Florida State was often its own worst enemy in the first half of 2024. As the second half began at Duke, the Seminoles couldn’t get out of their own way.

Brock Glenn had three turnovers, including an interception that the Blue Devils returned for a touchdown. And the fourth, a big hit on Kam Davis, jarring the ball loose as FSU drove down to Duke’s 33 with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

The Seminoles had three costly drops, one letting a long touchdown slip away.

FSU again didn’t seize the day, instead letting it slip away. Duke managed just 191 offensive yards yet held off FSU 23-16 on Friday night, dropping the Seminoles to 1-6 for the first time since 1975.

"Turned the ball over four times," FSU coach Mike Norvell said. "Missed opportunities. Dropped balls. The penalties. Some critical penalties that showed up."

Duke picked up its first victory in program history over FSU. And an FSU grad, first-year coach Manny Diaz, helped guide the win.

Glenn completed 9 of 19 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions. There was at least one drop. Luke Kromenhoek completed 3 of 7 passes for 19 yards, including two drops.

Regardless of the quarterback, Duke brought the heat and produced six sacks.

FSU’s run game, ranked dead last at 134th in the FBS, found some rhythm through the struggles in the passing attack and the turnovers. Davis had 63 yards on 14 carries, while Glenn showed his mobility with 47 yards on seven carries as the Seminoles racked up a season-high 172 yards.

But FSU's offense again fell short of 300 offensive yards (291 on Friday) and scored in the teens for a sixth straight game.

Florida State’s offense was sidetracked by familiar issues, mainly drops. Luke Kromenhoek lofted a perfectly-placed pass into the end zone, into the hands of Kentron Poitier — who split two defenders well — only to drop a would-be touchdown. Malik Benson dropped a Brock Glenn throw. And as FSU tried to build a last-minute drive before halftime, Hykeem Williams saw a safety moving in his direction and didn’t haul in a pass.

Drops had been a season-long concern for the Seminoles, an issue for freshmen and veterans alike. It’s a lack of mental focus that continues to baffle the coaches, regardless of personnel rotated into games.

The Seminoles were their own worst enemy on offense in the first half, building a few drives that resulted in field goals but squandering other chances.

FSU had three first-half turnovers – including a Chandler Rivers pick 6. The defensive effort was a positive early, with FSU holding Duke to just 2 of 10 third-down conversions. And FSU’s defense came through with a stop when the Blue Devils were gifted field position at the FSU 11, holding Duke to a field goal.

Duke managed just 62 offensive yards on 32 first-half plays. The Seminoles trailed 17-6 at the half, but it could have been far worse.

FSU forced third-down stops, with Duke converting just 3 of 16 times on Friday. It was a known weakness of the Blue Devils, who ranked 128th nationally, but the Seminoles’ defense kept the team in the game with those stops.

Sam Singleton opened the second half with an electric 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Coupled with Ryan Fitzgerald’s three field-goal makes (23, 53 and 38), FSU’s special teams brought all of FSU’s first 13 points.

FSU even executed a fake punt, with Kyle Morlock advancing a run for a first down.

There was a high snap from Mason Arnold that holder Alex Mastromanno couldn’t put down for Fitzgerald, who couldn’t manage much of a kick, but there were plenty of positives.

It was the second straight year FSU housed a kickoff return against Duke, with Duece Spann returning one in the Seminoles’ 38-20 victory in Tallahassee.

FSU plays at Miami next Saturday at 7 p.m.

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