The first college football game of the season, scheduled for August 24, between the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Dublin, Ireland, is finally here, much to the delight of Florida State supporters and college football fans alike.
Ahead of the Week ‘0’ contest, head coach Mike Norvell held a media conference on Sunday to go over his team’s development during fall camp. He also announced Oregon State transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei as the starting quarterback for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
READ MORE: Florida State Seminoles Announce Depth Chart For Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2024 Opening Match
“I’m eager to start the college football season, and it feels wonderful to be back in game week. I’m incredibly proud of our boys for their hard work over the offseason training. With spring practice, summer training, and now this fall camp, it was evidently quite productive heading into the summer, according to Norvell. “Our guys competed at a very high level.”
The excitement is building for ESPN’s College Gameday, which is making its debut visit overseas with this showdown. The game is already sold out. Norvell highlighted the significance of the next week of training and gave Georgia Tech’s Brent Key credit for assembling a strong Yellow Jackets roster capable of competing.
This week is going to be crucial for our preparations. We respect Georgia Tech greatly since they are a very skilled and seasoned squad that we are playing. Coach Key and his staff have done an amazing job, in my opinion, of showcasing the skills and abilities of some very bright players and helping them gain confidence,” Norvell went on. “You can see the potential they possess, and they’re still rising. We are aware that this will be an exciting game, but our main priority is to concentrate on the Seminoles, so that is where we will be.
With a sizable combination of redshirt seniors and juniors, Florida State will have one of the most seasoned offensive lines in the nation this season. The Georgia Tech offensive line depth chart had twelve players, nine of them are upperclassmen. Players that have supported the program during its most recent ascent to prominence, such as Darius Washington, Maurice Smith, and Robert Scott, Jr., will be essential to keeping Uiagalelei afloat this season.
“Looking at the guys that have been here, Rob Scott, Darius, Maurice, you know, it’s great to have Rob back in the mix.” Given his extensive expertise, those people were really youthful four years ago when they faced some extremely difficult situations and difficult times. However, they have persevered, grown, and I believe they have accomplished an amazing job. The men we were able to bring in were fantastic, complimentary pieces.”
Jordan Travis, a former Heisman nominee who broke multiple all-time records at Florida State, will be replaced at quarterback by Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei, a redshirt senior who played at Oregon State and Clemson, is someone Norvell is completely confident can succeed in 2024. By the end of the regular season, the ‘Noles are expected to be at the top of the ACC, and just like any other team, their success will be primarily dependent on the quarterback position.
“He’s witnessed it all having played in several football games. He has experienced both highs and lows. Really, from what I’ve observed since he arrived in January, I couldn’t be happier.” Regarding Uiagalelei, Norvell stated. “I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence and has just done an amazing job.” I believe he can have an extremely remarkable season if he plays with the preparation I’m excited to see in him.”
The run game, led by guys like Lawrance Toafili, Caziah Holmes, Roydell Williams, and Jaylin Lucas, will be one of FSU’s strongest suits going into the season. Tyler Santucci from Duke was brought in by Georgia Tech to assist improve their run defense, which finished the previous season among the worst in the nation. Last season, FSU defeated the Blue Devils 38–20, but with new personnel at Georgia Tech, things might be looking differently for the Yellow Jackets this time around.
“There has been a shift in the amount of workers, but there has also been a new coordinator, plan, and philosophical approach to improving in some areas. When you look at their linebacker and defensive front, you’ll notice that they have a lot of new players entering the team and a really effective run-stopping scheme. Our men will have a fantastic challenge ahead of them.”
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