As Florida State's 2024 season has spiraled, head coach Mike Norvell -- normally not one for overt criticism of his team -- has become more and more blunt as the losses have piled up.

Perhaps his harshest criticism of the season to date came after Tuesday's practice when asked if the Seminoles are any closer to figuring out what has caused FSU's rushing attack to stutter so badly this season.

The FSU head coach described what FSU has done -- or failed to do, more accurately -- on the ground this season as "awful" and "embarrassing." It's hard to argue with his assessment given the facts of the matter.

Six games into the season FSU ranks dead last among Power Four teams, averaging 2.16 yards per carry and 58 rushing yards per game. The only FBS team out of the other 134 that the Seminoles are outrushing? An 0-5 Kent State team, which has never led this season and has been outscored by a combined margin of 257-74 this season.

Not the kind of company FSU should ever be keeping considering its stature in college football. But especially not this season when a veteran offensive line with over 15,000 career snaps in college football and a loaded running back room was expected be the bread and butter of the Seminoles' offense.

Instead, FSU is on pace for the fewest rushing yards per game since the very first FSU football team back in 1947 averaged 57.4 rushing yards. Considering the sport has changed dramatically across the last 77 years and that FSU team averaged 3.6 points and went 0-5, that's also not the kind of company the Seminoles want to be keeping.

And yet, here they sit, averaging over three yards per carry just once in their first six games of the 2024 season against what was expected to be the easier half of their schedule.

"It starts with me and what position I'm putting them in, who I've got out there and what decisions I'm making," FSU offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins said, taking accountability for his unit's role in the run-game struggles this season. "It starts with assessing the six weeks and watching every run scheme, every play, every moment, who did what and make sure whatever they're doing well, I find a way to allow them to do that.

"It can't be what I think is going to work or what the defense is giving us, it's got to be what we've shown we're actually capable of. Also, understanding that we might change up the lineup so I've got to make sure whoever it is can have success in those moments. I've got to do a better job of putting them in better situations."

Injuries have plagued FSU's offensive front this season. Through six games, FSU has used five different starting offensive line combinations and started nine different offensive linemen, already the most by an FSU team since 2020.

Veteran tackles Jeremiah Byers, Darius Washington and Robert Scott have all missed at least one game this season. Veteran center Maurice Smith has been playing through what Atkins defined as chronic back issues that have plagued him throughout his career.

But even when these players have been on the field, they haven't looked like they did over the last few seasons when they had more success. A unit that has been a strength and was expected to be an even bigger one has taken a stunning leap back towards the ineffective, in-over-their-heads lines we saw in Willie Taggart's tenure.

With FSU now in the middle of its second bye week of the 2024 season, it allows the Seminoles some time to dive back into what has gone so wrong up front this season.

"You get to a bye week, you can look collectively over multiple games at how (the offensive line) has played together, some of the issues that are keeping you from success. I will say that when it comes to the run game, it's been awful," Norvell said. "There are some reoccurring issues that have shown up and if it's making changes, if it's making different adjustments to scheme, concept, personnel, whatever that is, we've got to be willing to make those changes."

However, FSU's staff is also aware the issues extend beyond just the initial offensive line performance into a more complex problem that doesn't have one easy fix.

"If it was common, it would be easy to fix. When it's multiple layers of it, that's when it becomes a different thing so you start grab-bagging," Atkins said.

"There are also the issues where it's multi-level," Norvell added. "There are times where we've been great on the offensive line, we've been on the bodies, created space, had leverage, but maybe it was a track or a second-level block that kept us from having an explosive play or even a positive run. It is collective, but also, yes, we've identified some things that we absolutely need to do because it's embarrassing what our run game has been."

Through six games this season, FSU is averaging 2.6 yards per rush (removing sacks and fumbles) according to Pro Football Focus. PFF also says that FSU's rushes are averaging 2.9 yards after contact.

Essentially, the ballcarriers aren't even getting back to the line of scrimmage on average before they are getting touched by a defender.

While some may think throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks could make the most of this mess, Atkins sees it another way.

"The easiest thing to do is go panic. 'Let's just try this, try this, try this, try this.' No," Atkins said. "Getting simple, fundamental, basic things is the goal. That's what we've got to go back to. Everybody says we've been doing it, you've got to do it better than we've been doing it."

Tuesday Takeaways: Brock and roll, 7-11 and baby steps

Observations: Notes on QBs, young Seminoles in Tuesday practice

Follow The Osceola on Facebook

Follow The Osceola on Twitter

Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple