Mike Norvell addresses Florida State’s quarterback situation after loss at Duke

Florida State has yet to score more than 21 points in a game this season. The Seminoles haven’t even reached the 20-point mark in each of their last six outings.

They finished with only 16 points Friday night in a one-touchdown loss to Duke.

Although far from the sole issue facing a head-scratching offense — complete with a struggling offensive line and drop-prone receivers — sub-par quarterback play is in the spotlight of FSU’s migraine, and it was on full display in Durham under the lights of Wallace Wade Stadium.

After fifth-year quarterback and two-time transfer DJ Uiagalelei broke a finger on his throwing hand late in a Week 5 defeat at SMU, the Seminoles turned to redshirt freshman Brock Glenn, who got the starting nod in Week 6 against Clemson and then again Friday night at Duke.

Glenn completed 23-of-41 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and a pick in a 29-13 setback versus now-No. 10 Clemson, and he hit on fewer than half his attempts on the road against the Blue Devils. Not only did he finish just 9-of-19 for 110 yards this time out, but he also committed turnovers on three straight first-half snaps.

First he threw a pick-six, with Duke cornerback Chandler Rivers taking the first quarter interception back 36 yards to the house. Then Glenn fumbled on his very next snap, giving the Blue Devils’ offense a 36-yard runway for another touchdown.

Another Glenn interception capped the miserable, turnover-ridden stretch for the second-year Seminoles signal caller — this time, Duke linebacker Ozzie Nicholas returned the pick 29 yards to the FSU 11-yard line. Duke cashed in with a field goal, extending its lead to 17-3 early in the second quarter.

Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell pivoted from Glenn and inserted true freshman Luke Kromenhoek into the game. Kromenhoek, a former four-star prospect and the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 4 quarterback in the 2024 class, didn’t give the ball away like Glenn, but he didn’t move it down the field much either. Granted he was held back by a pair of drops, but he completed only 3-of-7 passes for 19 yards. Of the five drives he quarterbacked, one led to points, and those points came from a 53-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal.

A 95-yard kickoff return touchdown from redshirt freshman running back Samuel Singleton Jr. helped keep FSU in the game. But after two second-half three-and-outs, Norvell pulled Kromenhoek and went back to Glenn, with the Seminoles trailing Duke, 20-13.

Glenn orchestrated a nine-play, 56-yard drive that started in the third quarter and ended with another Fitzgerald field goal in the fourth quarter. That said, those were FSU’s final points.

“I was proud of the way that Brock responded,” Norvell said postgame. “Obviously the game didn’t start very well for him with the turnovers. Luke came in, I thought he handled himself, managed things well. I was excited to see him make some good decisions. There were times he had to utilize his legs to extend plays.

“I’m excited about both those guys, who they are and what they’re capable of. They were under some pressure. Some of it was issues that we had, and [Duke] did a good job with the pressure packages. There were [some times] that we probably held the ball just a little bit too long in a couple situations.”

Norvell continued: “I thought the response with with Brock there, and Luke being ready to go in and having some positive spark plays … but you know that position, both those guys are young players, and that’s a quality defense that shows you a lot of different looks, and it’s just a great opportunity for them to be able to build upon it and go get better.”

FSU is 1-6 and still doesn’t have an answer under center, or offensively in general. Things don’t get any easier for the Seminoles as they’re set to play Miami on the road next week.

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