FSU Football Offense Leaves More Questions Than Answers After Scrimmage

TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State Seminoles are entering the home stretch of spring camp with five practices remaining as the offseason continues to take shape in 2026.

Coming off their second spring scrimmage last Saturday, the Seminoles got a clear reminder that the offense still has work to do after a performance that fell short of head coach Mike Norvell’s standard.

While Florida State's defense dictated much of Saturday’s action with multiple takeaways and a disruptive performance up front, head coach Mike Norvell made it clear afterward that the offense didn’t meet the standard he expects.

Negative plays, turnovers, and routine assignment issues repeatedly stalled drives and kept the unit from finding much consistency early in the scrimmage.

Offense Falls Short of Standard in Second Scrimmage

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

FSU’s second scrimmage didn’t lack effort or flashes, but consistency was a different story. Norvell pointed to a sluggish start on offense, where negative plays and missed details prevented the unit from establishing any rhythm early in the day.

“The first part of the scrimmage was definitely controlled by the defense. The offense was able to get some things going there later, but not to the standard we want to see from guys on the offensive side. Too many negatives," Norvell said in his post-scrimmage interview.

"Some of the turnovers and things that kind of put them in long yard situations, and then when there were explosive plays, we had things that were called back due to penalties or alignment issues.”

Even with a few late flashes, Florida State spent too much of the afternoon working against itself rather than building any real momentum.

Self-Inflicted Wounds Stall Offensive Momentum

Rather than pointing to one glaring issue, Norvell said the offense’s problems were mostly self-inflicted, with communication breakdowns, alignment issues, and penalties repeatedly wiping away positive plays before drives could fully develop.

"Obviously, the defense started fast today, and there were some assignment issues, and just a couple of routine mistakes that we can’t have," Norvell continued. “We had a couple of explosive plays that were called back… those opportunities to kind of flip the momentum early, and we didn’t take advantage of that.”

Before watching the film, Norvell recalled at least three takeaways forced by the defense during Saturday’s scrimmage, a sign of just how disruptive that unit was throughout the day.

While some growing pains are expected this time of year as Florida State continues sorting through depth chart battles, Norvell suggested the offense’s struggles weren’t solely on the quarterbacks but more reflective on the group around them.

“There were also some situations where it didn’t really matter who was playing quarterback. We’ve got to be better in surrounding the quarterback and to help put them in a better situation.”

Florida State is set to wrap up its final week of spring camp with one scrimmage remaining on April 11, giving the offense one more opportunity to show cleaner execution before the Seminoles turn the page toward summer workouts.

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