Florida State left Tuscaloosa with a 50-36 loss to Alabama, but the Seminoles did show some punch on offense. The problem was everything around that. A season-high point total wasn’t enough to cover for three turnovers and another rough night on defense, and the Crimson Tide seized control late in the second quarter before never giving it back.
There were bright spots in the passing game, starting with Robinson. After quiet performances against New Mexico State and SMU, he finally broke loose, posting a season-high six catches for 135 yards and a touchdown that put Florida State in front early.
That was a sharp turn from his first two games, when he had only five total catches. Florida State clearly needs to keep feeding him.
Boggs also gave the Seminoles a lift with a career-high two receptions for 69 yards. His 35-yard grab and 34-yard grab were the two longest catches of his two seasons in garnet and gold. Even so, the volume wasn’t there - he caught only two of eight targets.
Ashton Daniels had one of those stat lines that tells two different stories at once. He threw for 377 yards, the second-most of his career, and accounted for four total touchdowns.
But the three interceptions were hard to ignore, and the mistakes were the kind that hurt Florida State badly. Alabama turned those turnovers into nine points.
A quarterback change doesn’t appear to be coming, even if some fans would rather see Malachi Marshall sooner than later.
Florida State also got a useful burst from Singleton Jr., who rushed four times for seven yards and added two catches for 67 yards. His 65-yard reception in the third quarter was one of the Seminoles’ biggest plays of the night. Then came the concern: soon after that catch, he went to the sideline injured, was seen leaving on crutches, and his status is uncertain.
Kromah did what he could against an Alabama front that came in having allowed fewer than 50 rushing yards. Florida State’s offensive line didn’t give him much help, but he still managed 17 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown.
The line, though, had plenty of rough spots. Welch-Joiner made his third straight start at center and wasn’t very effective in the run game, even if he did grade as Florida State’s top pass-blocker at 76.2.
Pabst’s move to right tackle may be sticking after he started there in Florida State’s first road game, but his night was below average. Part of that traces back to Chimdia Nwaiwu being unplayable, which forced the Seminoles to use Pabst at tackle instead of guard.
Bowling’s first start at right guard since transferring to Florida State was a tough one. He allowed a team-high four pressures and finished with a 27.8 pass-blocking grade.
Chaplin had the worst night of all. After being Florida State’s highest-graded offensive player against SMU, he crashed hard against Alabama, allowing three pressures, posting the team’s worst pass-blocking grade, and committing a pair of costly penalties late.
Riles remained a problem, too. He didn’t catch a pass and still looks like a net negative as a blocker. The source material didn’t leave much room for optimism there.
On defense, Florida State got a few bodies back, but not nearly enough production. Wynn played 16 snaps, the second-most of his career, and made two tackles.
Desir returned from injury and flashed a little as a pass rusher, logging one tackle and one pressure, and later finishing with two tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. LaVallee came off the bench after leaving the SMU game in the second half with an injury and had two tackles.
Kirkland also returned from injury but didn’t show up in the stat sheet.
The rest of the defense had a hard time slowing Alabama down. Anderson finished with four tackles but missed two attempts and was largely irrelevant when Alabama put the ball on the ground.
Jones missed his lone tackle attempt and allowed one catch for 17 yards. CJ Richard Jr. led Florida State defenders in 2026 with 12 tackles, but he also missed a team-high three tackles and gave up two catches on two targets for 16 yards.
Gbayor posted four tackles but missed one and allowed four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Barker had one of the roughest nights of the bunch.
His body language was poor, and the play matched it. Alabama scored two touchdowns off bad angles from him, and he gave up four catches on four targets for 53 yards.
For Florida State, the offense had enough moments to keep things interesting. The defense did not.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell's Future Suddenly Carries A Price FSU Fans Will Hate
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached a place nobody in Tallahassee expected when he signed that massive extension last year. He is in his seventh season with the Seminoles and carries a 39-35 record, while the deal he put pen to paper on runs through 2031 and pays in the neighborhood of $10 million to $11 million annually. The timing of the conversation around his future is made even trickier by the fact that Florida State has already moved on from athletic director Michael Alford, the man who signed off on the extension.
Now the noise around Norvell has only gotten louder, fueled in part by recent on-field frustration and even a viral photo of a moving truck at his home. If Florida State were to pull the plug after the upcoming game against Alabama, the financial hit would be staggering, with a buyout around $48 million, among the largest in college football history. That figure could drop if Norvell lands another job, but for a fan base already uneasy, the size of the bill is exactly the kind of detail that makes this situation feel more complicated by the day. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs Comeback Just Took A Brutal Turn In The Backfield
Florida States offense got a major jolt in its game against Alabama when Samuel Singleton Jr. went down after a 65-yard catch and later was seen leaving the field with crutches. Before the exit, Singleton had been a meaningful part of the Seminoles attack, helping the comeback effort and giving the backfield a needed spark.
Now the focus shifts to how Florida State fills the void if he has to miss time. The Seminoles have not yet issued an official update on Singletons status, and in the meantime the burden will fall on other running backs to pick up the workload in a game that already took a brutal turn. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Showed Enough To Compete But One Problem Never Let Up
Florida State had enough offense to hang around with Alabama for long stretches, but the Seminoles could never fully get out from under the pressure in a 50-36 loss that was delayed twice by lightning. Their quarterback piled up 343 passing yards and accounted for four touchdowns, giving Florida State real stretches of momentum and keeping the game within reach even as Alabama answered repeatedly.
The problem never let up on the other side of the ball, where Alabama's quarterback was sharp and efficient, hitting 23 of 30 throws for 320 yards, three touchdown passes and another score on the ground. Florida State's three interceptions proved costly throughout the night, and even with the offense showing it can move, the Seminoles were left with the same lingering concern that kept every comeback attempt from gaining real traction. [Read more 🡒]