FSU HC Norvell Defends DJ Uiagalelei but Wants 'to Be More Explosive' After GT Loss

DJ Uiagalelei's Florida State tenure did not get off to the hottest start, but the transfer quarterback still has the confidence of head coach Mike Norvell.

In his press conference following the Seminoles' 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, Norvell acknowledged some solid plays Uiagalelei made during the game and said the redshirt senior showed the ability to deliver in crucial moments.

Norvell also noted that the Seminoles offense needs to be more "explosive" in order to find success in 2024.

"I thought DJ did some good things," Norvell told reporters. "I thought that was a really great job there in that fourth-quarter drive. Had some fourth-down calls, had some tougher situations, and I thought he delivered that moment. There's a couple of drives in the third quarter, there's some opportunities that we're going to be able to grow from, and at the end of the day we have to be more explosive."

Uiagalelei went 19-of-27 for 193 yards with zero TDs and no interceptions in the loss. This comes after a season in which he threw for 2,638 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions for Oregon State. While these numbers are reasonable, the hope was that the 23-year-old could help the Seminoles contend for a national championship.

This was Florida State's first regular-season loss since 2022. The Seminoles entered the contest ranked No. 10, but their playoff hopes have taken a hit before the traditional start of the college football season.

Still, not all hope is lost. The expanded playoff field for 2024 means that an ACC championship would guarantee inclusion in the CFP, so the Seminoles do have a "win-and-in" scenario that wasn't available in 2023. While the ACC has some other quality teams, Florida State's status as the defending conference champions makes it an intriguing option to take it home once again.

The Seminoles will look to get back on track on Sept. 2 when they host Boston College at 7:30 p.m. ET.