With a record of 10–3, Florida State finished the 2022 season second in the Atlantic Division and 5–3 in ACC play. For the first time since 2016, Florida State won ten games at the end of the season, made it to a bowl game for the first time since 2019, and won a bowl for the first time since 2017. The Seminoles achieved their best finish since 2016 by finishing the season ranked #11 in the AP Poll and #10 in the Coaches’ Poll. Change has come in the wake of next season.
Last Season Success
The Florida State Seminoles had one of the nation’s most explosive offenses last season thanks to Jordan Travis, dynamic playmakers in the passing game, and a stable of talented running backs.
Florida State gained more than 20 yards on 97 plays, more than any other 13-game team (Georgia and Western Michigan had 98 of those plays in 14 and 15 games, respectively).
The offense’s 8th-place average of 5.5 yards per carry was a big part of that explosiveness. Jordan Travis was able to produce so much from the run game, putting him in a better position to attack ground and air defenses.
Mike Norvell was able to rely heavily on two different running backs at different points in the season: Trey Benson and the now-Kansas State Wildcat Treshaun Ward, who led the ACC in yards per attempt for two consecutive seasons (’21, ’22).
Before getting hurt against Wake Forest, Ward was the leading back with 66 rushing attempts over the first five games of the season. In the final four games of the regular season, he had 18 rushing attempts once he was given more reps.
Benson was given the reins for the final five games of the regular season with Ward out, gaining 595 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He broke the PFF record for tackle breaks with 51% of his rushing attempts, breaking a tackle on 154 of his attempts and 990 yards, the most by any player under Norvell at Florida State. He also broke the PFF record for tackle breaks with 51% of his rushing attempts.
But Jordan Travis, who led the team in gains of more than 10 yards and is tied with Ward for the most rushing touchdowns with seven, is obviously out of the picture.
Travis has always been a threat to rush, but in 2022, he ran for more yards on designed runs than on scrambles because he learned to operate in the pocket and often found open receivers on scrambles.
But Jordan Travis, who led the team in gains of more than 10 yards and is tied with Ward for the most rushing touchdowns with seven, is obviously out of the picture.
Travis has always been a threat to rush, but in 2022, he ran for more yards on designed runs than on scrambles because he learned to operate in the pocket and often found open receivers on scrambles.
Florida State Goals
However, Mike Norvell has frequently relied heavily on three running backs, so finding the next man up is crucial. CJ Campbell and Caziah Holmes are two players with opportunities, but Rodney Hill is probably the front-runner.
Hill had 27 carries and gained 144 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) last season, but he made the most of the opportunities he had. Hill was also a standout in practice on a regular basis.
The transfer TE Jaheim Bell will be an interesting addition to this offense. He was a utility player at South Carolina, playing running back and a variety of other positions.
Due to injuries, this was necessary, but he had at least 12 rushing attempts in three games. Even though Florida State has a lot of running back depth, they will probably find a way to get him involved in the running game because he was most effective in the red zone.
