Florida State got the result it needed in Tallahassee, moving to 2-2 with a win over Central Arkansas inside Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles answered a Week 3 loss to Alabama with a much-needed victory, and Mike Norvell even had the chance to coach against his alma mater.
The game started fast. Ashton Daniels hit Duce Robinson for a 29-yard touchdown on the third play from scrimmage, and Florida State carried a 24-7 lead into halftime after two Ousmane Kromah rushing touchdowns and a field goal. The offense cooled off after the break, but the defense kept coming up with stops, which eventually opened the door for backup quarterback Kevin Sperry to get into the game.
Even in a win, though, there was plenty to sort through. A few players stood out for the right reasons, while others left with more questions than answers.
Jayvan Boggs was one of the biggest bright spots of the afternoon. The sophomore receiver came through with a career-high 122 receiving yards, six catches and a touchdown, and he did it against a Central Arkansas secondary that was viewed as the strength of the Bears’ defense. With much of the pregame attention centered on Duce Robinson, Boggs showed he can be every bit as dangerous and gave Daniels another reliable option.
Ousmane Kromah kept doing what he’s done all season. The sophomore back piled up 86 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, extending his scoring streak to four straight games.
He’s been one of Florida State’s most dependable playmakers, and the staff will need to keep feeding him as conference play looms. With uncertainty still hanging over the quarterback spot, Kromah gives this offense a chance to stay competitive.
Omar Graham Jr. continued his quietly strong season from the linebacker spot. The senior logged six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Central Arkansas, adding to a year in which he’s been a steady presence while injuries have thinned out the position group. He had nine tackles against SMU and five against Alabama, and Florida State has needed veteran production like this.
Rylan Kennedy also earned his spot among the winners. The senior defensive lineman made an early impact with a sack and an assisted tackle for loss, helping keep Central Arkansas from finding any rhythm. Mandrell Desir also picked up his first sack of the season, but Kennedy was the one who set the tone early.
On the other side, Ashton Daniels’ afternoon was uneven. He was more controlled than he was against Alabama, but he still threw an interception just before halftime on a throw that was clearly off target.
He also missed open targets throughout the game, including one incompletion that forced Florida State to settle for a field goal. Daniels now has 30 career touchdowns and 27 career interceptions, and his season pace would put him at 15 picks and 18 touchdowns, both career highs.
The offensive line was the biggest issue again. Florida State should be able to handle an FCS opponent cleanly, but the unit gave up inconsistent protection all game and never really let the offense settle in. There have been flashes from this group, but the Seminoles still need a higher level of play up front before the offense can find real traction.
In Other News...
Mike Locksley Is Suddenly In A Conversation Maryland Fans Dread
Week 4 turned up the heat across college football, and Mike Norvell found himself part of a wider conversation about coaches under pressure after another rough weekend. Florida States season has already shifted the tone around the program, and when losses pile up this early, every next game starts to carry a little more weight for a coach trying to steady things before the schedule tightens further.
Norvell is hardly the only name in that mix, with Marylands Mike Locksley, South Carolinas Shane Beamer, Colorados Deion Sanders and others all getting pulled into the same uncomfortable chatter about job security and buyout math. For Florida State, the stakes are less about the national noise and more about what comes next, because every result from here on out will be measured not just as a loss or a win, but as part of a larger answer to where this season is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Is Climbing Again As ACC Rivals Already Slip
Florida State kept moving in the right direction in Week 4, handling Central Arkansas and adding another comfortable result to a start that looks a lot sturdier than the one that had fans on edge not long ago. In the latest ACC power ranking, the Seminoles are clearly climbing back toward the top tier while the league around them keeps sorting itself out, with some rivals already taking hits that could matter later in the race.
Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Boston College all have their own issues to clean up, and Wake Forests upset of Louisville only added to the sense that the conference is still wide open in spots. Virginia Tech is also still being watched as a team with the kind of pieces that could make things interesting, but for Florida State the larger takeaway is simple enough: the path ahead looks a little cleaner when the teams around you are stumbling. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Still Has An ACC Path But One Problem Looms
Florida States season has already reached the point where every ACC week feels like a referendum on the bigger picture. After a 2-2 start and an 0-1 mark in league play, the Seminoles are still staring at a workable path through their remaining seven conference games, with the goal of putting themselves in position for the 2026 ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
The encouraging part is that the ingredients for a turnaround are at least visible. Ousmane Kromah has to keep giving the offense traction on the ground, Ashton Daniels needs to settle into a steadier rhythm at quarterback, and the pass rush has shown signs of getting better even if the sack numbers have not fully caught up yet. The larger question is whether Florida State can turn those separate pieces into something dependable before the league schedule tightens the pressure even more. [Read more 🡒]