Florida

The game was over. The players had pretended to shake hands on the field and a few Lizards tried to rub salt in the open sore by planting a flag on the Seminole logo. Incredibly, dozens of kids wearing garnet and gold let these dudes brush right past them on their way to the 50. I was so angry, I started down from row 39 and was going to stop them myself, but the Head Coach decided this was his one (and only) moment to shine this Saturday. He personally stepped up and waylaid the effort. Meanwhile, one solitary Seminole walked with a purpose and planted himself below the goal posts in front of the Marching Chiefs. He stood tall right in front of the 500 musicians who never quit this Saturday and sang the fight song. If he was not the MVP this game before this moment - and he most certainly was - he earned that honor again with that tearjerking moment of pride. Logan Tyler should get a standing ovation from every Nole on every kick from here on out, and will not be forgotten by this guy. In a year when his unit and position coach were so historically bad, they undoubtedly cost us at least a win or two and certainly a Bowl, he stood alone in a broken end zone in a completely broken season and screamed that he was still unconquered.

There are a ton of reasons to be frustrated with this abortion of a season, but the fact that game 1 and game 12 were essentially identical seems to be the most prescient. Everywhere Willie Taggart has been, has led the country in penalties, and he took that glory show to Tallahassee in 2018. We had seven presnap penalties in the opener and a matching number in game twelve. Both games had a touchdown reversed with one of these mental meltdowns and hearing the head man prattle at every press conference about this problem was laughable. He said after this one that he needs to evaluate everything and even himself. Well, he needs to start with his practice habits, and player accountability.

There is almost no question that any team that practices 70 times a Fall the right way will improve. Other than freshman learning to play at the college level, I would hazard that not a single upperclassmen markedly improved this season.  Did the offense, defense or special teams (stop laughing) get any better through the season. It could be effectively argued that all three units regressed. Translation, change everything you are doing at practice. Kill the music and the jitterbug and spend a whole lot more time with the ones playing the ones full field, situational football. When you can not even line up properly week after week, there is no way you are practicing the right way. We had three consecutive special teams plays that only had ten players on the field, and there were four occasions on offense where we had a player running on the field just before the snap…in week 12.

Midseason, we were treated to a passionate speech about bad seeds and quitters, and how these offenders would be rooted out.  On the field, Zaquandre White gets in two scraps in three games. After the second offense that cost the team 15 yards and game momentum, he was back on the field the next play. Noonie, who throws his helmet and has personal sideline tantrums on the regular never seems to find the pine. Now, as I enter the land of supposition, is the quarterback. This is not a popular Nole folks. The few players that do approach him on the sideline are quickly rebuffed. I would be shocked if many of these kids have forgiven him for skipping multiple practices and even games last season. He is way too arrogant for a kid that was borderline awful the last half of the season. But, the common thread here is accountability. All these kids are still playing. When I hear that we need to have the team buy into a new culture, I think we need a new petri dish.

Willie is right about one thing. His saving grace is recruiting. This is tough sledding when the on field product is this stagnant, but I will give him and his staff huge credit for the 2018 group that they brought in late last season. They had an inordinate amount of terrific evaluations with this squad including Asante Samuel, Jaiden Woodbey and the Keyshawn / Tre'Shaun double play at receiver. Now they need the same type of impact at LB, Safety and O-line.

So, is this broken beyond repair? Of course not. Having your dream job and then seeing that dream become a nightmare can motivate even the most challenged of stubborn leaders. I know it sounds crazier than Metallica opening for Barry Manilow, but it would not shock me if offensive line became a team strength next season. I love the coach, and with a healthy Dickerson, Minshew, the return of recalcitrant LT Josh Ball, and all the reps the kids got this season, maybe just maybe…The qb duo should be James and the hand picked rookie Sam Howell. If Deondre is back at FSU next season, I will be stunned. The defense has to find some LB's and we redshirted at least two potential starters in Rice and Gainer. But, the key in all of this is that the head man needs to pull a Michael Jackson and look at the man in the mirror and make a change (or three). He inherited an incredibly talented, yet broken football team and took it on the treadmill.

I have never gone into a game or much less a season believing that the head coach on our sideline was outmanned.  Until every single contest in 2018. I absolutely love the fact that he wants to be here, but we are Florida State, and Logan Tyler standing in the end zone…alone... should make every one of us not satisfied that just wanting to be here is enough. You have to show us with your actions. You have 2019 Coach. Impress me.