| Year: | 2019 |
| Team: | Florida State Seminoles |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Division: | Atlantic Division |
| Short Conf: | ACC |
| Record: | 6–7 |
| Conf Record: | 4–4 |
| Head Coach: | Willie Taggart (2nd season; first 9 games) |
| Head Coach2: | Odell Haggins (interim; remainder of season) |
| Off Coach: | Kendal Briles |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Dc Year: | 2nd |
| Captain: | James Blackman Marvin Wilson Ricky Aguayo |
| Bowl: | Sun Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | L 14–20 vs. Arizona State |
| Stadium: | Doak Campbell Stadium |
The 2019 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Seminoles played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, and competed as members of the Atlantic Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Florida State was initially led by second-year head coach Willie Taggart. On November 3, 2019, Taggart was fired after losing to Miami (FL) and falling to 4–5 on the season and 9–12 overall.[1] Defensive line coach Odell Haggins was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season, for the second time during his tenure with the program. The Seminoles ultimately finished the season with a 6–7 record, completing consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the 1975 and 1976 seasons. This was the first season since 1976 that Florida State was not ranked in either of the major polls. Running back Cam Akers went on to be selected in the second round of the NFL draft.[2]
In December 2018, the school hired Kendal Briles to be the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, replacing Walt Bell, who left to take the head coaching job at UMass.[3] Briles spent the 2018 season as offensive coordinator at Houston. In January 2019, the school hired alum Ron Dugans to coach wide receivers.[4] In February 2019, the school fired offensive line coach Greg Frey and hired Randy Clements to the same position;[5] Briles and Clements previously worked together on the Houston staff.
Quarterback Deondre Francois was dismissed from the team in February 2019 after Francois' girlfriend posted a video to Instagram which alleged domestic abuse.[6] Francois had been the starting quarterback for the Seminoles during the 2016 and 2018 seasons (an injury sustained in the first game of 2017 sidelined him for most of that season), and was set to be the starter again as a senior.
In March 2019, former Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook announced that he was transferring to Florida State for his final season of eligibility as an NCAA graduate transfer.[7] In August 2019, Jordan Travis, a transfer quarterback from Louisville, was granted a waiver by the NCAA to be immediately eligible to play.[8]
Florida State's 2019 recruiting class consisted of 21 recruits. The class was ranked 21st in the nation and second in the ACC according to the 247Sports.com Composite.[9] This represented the lowest-ranked class for the school since 2007.[10]
The 'Garnet and Gold Game' was held on April 6 with the Gold team, led by James Blackman, victorious over the Garnet team by a score of 27–21.[11]
In the preseason ACC media poll, Florida State was selected to finish third in the Atlantic Division.[12] Wide receiver Tamorrion Terry and defensive tackle Marvin Wilson were named to the preseason All-ACC team.[13]
| Media poll (Atlantic Division) | |||
| 1 | Clemson | 1209 (171) | |
| 2 | Syracuse | 913 (2) | |
| 3 | Florida State | 753 | |
| 4 | NC State | 666 | |
| 5 | Boston College | 588 | |
| 6 | Wake Forest | 462 | |
| 7 | Louisville | 253 | |
| Lott Trophy[14] | DeCalon Brooks | LB | SO | |
| Maxwell Award[15] | Cam Akers | RB | JR | |
| Bednarik Award | Marvin Wilson | DT | JR | |
| Doak Walker Award[16] | Cam Akers | RB | JR | |
| Biletnikoff Award[17] | Tamorrion Terry | WR | SO | |
| Mackey Award[18] | Tre' McKitty | TE | JR | |
| Butkus Award[19] | Dontavious Jackson | LB | SR | |
| Outland Trophy[20] | Marvin Wilson | DT | JR | |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy | Marvin Wilson | DT | JR | |
| Ray Guy Award[21] | Logan Tyler | P | SR | |
| Wuerffel Trophy[22] | DeCalon Brooks | LB | SO |
Florida State's 2019 season was set to begin with a non-conference neutral site game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, against Boise State of the Mountain West Conference, though the game was relocated to Tallahassee due to Hurricane Dorian. In ACC play, the Seminoles played the other members of the Atlantic Division as well as Virginia and Miami from the Coastal Division. To end the year, Florida State played on the road against rival Florida of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).[23]
See also: 2019 Boise State Broncos football team.
See also: 2019 Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks football team.
See also: 2019 Virginia Cavaliers football team and Jefferson-Eppes Trophy.
See also: 2019 Louisville Cardinals football team.
See also: 2019 NC State Wolfpack football team.
See also: 2019 Clemson Tigers football team and Clemson–Florida State football rivalry.
See also: 2019 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team.
See also: 2019 Syracuse Orange football team.
See also: 2019 Miami Hurricanes football team and Florida State–Miami football rivalry.
See also: 2019 Boston College Eagles football team.
See also: 2019 Alabama State Hornets football team.
See also: 2019 Florida Gators football team and Florida–Florida State football rivalry.
See also: 2019 Arizona State Sun Devils football team and 2019 Sun Bowl.
| Cam Akers | ACC Running Back of the Week | Week 2 Week 4 Week 9 | [24] [25] [26] |
| Marvin Wilson | ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week | Week 4 | |
| Alex Hornibrook | ACC Quarterback of the Week | Week 5 | [27] |
| Cyrus Fagan | ACC Defensive Back of the Week | Week 5 | |
| Amari Gainer | ACC Rookie of the Week | Week 5 | |
| Hamsah Nasirildeen | ACC Defensive Back of the Week | Week 9 Week 11 Week 12 | [28] [29] |
| Tamorrion Terry | ACC Receiver of the Week | Week 11 | |
The Seminoles had six players selected to the All-ACC team, with four defensive selections and two offensive selections.[30]
| Florida State Seminoles coaches | ||||||||
| Head coach Assistant coaches
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See also: 2020 NFL draft.
| 2 | 52 | RB | Los Angeles Rams |