Florida State walks into Week 3 as a 17.5-point underdog, but the door is still cracked open for a season-turning win over Alabama. If the Seminoles are going to cash in on a real “Why not us?”
moment, the formula is simple: the quarterback play has to rise, the defense has to get off the field, and No. 10 Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has to feel heat all day.
The sport has already handed out a few of those moments in the first two weeks.
Michigan opened by needing a miracle to survive Western Michigan, then turned around and beat No. 11 Oklahoma, 17-10.
Oklahoma State was the underdog against No. 6 Oregon and walked away with a 39-31 upset.
And late Saturday night, Texas erased a 23-3 fourth-quarter deficit against No. 1 Ohio State, scoring 21 unanswered points to win 24-23.
Florida State is looking for that kind of jolt now, and it comes right after a bye week that has given way to game week. Mike Norvell’s group has already lived through two frustrating performances. Now it gets a chance to reset the conversation entirely.
For that to happen, Ashton Daniels has to be much better than he has been through two games. Florida State’s passing game sits 16th in the ACC with 163.6 passing yards per game and 327 total passing yards, and Daniels has not yet looked like the driver of the offense. He’s completing 58 percent of his throws, going 29-of-50 with two touchdowns and one interception.
Norvell said, “Daniels execute the offense at speed in practice, but it hasn't translated when there are other factors out there in a live game,” Norvell said.
The issue isn’t just efficiency. Florida State also hasn’t gotten enough production from its top pass-catchers.
Duce Robinson, who returned to Florida State instead of entering the NFL Draft, has five catches for 75 yards and no touchdowns. Micahi Danzy has six receptions for 69 yards and no scores.
Instead, the Seminoles’ leading receiver after two games is running back Samuel Singleton Jr., who has 94 receiving yards and the only two receiving touchdowns Daniels has thrown this season.
The run game has been Florida State’s best offensive weapon, but Alabama will be geared to take that away and force Daniels to win with his arm. If the Seminoles are going to pull the upset, Daniels has to settle in, control the offense and become the playmaker Norvell believes he can be.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Norvell Said.
The other side of the ball has its own obvious problem: third down. Florida State has been stuck defending too many extra snaps, and too many of those snaps have turned into chunk plays.
Through two games, the Seminoles have allowed opponents to convert 58.1 percent of third downs. Even worse, seven of the 14 passing plays of 15 or more yards allowed by Florida State have come on third down, and three of those have gone for touchdowns.
New Mexico went 10-for-17 on third down in the opener, including four passing plays of 15 or more yards and two touchdowns on those downs. SMU followed by converting 8-of-14 third downs, with three more passing plays of 15 or more yards and one touchdown. Tony White pointed to the damage afterward.
“And there’s nine plays that you want back,” Tony White said. “Nine plays, 10 points and probably 250 yards.”
That kind of leakage can’t happen against Alabama. If Florida State keeps handing the Tide extra chances, especially in third-and-long situations, the upset window will close fast.
And then there’s the pressure piece, which ties the whole defensive plan together. Florida State has to make Russell uncomfortable and keep him in the pocket. That means more consistent disruption in the backfield, quicker throws, and fewer opportunities for him to extend plays.
So far, the Seminoles haven’t been steady enough there. Against New Mexico State, they had three sacks but only one quarterback hurry. Against SMU, they didn’t record a sack at all, though they did get four quarterback hurries.
That level of pressure won’t be enough against Alabama. If Russell gets comfortable, Florida State could be in for a long afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell Faces An Awkward Alabama Week Distraction
Florida State is heading into one of its biggest tests of the season with an off-field change hanging over the program. The school has fired Michael Alford, its vice president and director of athletics, and Mike Norvell is scheduled to speak with reporters about the leadership shift while also turning his attention to No. 10 Alabama.
The timing is hardly ideal for a Seminoles team coming off a bye week and sitting at 1-1, with a trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium next on the calendar. Norvell will be asked to navigate both the immediate challenge on the field and the uncertainty that comes with the athletic department shake-up, another layer of noise before Florida State faces a major early-season measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Turned Up The Pressure On Mike Norvell
Florida State has made a major leadership change by firing Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford after four years on the job, a move that lands at a sensitive moment for a program already dealing with pressure on the football side. The university said the decision is part of a broader restructuring effort, and the timing makes clear this is about more than one department or one season.
For Mike Norvell, the ripple effects could be immediate. Recent poor performance and financial concerns have already complicated the outlook around the Seminoles, and now the administration is signaling that it wants a different path forward in how the athletic department is run. With the president and board framing the move as an effort to restore competitiveness, the expectations around Florida State's football future only got heavier. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Turns To An Insider For A Crucial Athletic Department Reset
Bruce Warwick is now the face of Florida States athletic department transition after being named interim athletic director in the wake of Michael Alfords firing. Warwick has been part of the Seminoles staff since 2019, working as senior associate athletics director for football, and the move keeps the department in the hands of someone already familiar with its people, priorities and pressure points.
For Florida State, the choice suggests a reset built around continuity as much as change, with Warwick taking over day-to-day operations while the university figures out its next long-term step. His rsum stretches well beyond Tallahassee, with stops in the NFL and at several major college programs, including the Rams, Tennessee, Duke, the Packers, Syracuse, Maryland and Clemson, giving the Seminoles an experienced insider to steady things during an important stretch. [Read more 🡒]