Florida State walked out of Week 7 with a loss, but it did not walk out looking like a team that simply showed up to take a beating. Against No. 3 Miami, the Seminoles dragged the game into overtime and made the Hurricanes earn every bit of it after being expected to lose by nearly three touchdowns.
That alone changed the conversation. Florida State fought on both sides of the ball, and even in defeat, it turned a rivalry night into something far more competitive than the preseason math suggested. The Seminoles also did a solid job containing a Miami offense that can light up a scoreboard in a hurry, especially under the circumstances they were dealing with.
The biggest blow inside the game may have come with the injury to running back Ousmane Kromah. Once he was out, Florida State’s offense lost some of its rhythm and had a harder time finding its footing.
That matters because this was supposed to be one of the defining nights around Mike Norvell’s future. The chatter entering Week 7 centered heavily on the coach and whether Florida State could show enough against a top opponent to strengthen his case to remain in place for the 2027 season. One game was never going to settle everything, but the Seminoles did show they can play at a much higher level than some of their results have suggested.
There has been no clean read on Florida State this season. The same team that went toe-to-toe with Alabama also got blown out by Louisville, and that inconsistency has defined the year.
Still, when the stakes rise, the Seminoles have looked different at times. This was another example of that.
The real issue is whether they can do it consistently. If they can, the math around the current staff changes, including the roughly $68 million it would take to move on.
There was also a clear step forward from quarterback Ashton Daniels. Florida State does not need him to become a high-volume, 400-yard passer every week. What it needs is someone who can operate cleanly and keep the offense on schedule, and lately Daniels has started to do that.
He has not been flawless this season, and the games against SMU and Alabama showed that. But the recent version of Daniels has been much better about avoiding costly mistakes. He still is not pushing the ball deep all that often, yet he has become more efficient at choosing where to go with it.
The bigger concern now may be what happens without Kromah. Florida State has already been forced to adjust around injuries, but losing a productive starter from a running back room that is already stretched thin could create real problems.
Tre Wisner, the former Texas starter, has worked his way into the rotation after Samuel Singleton Jr. was injured, and he has played well. Now the Seminoles may need even more from him, because he is likely to take on the bulk of the carries and production from the backfield.
The issue is not whether Wisner can handle more touches. It is that Florida State does not have much behind him. The depth chart has already taken hits with Singleton’s injury and the dismissal of Gemari Sands, leaving the Seminoles short on immediate help.
That leaves Amari Thomas and Zay Parks as the other options, and they enter the picture with just 18 career carries between them.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell Couldn't Hide His Anger Over How Miami Ended
Florida States overtime loss to Miami left Mike Norvell visibly frustrated with how the final sequence unfolded, and he did not try to soften his reaction afterward. The Seminoles had a touchdown from Micahi Danzy wiped away by a holding call on left tackle Xavier Chaplin, a play that changed the entire feel of the extra period and kept the game hanging in the balance.
Duce Robinson then appeared to make the next big catch for Florida State, only for the pass to be ruled an interception after review and end the game. Norvell blasted the holding flag as an absolute joke and pushed back on the turnover ruling as well, a postgame flashpoint that added another layer of heat to an already bitter ending against Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Still Has A Narrow Path To Save This Season
Florida State came out of the double-overtime loss to Miami still searching for traction, and the margin for error is getting thinner by the week. At 3-4 with five games left, the Seminoles do not have much room left to waste, but the schedule still leaves open a path to salvage a respectable finish if they can start putting together the kind of complete performance that has been elusive since conference play tightened up.
The remaining stretch is complicated by a few familiar concerns, including a recent injury to running back Ousmane Kromah and the fact that road games have not been kind. Even so, the way the next opponents have been trending, plus Florida State's past results in some of those matchups, keeps a 7-5 finish in play if the Seminoles can clean up the small mistakes that have been costing them close games. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Steen Can Finally Help Florida State Sooner Than Expected
After spending the offseason in legal limbo, Florida State forward Alex Steen finally has a path back onto the court sooner than expected. A Leon County judge granted him an extra season of eligibility after his challenge to the NCAAs 5-in-5 rule, a ruling that clears up a situation that had kept him in waiting even as he stayed enrolled in classes and continued practicing with the Seminoles.
Now the question shifts from the courtroom to the hardwood, where Steen could make his first game appearance against LSU on Oct. 24. For Florida State, it is a notable boost to a frontcourt that has already had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding his status, and it gives the Seminoles a player they had been able to work with behind the scenes but not yet officially deploy in a game. [Read more 🡒]