3 keys to a successful FSU offense in 2022 -- Noles Quality Control

Everything Noles: For Florida State Seminoles Fans

TALLAHASSEE FL- This season will be pivotal for Mike Norvell and the Seminoles, while they have improved their offense and raised the floor for this team there are still some major concerns heading into the season.

They have had an extremely efficient running game with Jordan Travis creating magic scrambling and throwing downfield. But this team still needs to overcome some major questions this season. These three keys are the biggest factors that will make this offense thrive or crash.

Keeping quarterback Jordan Travis on the field

I am not a fan of referring to a QBs win-loss record. But given the drop-off in the quality of play without Travis under Norvell, the win-loss record is concerning given that Travis has missed time due to injury or other concerns — with Travis playing, the team is 7-. Without him, they’re 1-7.

Last season Travis was responsible for 45% of the team's yards from scrimmage and more than 50% of the team's touchdowns while playing around 60% of the dropbacks. They need him to stay on the field.

In 2021, no other quarterback could get in a rhythm and put together consistent enough play.

This season the only new quarterback in the building is AJ Duffy, a true freshman who may have a bright future but is still learning how to play at the collegiate level. Travis needs to be healthy for this team and offense to be successful and without him, it will be a struggle to get to make a bowl.

Production from the receiver position

Under Mike Norvell, the Seminoles haven’t had a receiver finish a season with more than 30 catches or 400 yards.

No receiver in the 2021 season had a 100-yard game.

Last season the struggles at that position were clearly a talent deficit with players being unable to win one on one and create separation.

But this offseason the team brought in four different receivers via the transfer portal, and some of their young receivers should continue to improve.

Mycah Pittman will work well in Norvell’s system that focuses so much on production out of the slot. While Johnny Wilson offers a skillset that is lacking, at 6’7 he will be a possession, contested catch monster as long as he can keep up the consistency he’s shown in fall camp.

While the other two transfers are harder to project, with Winston Wright still making his way back from a leg injury sustained in a car accident and Deuce Spann still mastering the position, this influx of talent should improve the receiving room along with the returning players like Malik McClain, Ja’Khi Douglas, and Ontaria Wilson who have all shown flashes and have been key parts of the offense in year’s past.

Improving the quality of the offensive line

In 2021 the offensive line was wildly inconsistent, with the Seminoles’ seeing 21 different starting offensive line combinations in 12 games. No matter how much talent you have, that kind of inconsistency is too much to overcome.

But Alex Atkins and the staff have been hard at work, bringing in ten new offensive linemen with four coming via the transfer portal. All of the transfers they brought have starting experience at multiple positions.

While Kayden Lyles went down with a season-ending injury, the team is returning four of their five most experienced starters and with the influx of talent, they should be able to improve the line.

They need to improve and stay healthy enough to keep Travis on his feet and be able to dominate the line of scrimmage to allow the Seminoles to have a consistent rushing attack.

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