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The 2024 college football season is finally underway, and they kicked off the season in style from Dublin, Ireland. The season’s first game pitted the 10th-ranked Florida State Seminoles against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Playing with a new quarterback after Jordan Travis graduated to the NFL, Florida State struggled and couldn’t find a way to defeat their ACC rivals. But who were the biggest winners and losers from the college football opener?
It didn’t take long for the MVP of the ACC Championship to make his impact in Florida State’s opener. On the game’s first drive, Lawrance Toafili took his first touch of the day for a 28-yard rushing touchdown. He wasn’t even touched, sprinting past the Yellow Jackets defense for what he made look like an easy score. While he helped set the tone, Toafili finished with just 32 yards on eight carries. But he did add 25 more yards on three catches.
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Darrell Jackson came in as one of the key players to watch. He was the fifth player named on Bruce Feldman’s annual ‘Freaks List‘ who can squat over 600 pounds yet can still reach a top speed of 20.6 mph in pads. After losing Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, Jackson had a bigger chance to put his fingerprint on this game, but he would only finish with two assisted tackles.
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Jamal Haynes was one of the biggest stars in Georgia Tech’s upset win. He led the game with 75 rushing yards, tacked on two rushing touchdowns, and even recorded 16 receiving yards on two receptions. Without Haynes, the Yellow Jackets don’t win this one.
Aidan Birr missed a 51-yard field goal earlier, but it didn’t matter. He drilled all three extra points, which is expected. But his real claim to fame included the game-winning 44-yard kick to ruin Florida State’s day, sending them on a long flight home with a loss.
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Ryan Fitzgerald is heading into his fifth season as the Seminoles’ kicker, and he’s coming off a very accurate year with a 90% accuracy rate. But on Saturday, Fitzgerald had a chance to show off his big leg by drilling a 59-yard field goal. He also connected on a 52-yard field goal while making his lone extra-point attempt. The Seminoles wouldn’t have been close to competing if it hadn’t been for Fitzgerald coming through when his number was called.
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While Roydell Williams and Lawrance Toafili each had a rushing touchdown, their days weren’t very efficient. Williams averaged just 3.2 yards per carry, and Toafili averaged 4 yards per rush. In all, the Seminoles ran 31 times but only mustered 98 yards for a measly average of 3.2 YPC. That’s tough to win with.
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Before the game kicked off, if there was going to be a defensive lineman who stood out, most would point to Florida State redshirt junior Darrell Jackson. He’s a freakish talent, but Jackson didn’t flash his skillset against Georgia Tech. Instead, the only player who got a sack was Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Kevin Harris II. He had two tackles on the day, but his biggest impact came from sacking Uiagalelei.
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Florida State came in ranked 10th in the nation. But they didn’t play like a No. 10 team today. Losing against an unranked Georgia Tech team won’t do Florida State any favors in the weekly polls or at the end of the season when it’s time to determine college football playoff teams. But if they keep playing like this, they won’t have to worry about the final standings.
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Of the two starting quarterbacks, Haynes King drastically outplayed his opponent. He was efficient through the air and effective on the ground. King completed 68.7% of his passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, plus he added 54 rushing yards on 15 attempts for an overall strong performance in a big game. King was a big reason why the Yellow Jackets got the dub.
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The former five-star recruit is now on his third team after beginning at Clemson, transferring to Oregon State, and now arriving at Florida State. But the Seminoles are happy to have the 6-foot-4 dual-threat quarterback. Unfortunately, he wasn’t at his best today. While he completed 70% of his passes, Uiagalelei got off to a slow start that allowed Georgia Tech to enter halftime in a tie game. His final stat line salvaged some of his day, collecting 193 passing yards, but he couldn’t do much with his legs, mustering just seven yards on six rush attempts. As the new leader of this football team, Uiagalelei didn’t do enough to convince anyone that Florida State will be a threat.
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