That first Florida State win of the 2024 season proved elusive so it's perfectly acceptable to enjoy it.
And yet, it can't be a win that fans were left especially satisfied after watching.
Because while FSU did win, the offense didn't really look fixed at all. There were a few promising moments, but nothing consistent that led one to believe that the Seminoles' early-season struggles are fixed or are even really in the process of being resolved.
Scoring 14 points in Saturday night's home win over Cal, FSU made some unfortunate history this week. It was the third straight game in which the Seminoles scored 14 or less points.
The last time that happened at FSU? The first three games of Bobby Bowden's head coaching tenure in 1976.
"Offensively we did what was necessary to win the game, but still don't feel that was a performance that offensively is what we're capable of," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after the win. "It's going to be a consistent and constant push and definitely was proud of those guys. Some of those third-down throws, some of the plays that were made, they were big. We should all grow in confidence with that, but then also understand that there is so much more out there that we need to be able to do and accomplish."
While offenses seem to be clicking like never before in the modern college football game and Norvell has done a great job of building his offenses around its strengths on a year-by-year basis, this year's offense is still struggling to create any extended momentum.
Before this season, Norvell's FSU teams have scored 14 or less points five total times in 48 games.
Keep in mind the mess he inherited upon his arrival in December 2019. Even on those far-less-talented first few teams Norvell had at FSU before Jordan Travis truly established himself, he managed to create explosive plays and put points on the board.
That's what makes this year's ongoing struggles so baffling. Because this offense is certainly more talented on paper than those first few offenses that Norvell had in Tallahassee.
And yet, FSU finished below 300 yards of offense for the seventh straight game Saturday night, a streak that dates back to the end of the 2023 season. Dating back to 2016, FSU had never before had more than two games in a row with less than 300 yards of offense.
There's an unfortunate asterisk to that stat considering FSU was just above 300 yards after scoring the game-winning touchdown before the kneels at the end of the game brought FSU down to 284 yards vs. Cal.
However, FSU even being that close to the threshold against Cal speaks to how much of a struggle this season has been for FSU offensively.
That 36-yard game-winning touchdown pass from DJ Uiagalelei to Ja'Khi Douglas was FSU's first 30-yard play of the Cal game and just the second play of 20+ yards.
Through four games this season, FSU has managed just three plays of 30+ yards and one play of 40+ yards. Those both rank dead last in the ACC and among the bottom 15 nationally.
That one touchdown pass also accounted for nearly half of FSU's 76 yards it managed in the entire second half Saturday night.
For awhile there in the first half Saturday night, things did look improved for the FSU offense. With offensive coordinator/OL coach Alex Atkins back on the sideline, the FSU offensive line looked improved vs. Cal. While Roydell Williams was out and then Kam Davis got hurt, veteran running back Lawrance Toafili stepped up with 69 first-half rushing yards.
FSU put together consecutive drives of 60+ yards in the first half, one of which ended with a touchdown and the other with a red-zone interception. The Seminoles finished the first half with 208 yards of offense and 104 rushing yards after they had a total of 156 rushing yards in their first three games combined.
However, things majorly regressed to the mean after halftime. Three of FSU's first four second-half drives were three-and-outs. After Uiagalelei's interception, FSU managed just 151 yards of offense on its final seven drives before the kneeldown series, averaging 3.68 yards per play over that span.
For awhile there, one could convince themselves that FSU had faced a few better-than-expected opposing defenses which had made the offense look so bad to start the season.
Georgia Tech allowing 31 points in road losses to Syracuse and Louisville the last three weeks and Memphis allowing 56 points to Navy on Saturday seven days after FSU managed just 12 points against the Tigers kills that narrative.
FSU's offense is still a problem. And while the defense played at an exceptionally clutch level Saturday to secure the win, the offense is going to have to rise up here soon or this doesn't look like a team that will win too many more games this season.
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