Seminoles' Freefall Continues With Loss to Memphis

© Melina Myers-Imagn Images

On Sept. 14, the Florida State Seminoles (0-3, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) hosted the Memphis Tigers (3-0) with the Tigers and quarterback Seth Henigan handing the Seminoles their third loss of the season, 20-12. After a week off, many Seminoles fans expected the Seminoles to come out with more fire after losses in the first two weeks of the season. The result will leave many wondering what should be next.

What Happened in the Game

The Seminoles fumbled the ball on their first offensive drive of the game giving the Tigers a short field to work with to take the early lead. Although both teams weren't able to generate much offense in the first quarter, the Tigers broke the game open thanks to an interception by Tahj Ra-El which led to a 6-yard TD pass from Henigan to running back Greg Desrosiers to give Memphis a 10-0 lead. The Seminoles were finally able to generate some points late in the first half on a 54-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzpartrick to cut the lead to 10-3.

Although Florida State forced Memphis to punt on it's ensuing drive, the Tigers' Colby Cox recovered the ensuing muffed punt to set up a 19-yard field goal by Caden Costa to take a 13-3 lead into the break. Memphis then used that momentum to put the game away. After receiving the second-half kickoff, Henigan led the Tigers on a 12-play drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Landphere. It looked as if the Seminoles would respond after quarterback DJ Uiagalelei found wide receiver Malik Benson on a 67-yard pass on their first snap of the second half which set up Florida State's only touchdown of the game (4-yard run by running back Roydell Williams) to cut the lead to 20-9 after a failed two-point conversion. FSU added another field goal on their next possession, but it was the closest the Seminoles would get.

For the game, Henigan connected with seven different receivers, throwing for 272 yards 2 touchdowns and an interception on 26-of-39 passing. Defensively, the team attacked the line of scrimmage and flew toward the ball carrier.

For the Seminoles, the defense came to play holding the Tigers to 65 yards rushing in the game. Their efforts helped keep the game within reach. The offense unfortunately looked like anything but a team. Uiagalelei finished with 201 yards on 16-of-30 passing. The offense seemed conservative in their play calling as they sought to establish a rhythm that never materialized. Wide receiver Malik Benson led the Seminoles offense with 99 yards receiving on 5 receptions.

Player of the Match

For Memphis, Landphere led the team in receiving with 66 yards and a touchdown. Whenever he got the ball in his hands, especially in those must-have scenarios for the Tigers, Landphere seemed impossible to tackle for the Seminoles. He was sure-handed and ran through defenders with ease. It was his career high in yardage and his second touchdown on the season.

© Melina Myers-Imagn Images

What Does It Mean ?

For the Tigers, despite the Seminoles being 0-2 entering the game, the win on the road for the Tigers is huge for the program. As they move to 3-0 on the season, they not only stay in the conversation for a College Football Playoff berth, but they are among the favorites in the Group of 5 to advance to the CFP. The Tigers showed that they are unafraid of anyone and will play physically. Next on the schedule for the Tigers is a game against the Navy Midshipmen (2-0) on Sept. 21.

For the Seminoles, it's time to make some big changes on both sides of the ball. The Seminoles' coaching staff and the players need to do something to stop the freefall. While the quarterback play has been a major area of concern, Uiagalelei's lack of mobility could cause head coach Mike Norvell and his staff to make a change to Brock Glenn moving forward. While the defense played better than it had, the inability of the offense to generate consistent drives and scores, caused the defense to seemingly run out of gas as the game progressed. The Seminoles host the Golden Bears of Cal (2-0) on Sept. 21.