Florida State’s season of inconsistency came into sharp focus against NC State, as a promising opportunity unraveled into a string of costly mistakes. Muffed punts, missed chances, and offensive struggles left the Seminoles at 5-6, raising fresh doubts about Norvell’s future.

“NC State’s punter just recovered the funniest muffed punt you’ll ever see,” wrote CFB writer Chris Vannini. “It hit an FSU player’s helmet on the way down and ricocheted all the way back to the LOS.”

Raleigh turned into a defensive slugfest, with N.C. State holding a narrow 7-3 lead at halftime. Despite outgaining the Wolfpack 202 yards to 160, FSU struggled to convert drives into points, with their biggest score coming from a 46-yard field goal by Jake Weinberg.

With 4:08 left on the clock, FSU smelled a chance, and the Seminoles had forced NC State into a brutal 4th-and-17 deep in their own territory. Trailing 14–11, the team could take the lead, or so it seemed. But then chaos struck. In a matter of minutes, a golden opportunity turned into a series of errors for the Seminoles.

NC State punter Caden Noonkester booted the ball, only for it to smack FSU DB K.J. Kirkland right in the helmet. However, the bounce sent the ball back to the line of scrimmage, where Noonkester fell on it. With that, Wolfpack kept possession. Then FSU forced another punt with just over 2:30 remaining. But WR Squirrel White muffed it, handing the ball straight back to NC State’s Tra Thomas.

Here’s where Norvell’s future comes into question. “A Squirrel White muffed punt may lead to Florida State jumping on the carousel. College football is really college footballing this season,” wrote Vols writer Zach Ragan.

The issues are not limited to punts; FSU has been struggling offensively. QB Tommy Castellanos struggled early, completing just 8-of-20 passes for 79 yards through three quarters. The most intriguing fact is that the Seminoles didn’t see the end zone until later in the fourth quarter. With such a disastrous performance, Norvell’s squad fell short, and it may put the head coach’s job in serious jeopardy.

Mike Norvell’s job security after the NC State loss

Mike Norvell’s contract is no small detail in this conversation. After the 2023 season, he signed an eight-year extension designed to keep him in Tallahassee through 2031. Now, if FSU decides to move on, the bill is over $53 million. But contracts don’t win games, and his results are testing patience.

In six years, Norvell sits at 38-33 overall, while 3 of his first five seasons finished below .500. The momentum from his 13-1 season and 2023 ACC title has evaporated. Since then, FSU is just 7-16 overall, with no road conference wins since that championship season. Now this season, with the loss to NC State, the slide hit another low point. Florida State now sits at 5-6.

It signals that Norvell’s era may be inching toward its final chapter. But the school hasn’t made any decision on that. We will see what tomorrow morning brings for the FSU HC.

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