Way-Too-Early Look: FSU

Head Coach: Mike Norvell was named Florida State’s 11th full-time head football coach on Dec. 8, 2019.

In his first season at Florida State, Norvell led the youngest team in the nation as freshmen and sophomores made up 75 percent of FSU’s roster and 34 players made their first appearance for the Seminoles. While navigating through a global pandemic that ended spring practice after only three sessions and impacted summer workouts and the regular season, Norvell became the only coach in ACC history to defeat a top-five team in his first season when FSU earned a 31-28 victory over No. 5 North Carolina. In the season finale, a 56-35 win over Duke, Florida State scored six rushing touchdowns, matching the program record for rushing touchdowns in an ACC game.

Seminoles on offense: Kenny Dillingham was named Florida State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Dec. 11, 2019.

In his first season at Florida State, Dillingham guided four different starting quarterbacks, including two true freshmen, and adjusted the dynamic scheme to fit the strengths of each. It was only the second time in program history four different quarterbacks started at least one game in a season, and Tate Rodemaker and Chubba Purdy became only the fourth and fifth true freshman quarterbacks to start a game in program history.

The Seminoles averaged 199.9 rushing yards per game, the program’s highest since 2016 and 20th nationally among teams that played at least nine games in 2020, and 5.11 yards per rush, 16th in the nation among teams with at least 350 carries and FSU’s most in a season since 2015. Florida State topped 400 yards of total offense in five of the last seven games, including more than 500 yards of total offense twice, and produced FSU’s first game with at least 250 yards rushing and passing since 2016.

Seminoles on defense: Adam Fuller was named Florida State’s defensive coordinator on Dec. 12, 2019.

Fuller has an impressive track record of developing talent, evidenced by his players earning 20 All-America recognitions and 61 all-conference honors. Two of his former defensive backs were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, marking the second time multiple defensive backs coached by Fuller were taken in the same draft.

The 2020 season was his second coordinating defense for head coach Mike Norvell. Fuller’s defense had nine first-time starters at FSU and 12 who made their Florida State debut. Linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. earned Freshman All-America honors while cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. was named first-team All-ACC and defensive tackle Marvin Wilson was a second-team all-conference selection.

Early Line: According to FanDuel, the Tigers are currently 27-point favorites over the Seminoles.