Welcome to The Chief Brief!

Happy Monday Seminole!

Here’s what’s lined up in today’s edition:

⚽ FSU Soccer Dominates Florida with 3-0 Shutout in Rivalry Match ⚽
FSU Soccer continues its impressive season with a decisive 3-0 victory over Florida, extending their unbeaten streak.

🏐 FSU Volleyball Drops First Match of Season to Auburn 🏐
Despite a strong start, FSU Volleyball fell to Auburn in four sets, suffering their first loss of the season.

💥 Four-Star Edge Rusher Javion Hilson Decommits from FSU 💥
Another major recruiting blow as four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson decommits from FSU, reopening his recruitment.

🎰 FSU Opens as 6-Point Favorite vs. Memphis 🎰
FSU remains the favorite in their upcoming game against Memphis, despite an 0-2 start to the season.

🗒️ Assessing FSU’s Struggles and Path Forward 🗒️
Warchant’s panel discusses FSU's offensive struggles, potential QB changes, and how they can turn the season around.

📊 Analyzing FSU's Struggling Run Game: Where Did It Go Wrong? 📊
A deep dive into FSU’s lackluster run game, examining blocking issues and inefficiencies in offensive play-calling.

⚽ FSU Soccer Dominates Florida with 3-0 Shutout in Rivalry Match ⚽

Florida State Soccer continued its impressive run with a dominant 3-0 victory over Florida on Sunday afternoon, extending its unbeaten streak against non-conference opponents to 37 matches. The Seminoles, now 5-0-1 on the season, have defeated Florida in their last seven meetings and lead the overall series 17-13.

Taylor Huff opened the scoring in the 15th minute, netting her sixth goal of the season. Assists came from Wrianna Hudson and Peyton McGovern. Huff's goal marked her third consecutive game with a score, further solidifying her position as FSU’s leading scorer with 16 points.

The second goal arrived in the 58th minute, with Hudson finding the back of the net for her second goal of the season. Ran Iwai and Ashlyn Puerta assisted the play, continuing Iwai’s team-leading five assists.

In the 81st minute, transfer Kameron Simmonds scored her first goal as a Seminole, with Nina Norshie and Hudson assisting. The play showcased FSU's offensive depth, particularly with Simmonds making an immediate impact since joining the team.

FSU’s defense was impenetrable, allowing only five shots from Florida, with just one shot in the second half. Addie Todd, the Seminoles' goalkeeper, recorded one save and secured her fifth shutout of the season.

The match was especially impressive given FSU was missing six players competing in the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Despite these absences, the team demonstrated its strength, controlling possession and outshooting Florida 9-5.

With a well-earned break, FSU will return to action on September 19th, hosting Syracuse for their ACC opener. The match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, where the Seminoles will look to build on their unbeaten streak.

More Details.

🏐 FSU Volleyball Drops First Match of Season to Auburn 🏐

Florida State Volleyball suffered its first loss of the season to Auburn in four sets (25-22, 18-25, 20-25, 20-25), moving to 4-1 on the year. Despite a strong first set, the Seminoles struggled to maintain momentum, losing three consecutive sets.

Audrey Koenig led the Noles with 19 kills, hitting a major career milestone by recording her 1,000th kill. Kenna Phelan and Loren Robertson both tallied double-doubles. FSU will quickly regroup to face North Florida on Tuesday.

💥 Four-Star Edge Rusher Javion Hilson Decommits from FSU 💥

In another big blow to Florida State's 2025 recruiting class, four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson announced his decommitment on Sunday, marking FSU’s second high-profile defensive line decommitment in as many days.

Hilson, who had previously shut down his recruitment after an official visit to Tallahassee, cited a change of heart and will now make his final decision in December. Hilson’s decommitment follows that of Myron Charles, leaving the Seminoles with only one defensive line commit, four-star Kevin Wynn.

This decision comes as the Seminoles struggle to regain momentum after a rough 0-2 start to the season. Although Hilson reopened his recruitment, FSU still has a chance to land the top-35 prospect in December, but it will likely require improved on-field performance to sway him back.

Hilson previously visited top programs like Alabama, UCF, Florida, and Texas, all of which are expected to be in the mix for his final decision.

More detail here and here.

🎰 FSU Opens as 6-Point Favorite vs. Memphis 🎰 

Florida State looks to secure their first win of the 2024 season as they host Memphis this weekend. Despite a disappointing 0-2 start, FSU opens as a six-point favorite against the Tigers, according to Circa Sports. This is the third consecutive game where FSU is favored, having fallen short in their previous two matchups.

The game holds additional meaning, with Memphis being the former program of head coach Mike Norvell. Current Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield, who served under Norvell, now leads the 2-0 Tigers.

🗒️ Assessing FSU’s Struggles and Path Forward 🗒️ 

During FSU’s bye week, Warchant’s panel gathered to analyze the team’s offensive woes after an 0-2 start. The key issue: inconsistent offensive execution, with QB DJ Uiagalelei underperforming and the running game stalling.

Gene Williams suggested a QB change, believing Brock Glenn's mobility could open up the offense. Jeff Cameron pointed to the lack of solid play on the line of scrimmage, which has hampered both the passing and running attacks.

QB Change on the Horizon?
Many panelists agreed that a change at quarterback could be necessary, especially if DJ Uiagalelei continues to struggle with decision-making and mechanics. While Ira Schoffel and Tom Lang urged caution, recommending a gradual introduction of Brock Glenn, others like Matt LaSerre argued that it’s time for Glenn to get more in-game reps for the team’s future success.

Offensive Line and Running Game Concerns
FSU’s offensive line has struggled in both pass protection and run blocking, leading to an anemic ground game. Corey Clark noted that without a mobile quarterback like Jordan Travis in 2022, the offense has become one-dimensional, making it harder to establish a run game. Meanwhile, the panel stressed that fewer substitutions across the board might help build rhythm, allowing players to get into a flow during games.

Looking Ahead
With two weeks to prepare for Memphis, FSU’s staff has an opportunity to make adjustments, especially in simplifying the offense and better utilizing the talent on hand. The team still has potential, but any turnaround will depend on improved play at quarterback, line of scrimmage control, and more effective coaching decisions to maximize offensive output.

📊 Analyzing FSU's Struggling Run Game: Where Did It Go Wrong? 📊 

Florida State's run game was expected to be the backbone of its offense, but the early numbers tell a different story. Through two games, FSU running backs have carried the ball 33 times for just 117 yards — an underwhelming 3.5 yards per carry.

Running Against Various Defenses:
FSU has fared worse against six-man boxes, averaging just 3.27 yards per carry. In situations with a seven-man front, the Noles have averaged a mere 1.5 yards per carry. These numbers highlight FSU's difficulty running the ball even when the defense isn’t stacking the box. Meanwhile, the rare occasions FSU ran against eight or more defenders produced better results, though largely buoyed by a single 28-yard run from Lawrance Toafili on the opening drive of the season. Since then, the ground game has struggled mightily.

RPO Decisions and Execution:
Through two games, FSU has executed nine RPOs, showing some positive production in the passing game but continued inefficiency in the run game. Against six or fewer defenders, the Noles managed just 4.67 yards per run on RPOs, while facing seven-man boxes saw them drop to an alarming 0.5 yards per carry. This suggests the RPOs, while helpful in passing situations, haven’t significantly boosted the run game.

Decline in Counter Play Success:
Counter plays, traditionally a strength for FSU, have seen a steep decline. In 2024, FSU running backs have carried the ball 11 times on counter plays, gaining just 31 yards for a lowly 2.8 yards per carry. This is a significant drop compared to the 2023 season, where FSU averaged 7.0 yards per carry on counters. Hit-at-line percentages remain high, meaning running backs are frequently getting met at or behind the line of scrimmage, severely limiting explosive plays.

Why Is This Happening?
The problems stem from multiple areas. The offensive line isn’t opening up lanes, and poor blocking from tight ends and receivers is compounding the issue. Additionally, without a mobile quarterback to keep defenses honest, teams are keying in on the running backs. The imbalance between run and pass plays is also creating predictable situations for the defense, making it easier for opponents to stifle the run.

Moving Forward:
FSU must address its issues in the run game if it hopes to turn the season around. Improvement in offensive line performance, more balanced play-calling, and potentially incorporating a more mobile quarterback like Brock Glenn could help create more opportunities for FSU’s talented backfield.

You can check out the full details on this here.

And that’s a wrap!

As FSU looks to regroup and turn the season around, there's still plenty of optimism across multiple sports. Soccer continues to dominate, volleyball is poised for a bounce-back, and despite some recruiting setbacks, the Seminoles have key opportunities ahead.

Stay tuned as the road to redemption continues, and we’ll be here to break down every moment, from recruiting to game-day action. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time! Go Noles! 🍢