Florida State’s season somehow got worse in Week 3.

The Seminoles lost 20-12 to Memphis on Saturday, dropping to 0-3 on the season. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for FSU, as the Seminoles committed three turnovers in the first half and were lucky to trail the Tigers by just 10 points at halftime.

FSU fought its way back into the game and was spared an embarrassing moment when Memphis missed a 55-yard field goal with less than three minutes left. The Tigers should have punted earlier in the drive, but KJ Kirkland was offside. That gave Memphis just three yards for a first down, and the Tigers converted the ball for a first down.

Florida State, however, could do nothing once it took control. DJ Uiagalelei was sacked on the first play of the drive and again on third down. The Memphis defense continued to send defenders after Uiagalelei, clearly unperturbed by the pass threat.

The Seminoles then decided to punt on fourth-and-32 with two timeouts remaining rather than attempt the first down.

Given the way the game was going, that was probably the right tactical decision. And FSU got the ball back with 46 seconds left. But the situation unfolded about as predictably as one could expect, and Florida State’s Hail Mary attempt was incomplete as time expired.

Florida State is the ninth team to start 0-3 after entering the season ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25. Saturday’s loss also hit the program that formerly employed coach Mike Norvell. FSU hired Norvell from Memphis to replace Willie Taggart after the 2019 season.

Uiagalelei had big problems

Simply put, the Uiagalelei transfer didn’t work out. Florida State’s quarterbacks struggled after Jordan Travis suffered his fateful season-ending injury in 2023, and it was clear that FSU wanted to sign a QB for 2024.

Uiagalelei came after having the best season of his career at Oregon State in 2023. He averaged 8.4 yards per throw – a career high – and threw 21 TD passes on just 315 attempts.

However, Uiagalelei has only completed 57% of his passes, and in none of the three seasons in which he has attempted over 300 passes has he completed more than 62% of his passes. He has serious weaknesses as a passer, and they have been clearly on display so far this season.

At one point in the first half, Uiagalelei completed 5 of 6 passes for seven yards. The only incomplete pass was an interception that led to a touchdown for Memphis.

Will Norvell and FSU’s coaching staff consider a change? Florida State has far more problems than just quarterback. And Uiagalelei’s replacement is Brock Glenn. He got playing time after Travis’ injury last season. Uiagalelei’s signing was a clear sign that FSU was not comfortable entering 2024 with Glenn as the projected starter.

Whoever plays quarterback in the future will need better protection up front. Memphis’ habit of blitzing late came about because they knew they could often easily pressure Uiagalelei.

The Seminoles finished the game just 2 of 12 on third downs and totaled just 238 yards. Sacks are factored into rushing totals in college football, but the lack of a running game continues to be a serious problem in Tallahassee. Florida State had 24 attempts for just 37 rushing yards.

Can FSU qualify for the bowl?

It’s almost unbelievable that we’re talking about bowl eligibility for a team that went 13-0 and won the ACC before losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl last season. But maybe that opt-out loss was a sign of things to come for the Seminoles and we just didn’t see it.

Yes, the defense kept FSU in the game against a team that is battling for the AAC title and could be in the College Football Playoff. But the offense has been terrible so far and the defense can’t lead Florida State to six wins.

It’s also hard to find six wins on the schedule right now. Next week is a home game against a Cal team that just beat Auburn on the road, and after that comes a trip to SMU and a home game against Clemson. With three currently ranked teams still on Florida State’s schedule, a major turnaround is needed if the team wants to make the postseason.