was the Yellow Jackets' first win over a Top 10 team since it beat FSU in 2015.

The defeat was a surprise but let's also offer some perspective to a few overreactions.

DJ Uiagalelei is not the answer at QB for Florida State

The seasoned transfer quarterback completed 19 of 27 passes for 193 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. That looked good on paper but Uiagalelei and the offense are capable of much more. The timid passing game lacked rhythm, relying on dinks and dunks. And a cautious Uiagalelei struggled early when throwing the ball downfield.

However, when needed in the fourth quarter and with the game on the line, Uiagalelei responded as he completed 6-of-8 passes for 82 yards. He converted a pair of fourth downs in that series, making a big time read and throw to Ja'Khi Douglas for 20 yards, followed by a dart to Malik Benson over the middle for 19 yards. Overall in the game, Uiagalelei was 10-of-11 on passes 5 yards and under; 7-of-11 on passes between 5 and 14 yards; and 2-of-5 on passes 15 yards or more.

While not a dual-threat quarterback in the traditional sense due to his size, Uiagalelei can keep defenses honest with quicker decisions in the pocket. The transfer and his young receivers will get better as their comfort levels increase.

“I thought DJ did some good things. I think he did a great job there with that fourth-quarter drive. I thought he delivered at that moment,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said following the game. “At the end of the day, we have to be more explosive, and that’s not just on one player.”

Florida State's defensive line is not as good as advertised

Patrick Payton, Joshua Farmer,Darrell Jackson and Marvin Jones, Jr. entered this season with plenty of hype. Actually, many deemed the Seminoles' collective defensive front among the best in college football. Against Georgia Tech, however, the quartet managed six tackles and many bemoaned its lack of physicality.

The determined Yellow Jackets rushed for 5.3 yards per attempt, and four different players gained 10 yards or more. More often than not, FSU failed to set the edge and prevent running plays from getting outside. Georgia Tech followed its game plan perfectly: run the ball, drain the clock, and shorten the game. Quarterback Haynes King's scrambling ability also challenged the Seminoles.

While it wasn't the showing FSU fans expected from the talented defensive line, look for the quartet and its wounded pride to rebound with aggression in FSU's home opener Monday against Boston College.

"There were some plays here and there, where we're on the edge of blocks, we got to be better and tighter in certain situations," Norvell said. "Make some of those space tackles when we get the opportunity to do that."

Florida State's playoff hopes are dead on arrival

The season is not lost.

While the Seminoles' shot at winning the ACC and making the newly-expanded College Football Playoff expects to be more difficult, there's still a path forward in a 12-game regular season.

One. Game. At. A. Time.

Playoff contenders under the new format can advance as a conference champion or earn an at-large bid. FSU's schedule features seven home games, three teams in the preseason top-25 rankings, a conference champion and its SEC state rival.

FSU's turnaround starts against Boston College, followed by a home game against Memphis, which is being mentioned as a potential contender to earn the Group of Five's playoff bid. September ends with a home game against California and at SMU.

There's really no need to look much farther ahead because FSU's focus must be the task at hand. The Eagles have a new head coach in Bill O’Brien and an experienced quarterback in Thomas Castellanos, the UCF transfer who rushed for 1,113 yards last season — a team record for a quarterback. The Eagles also have a new defensive coordinator in Tim Lewis, who is looking to lift a unit that underperformed last season.

"For our football team, it's about where our response goes from here, and obviously we're all hurt," Norvell said. "...at the end of the day, this is a team sport, and we've got to take a step as a football team, and not let this one game define the outcome of what our season will be. You know, we get to respond."

FSU football schedule 2024: TV channels, dates and start times

All times Eastern

• Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Georgia Tech* (Aer Lingus College Football Classic) Lost 24-21

• Monday, Sept. 2: vs. Boston College* | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)

• Saturday, Sept. 7: Bye

• Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. Memphis | Noon | ESPN (Fubo)

• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Cal*

• Saturday, Sept. 28: at SMU*

• Saturday, Oct. 5: vs. No. 14 Clemson*

• Saturday, Oct. 12: Bye

• Friday, Oct. 18: at Duke* | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)

• Saturday, Oct. 26: at No. 19 Miami*

• Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. North Carolina*

• Saturday, Nov. 9: at No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo, Peacock)

• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. Charleston Southern

• Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Florida

• Saturday, Dec. 6: ACC championship game (Charlotte, N.C.)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football overreactions as the Seminoles tumble to underdog Ga. Tech