Florida State’s offense has turned one of last season’s biggest headaches into a real strength.
After finishing 2025 near the bottom of the FBS in red-zone efficiency, the Seminoles have been sharp inside the 20 in 2026. Through 21 trips, FSU has scored every time and has turned 17 of those chances into touchdowns, an 80.9 percent rate. That’s a major shift from last year, when the team scored on 80 percent of its red-zone drives and had a 64.9% touchdown rate.
“Coming out of the season we did a study on our red zone,” FSU offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. said. “We knew that was an area that we struggled. A lot of it was just us doing it to ourselves.”
The changes around the offense are obvious. Gus Malzahn retired in February, Mike Norvell took over play-calling, and Harris was elevated from receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Harris now helps shape the weekly game plan and advises Norvell, and the results have shown up even with a rebuilt starting 11 that includes quarterback Ashton Daniels and four transfer offensive linemen.
Daniels has been uneven overall, completing 60.3% of his passes and throwing six interceptions. But he has also given the Seminoles real juice with six touchdown passes and nine rushing touchdowns, while making the right choices once FSU gets into scoring range.
That efficiency will be tested Friday night when the Seminoles visit Louisville at 7 p.m. on ESPN. FSU is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while the Cardinals are 2-3 and 1-2.
It has the look of a game where both sides can move the ball, especially with each team leaning on the run and using veteran transfer quarterbacks. Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz comes in after stops at Ohio State, while Daniels has already played at Stanford and Auburn.
The road work has been a mixed bag for Florida State, but the one trip away from home this season showed the offense can still finish. In the 50-36 loss at Alabama, the Seminoles scored on all five of their red-zone possessions.
Norvell said the improvement is rooted in preparation and buy-in.
“This was something that we knew had to be better,” Norvell said. “You learn from experience.
You also make sure you have a plan. … Different ways you’re going to attack.
You got players that buy into that, too. When we get down there we want points on the board and specifically we want six.
Our guys have taken great ownership.”
In Other News...
FSU Suddenly Has A Schedule Problem Fans Need To Watch
The line for Florida States matchup with Louisville has already moved in a notable way, and that kind of shift always gets attention when a Saturday game starts drawing closer. Between the betting market and the broader rhythm of the season, it is another sign that this one is being watched closely, with the over/under sitting at 59.5 and the spread tightening from Louisville by 5.5 to 3.5.
Elsewhere around the Seminoles, the calendar has already felt the effects of Tropical Storm Isaias, which forced Florida States mens basketball and baseball games in Pensacola to be canceled while rescheduling options are evaluated. There has still been plenty happening elsewhere in Tallahassee, with volleyball beating Jacksonville 3-1 to extend its home winning streak and womens tennis moving through the ITA Regional Championship, but the scheduling fallout is the part fans will keep an eye on if more changes surface. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Gets A Real Chance To Expose Louisvilles Biggest Weakness
Louisville comes into its matchup with Florida State carrying more than just the weight of three losses. The Cardinals have been undone by a defense that has given up too many big plays, along with penalty trouble that has repeatedly put them behind the chains. Add in an inconsistent running game, and there are clear reasons why this team has struggled to find steadier footing.
For Florida State, that creates a real opening to make Louisville defend every inch of the field and force the Cardinals to clean up the mistakes that have hurt them all season. Jacob Polacheck of Cardinal Authority has pointed to those problem areas ahead of the game, and they shape the entire matchup. If the Seminoles can pressure Louisville into the same kinds of errors, the Cardinals' biggest weakness may be impossible to hide for long. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Loucks Is Showing How Far FSU Will Go For Impact Talent
Florida States pursuit of impact talent took an uncommon route this spring, with Luke Loucks and Jim Moran going overseas to make a personal impression on Sebastian Ranciks family. The Seminoles were chasing more than a body for the frontcourt, targeting a 6-foot-11 junior power forward from Slovakia whose versatility fit what they want to build, and the lengths they went to say plenty about how aggressively this staff is recruiting in its first wave of roster construction.
Rancik eventually became one of the names that gave the class real traction after entering the transfer portal and landing at Florida State, where he is expected to play a meaningful role next season. For a program trying to reestablish itself quickly, adding a player with his size and skill was important, but the bigger story may be the willingness to cross borders and lean into personal relationships to get him in garnet and gold. [Read more 🡒]