Taggart optimistic despite seeing some players quit during ugly loss to Tigers

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State coach Willie Taggart saw some of his players give up during an embarrassing 59-10 loss to No. 2 Clemson Saturday, but he said it isn’t time to give up on the season — or his team.

FSU has struggled at times through its rebuilding season.

The bumpy end of coach Jimbo Fisher’s tenure last year during which his staff was accused of giving up on the Seminoles, the hope ushered in by the arrival of upbeat Taggart and the realization this reclamation project would be much harder than expected has been a tough roller coaster for the 2018 Seminoles.

“I think we’ve got some issues that we need to correct,” Taggart said when asked how it would take before FSU would be able to compete in the ACC. “I think we all know that, and get those corrected, I think you’ll see a big change in our entire program.

“I don’t think it’s that far away. We’ve got to keep climbing and keep working and keep recruiting and that’s the only way you’re going to get to where we all want us to be.”

Saturday, some Seminoles surrendered. And once one player surrenders, it becomes contagious. The frustration gets the best of the group.

“Those guys just can’t play,” Taggart said when asked how to deal with those who quit pushing to play their best against Clemson. “Then you’ve got to find the winners on your team and make sure when you’re out recruiting, you’re recruiting winners. That’s really important. You can’t just recruit off the Internet. You have to make sure you do your work and get the right kind of people here.”

The timing of Saturday’s loss was coincidentally significant. Precisely one year before, October 27, 2017, Florida State suffered a 35-3 loss to Boston College.

The ugly defeat was too much for the 2017 team. Coaches and players began breaking a part from the team. They simply quit.

Logan Tyler, who punted often as FSU’s offense gained no traction Saturday against Clemson, was asked if he’d ever experienced a similar loss. Tyler mentioned last year’s Boston College game.

“The deficit wasn’t as much, but the feeling is very similar,” Tyler said.

FSU defensive lineman Brian Burns said he knows how to address the problem plaguing the team and how to find hope after a dreadful, mind-numbing loss.

The junior defensive end witnessed the breakup of the team last year. He knows what abandonment looks like. This, he says, isn’t abandonment. But some players must change their responses to adversity.

Burns took a quick breath when asked if the attitude of his teammates Saturday afternoon resembled last year’s collapse.

As quickly as the question was asked, Burns clarified: “No, not at all.

“I don’t feel like we’re breaking apart. I just feel like effort is our main problem when we hit adversity. When everything is going fine and dandy, when we’re winning, there’s no problem at all. But when adversity strikes, that is the problem.”

How will Florida State rebound up from the historic loss?

“We’re going to find the guys that quit and we’re going to find the guys that kept playing and make sure that we keep those guys in there,” Taggart said. “So there will be some changes come next week.”

Burns added, “Guys got to figure out their why, their purpose. What are they doing this for? Do they really want to do this? That’s more individually but I can help them out and encourage them as best I can. That’s what it’s gonna come down to — that why.”

As the team moves on from the dreadful loss, some Seminoles will have to work to win back the faith of their coaches and teammates.

“Trust is one of those things where it takes a long time to earn it and it’s really quick to lose,” Tyler said. “Just come in, apologize to us because they didn’t just give up on the team, they gave up on everybody individually.

“They just have to come back and show it with their actions. That’s the only way they can get that back.”

Burns sees many ways to repair the damage.

“We can always call a team meeting and talk to some guys individually,” Burns said. “At the end of the day, it’s likely going to have to be the next man up and make others work to get positions back.”