Florida State doesn’t get the luxury of easing into this season with a warm-up that means nothing. Saturday’s Week 0 meeting with New Mexico State at 7:00 p.m. ET inside Doak Campbell Stadium is the kind of game the Seminoles are supposed to handle with ease - they’re more than a four-touchdown favorite - but it also needs to tell Mike Norvell and his staff something real.
That matters because No. 19 SMU is waiting in Week 1, and Florida State can’t afford to treat this opener like a victory lap.
After another losing year in 2024, and with Norvell under pressure to steer the program back the right way, this is about more than the final score. It’s about whether the pieces look sharper, cleaner and more trustworthy before the schedule tightens.
The first thing worth watching is whether Tony White’s defense shows actual pass-rush bite. White’s second year on the job should come with more comfort across the unit, and the additions of transfer linebackers Chris Jones Jr. and Mikai Gbayor at the second level ought to help the defense communicate and tackle better. But the bigger question is whether Florida State can consistently win up front against a Conference USA offensive line.
White’s 3-3-5 setup is built to manufacture pressure through overloads, sim pressures and blitzes, but last season the Seminoles didn’t have a true edge threat to cash in on those chances. James Williams posted a 13.8% pass-rush win rate, and that kind of production won’t cut it.
Mandrell and Darryll Desir showed enough as interior rushers to earn another look, and the new JACK linebackers, Rylan Kennedy and Jalen Anderson, will also be part of the evaluation. If the line can’t create pressure in this matchup, that’s not a small problem - it points straight toward bigger trouble in ACC play.
Another major checkpoint is Ashton Daniels and the football. Daniels brings real experience to the position with 23 college starts, including three in the SEC last season, and his athleticism at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds fits a run-first plan. But the issue is obvious: 22 career interceptions against 24 touchdowns doesn’t exactly scream security.
With Norvell back on the headset, Florida State is expected to lean into heavy personnel and the ground game. That means Daniels doesn’t need to be spectacular, but he does need to be clean.
Long drives and positive field position are the lifeblood of that kind of offense, and turnovers can wreck it fast. The offensive line is also a piece of this, and it deserves a close look on Saturday, but the quarterback is the central storyline.
If Daniels is loose with the ball, the whole setup gets shaky.
Then there’s Ousmane Kromah, who may be the back most likely to define the tone of this offense early. Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner missed most of fall camp with an injury, so what looked like a crowded backfield has tilted toward Kromah getting the first real shot as the workhorse. The question is whether he can do more than just pile up steady carries.
Last season, Kromah ran for 408 yards on 72 carries, a 5.7 yards-per-carry average, but he never popped a run longer than 23 yards. Only 31.9% of his production came on breakaway runs, according to PFF.
He has the size, feet and vision to stay on schedule, and that’s valuable. But for Florida State to function as a run-heavy team, it needs explosive plays on the ground, not just efficient ones.
Week 0 against New Mexico State should offer the first clues. A few runs that actually break loose would go a long way toward showing Kromah has another level to reach, and it would help quiet some of the questions hanging over this offense before SMU comes to town.
In Other News...
FSU Opens With One Offensive Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Florida State enters the season with plenty to prove, and not just because of the 7-17 slide over the last two years or the lack of a road win in that stretch. Mike Norvell is heading into his seventh season and has taken back playcalling duties after Gus Malzahns retirement, a move that signals how much control he wants over an offense that has to steady the program quickly.
The concern fans cant really overlook is the uncertainty around Ashton Daniels, whose confidence has become a talking point as the Seminoles try to build momentum. Add in a weak pass rush and a roster leaning on inexperienced players, and the margin for error feels thin before the real grind even begins. Florida State has talent to work with, but the early test is whether this offense can look organized enough to keep the pressure from piling up again. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Turns New Athletics Deal Into Something Bigger
Florida State University Athletics has turned an existing business relationship with Danfoss Climate Solutions into something broader, announcing a three-year sponsorship agreement that reaches well beyond the usual logo-and-signage arrangement. The Tallahassee-based company will remain visible around Seminoles athletic venues, but the real point of the partnership is to connect student-athletes with a pathway into STEM careers through internships, scholarships and exposure to advanced manufacturing and sustainable technology.
Danfoss is also expected to promote job opportunities through banners and graphics at athletic sites, giving the deal a local feel as well as a career-development angle. For Florida State, the agreement adds another layer to how the athletics department is trying to use its platform, blending commercial support with a more direct pitch to life after sports for its student-athletes. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Gets A Huge Chance With Elite Basketball Target
Florida States season opener against New Mexico State is doing more than just launching another football season. It is also giving the program a chance to work the recruiting lines, with the mens basketball side set to host a strong group of visitors as part of the weekend atmosphere. Among the names headed to Tallahassee are 5-star guard Cayden Daughtry, 4-star forward Moussa Kamissoko and 4-star guard Jarvis Hayes Jr., a clear sign the Seminoles are trying to make the most of the spotlight.
Daughtry is the headliner, ranked No. 3 nationally in the Class of 2027, and Florida State will get the first official visit of his recruitment. For a program looking to stay in the mix with elite talent, landing that early impression matters, especially when a prospect of that caliber is already expected to see the campus alongside other high-level targets. The question now is whether the Seminoles can turn a promising visit list into real momentum. [Read more 🡒]