Florida State spent part of Saturday night looking like a different team.
For a half, the Seminoles had rhythm on offense, a defense that at least made Alabama work, and enough early punch to make you wonder where that version of FSU had been the last few weeks. But the good feeling didn’t last. Alabama steadied itself, pulled away, and finished with a 50-36 win to close out the home-and-home series.
The Seminoles opened with some real life through the air. Daniels threw for 377 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, and the first drive gave FSU exactly the kind of start it needed. He found Duce Robinson for a 20-yard touchdown, Robinson’s first score of 2026 after he had been quiet in the previous two games.
Florida State kept layering in more early success. Danzy, who had also been largely invisible this season, hauled in a 56-yard catch that set up an Ousmane Kromah touchdown. Suddenly, the Seminoles had some juice.
On the other side, the front seven did its part for stretches. Linebackers Chris Jones and Mikai Gbayor helped keep Alabama from settling in right away, and Jones finished with six tackles and 1.5 sacks. CJ Richard Jr. led the team with 12 tackles.
But the cracks never disappeared, and Alabama kept finding the places FSU could not clean up. The Seminoles still played off the line of scrimmage, leaning on a pass rush to make the defense work.
That approach can survive when the front is winning early and often. It gets dangerous when obvious passing downs start stacking up.
And those moments hurt Florida State.
Alabama scored its first touchdown on a first-half throw to Cederian Morgan, who grabbed his first career catch and turned it into his first career TD. Daniels then threw two interceptions, and one of them helped blow up the momentum Florida State had built with a 21-13 lead. Not long after, Ryan Coleman-Williams ripped off a 46-yard touchdown reception.
Even when FSU limited Alabama on third down - the Crimson Tide were 4 of 11 at one point and 2 of 8 by the third quarter - it still didn’t stop the big plays from landing. The safeties were out of position when Alabama attacked, and the Crimson Tide eventually pushed past 500 total yards.
That’s the part that sticks. Florida State showed enough to spark hope, but not enough to change the bigger story.
There were good stretches. There were encouraging signs.
There was even a first half that looked competitive in a way the Seminoles haven’t consistently been.
But close is close, and Alabama still walked away with the kind of result that left Florida State staring at the same old problems.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell's Future Suddenly Carries A Price FSU Fans Will Hate
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached a place nobody in Tallahassee expected when he signed that massive extension last year. He is in his seventh season with the Seminoles and carries a 39-35 record, while the deal he put pen to paper on runs through 2031 and pays in the neighborhood of $10 million to $11 million annually. The timing of the conversation around his future is made even trickier by the fact that Florida State has already moved on from athletic director Michael Alford, the man who signed off on the extension.
Now the noise around Norvell has only gotten louder, fueled in part by recent on-field frustration and even a viral photo of a moving truck at his home. If Florida State were to pull the plug after the upcoming game against Alabama, the financial hit would be staggering, with a buyout around $48 million, among the largest in college football history. That figure could drop if Norvell lands another job, but for a fan base already uneasy, the size of the bill is exactly the kind of detail that makes this situation feel more complicated by the day. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs Comeback Just Took A Brutal Turn In The Backfield
Florida States offense got a major jolt in its game against Alabama when Samuel Singleton Jr. went down after a 65-yard catch and later was seen leaving the field with crutches. Before the exit, Singleton had been a meaningful part of the Seminoles attack, helping the comeback effort and giving the backfield a needed spark.
Now the focus shifts to how Florida State fills the void if he has to miss time. The Seminoles have not yet issued an official update on Singletons status, and in the meantime the burden will fall on other running backs to pick up the workload in a game that already took a brutal turn. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Showed Enough To Compete But One Problem Never Let Up
Florida State had enough offense to hang around with Alabama for long stretches, but the Seminoles could never fully get out from under the pressure in a 50-36 loss that was delayed twice by lightning. Their quarterback piled up 343 passing yards and accounted for four touchdowns, giving Florida State real stretches of momentum and keeping the game within reach even as Alabama answered repeatedly.
The problem never let up on the other side of the ball, where Alabama's quarterback was sharp and efficient, hitting 23 of 30 throws for 320 yards, three touchdown passes and another score on the ground. Florida State's three interceptions proved costly throughout the night, and even with the offense showing it can move, the Seminoles were left with the same lingering concern that kept every comeback attempt from gaining real traction. [Read more 🡒]