Bobby Bowden’s football philosophy speaks volumes about FSU’s problems

The legendary Florida State coach won two national championships while believing that schemes mattered far less than the players entrusted to execute them. And when they failed to execute, Bowden didn't simply blame the players. Coaches had to coach better.

One can only imagine what Bowden would have thought watching his beloved Seminoles at Louisville on Friday night - and over the past few seasons under embattled seventh-year coach Mike Norvell.

There surely has been a few heavenly "dad-gums."

What on earth has happened to FSU football?

It's more about questioning FSU's direction than criticizing it

Honestly, this isn't about piling more criticism on Norvell. It's about examining the Seminoles ' troubling lack of fundamentals, cohesion and identity, and trying to determine why those problems continue to surface on game days.

Just when FSU fans had reason to feel good about their team after an impressive win over Virginia, Louisville happened. The Seminoles squandered a 14-0 lead, came one play from going ahead 21-0 and instead lost 44-20.

As a result, FSU saw its modest two-game win streak snapped and it now has lost 11 straight true road games and 13 straight away from Doak Campbell Stadium heading into Saturday's ACC rivalry game against No. 3 Miami.

Now FSU fans are left hoping for the best and waiting for answers, both on the field and from an administration considering changes that could reshape Seminoles athletics and the football program.

Norvell is 3-3 this season and 41-37 overall, with the high point coming during FSU's undefeated regular season and ACC championship run in 2023. Since then, little has gone right, and the frustration and anger among Seminoles fans have only intensified.

Still, FSU would prefer not to fire Norvell during the year.

As for structural changes within athletics that are expected to take shape soon, university board chair Peter Collins told the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday, Sept. 29, in an exclusive interview that he's working in "lockstep" with President Richard McCullough to drive the changes that include hiring a new athletic director and bringing in other senior positions in athletics.

Louisville defeat difficult to forgive after blowing 14-0 lead

The Louisville loss remains difficult to shake, particularly after the encouraging win over Virginia.

FSU appeared poised to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter when it faced fourth-and-goal from the Louisville 3. But a slow-developing screen pass to freshman receiver Jasen Lopez was stopped at the 3, a pivotal moment in a game that soon turned dramatically.

Personally, I did not have an issue with Norvell's decision to go for it on fourth down. Norvell's aggressiveness in those situations has long been part of his coaching personality. The puzzling part was the play itself, especially with FSU running the football so effectively. Norvell defended the "thought process" behind it afterward without explaining exactly what that thought process was.

The Cardinals outgained the Seminoles 438-190 and outscored them 44-6 after the fourth-down stop.

FSU's defense, meanwhile, couldn't stop much of anything. Isaac Brown ran for a career-high 235 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries, including a game-changing 97-yard score after his team's defensive stop.

One can point to FSU's defensive problems under Tony White with alignment, run fits, edge containment and communication in the secondary. Those are basic responsibilities that should remain sound regardless of scheme or personnel. This is also about fundamentals, and I am not sure why it felt like there was always somebody out of place.

What would Bobby Bowden say about today's FSU football team?

Bowden Legacy Auction now live, take a look at items available

Nobody pretends to know exactly how FSU football reached this point. Fans simply know what they saw at Louisville, and what they have seen far too often the past two seasons.

Missed fits. Poor containment. Confusion. A team that, at times, looks disconnected from itself and reacts poorly to adversity.

Maybe the answer ultimately involves changes at the top or on the coaching staff. Maybe it runs deeper than that.

Bobby Bowden always preached "players, not plays," but that philosophy carried another responsibility: Put those players in position to succeed.

Since 2023, FSU simply hasn't done that consistently.

And until it does, the most troubling question will remain the simplest one: What exactly is missing?

Jim Henry is the award-winning sports editor at the Tallahassee Democrat and can be reached at jjhenry@tallahassee.com. Jim also co-authored "Tarnished Heisman," a 2008 book on Reggie Bush's career at USC.