Florida State came out swinging in Tuscaloosa, but No. 10 Alabama had the bigger second half and pulled away for a 50-36 win Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The Seminoles flashed plenty of offense in the loss. Fifth-year quarterback Ashton Daniels was sharp through the air and dangerous on the ground, finishing 17 of 29 for 377 yards with four total touchdowns - two passing and two rushing.
Senior wideout Duce Robinson delivered his best game of the season, catching six passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. His 100-yard night was the sixth of his career, tying him for 14th in program history, and his 135 receiving yards pushed him past 2,000 for his career.
Florida State also got major production from several other targets. Junior wide receiver Micahi Danzy had three catches for 89 yards, sophomore wide receiver Jayvan Boggs made two grabs for a career-high 69 yards, and senior running back Samuel Singleton Jr. added two receptions for a career-high 68 yards. On the ground, sophomore running back Ousmane Kromah led the way with 80 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
The defense opened the night with some bite, forcing Alabama into a three-and-out on the Crimson Tide’s first possession. Florida State then struck immediately, with Daniels finding Robinson on the first offensive snap for 15 yards. After five straight runs pushed the Seminoles into the red zone, Daniels escaped pressure on third-and-nine and hit Robinson in the back of the end zone for a 20-yard score.
That start held up only briefly. Alabama answered with a three-and-out of its own on the next series, but after an FSU interception the Crimson Tide got on the board with a 32-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
Florida State responded in a hurry, needing just 77 seconds and three plays to go 69 yards. Daniels hit Danzy for 56 yards, then Kromah finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-3 after the first quarter.
The Seminoles kept landing punches in the second quarter. Daniels connected with Robinson for another 15-yard gain, then found Boggs for a career-long 35-yard reception to set up first-and-goal. Daniels finished the drive himself with a three-yard touchdown run, giving Florida State a 21-6 lead midway through the period.
Alabama then started chipping away. The Crimson Tide went 12 plays and 75 yards for a touchdown with 2:36 left in the half to trim the margin to 21-13.
After another FSU turnover, Alabama punched in another score but missed the two-point try. Then, following a Florida State punt, Alabama struck again with 22 seconds left before halftime and took a 26-21 lead into the break.
Florida State answered right out of the locker room. The Seminoles drove 75 yards in nine plays on their opening possession of the second half, and Singleton’s career-long 65-yard catch set up the offense at the Alabama two-yard line. On third-and-two, Daniels found junior tight end Landen Thomas for his first touchdown of the season, putting FSU back in front 28-26.
But Alabama seized control from there. The Crimson Tide answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive to move ahead 33-28, then added another score to take a 40-28 lead into the fourth quarter. A 43-yard field goal stretched the margin to 43-28 before Florida State made one more push.
Daniels hit Robinson for 40 yards and then found Danzy for 27 more on the next snap. Facing third-and-goal from the Alabama six, Daniels scored his second rushing touchdown of the night. Florida State converted the two-point attempt on another Daniels run, cutting the deficit to 43-36.
That was as close as the Seminoles would get. Alabama scored the final points to seal the 50-36 victory.
Florida State’s defense had its share of standouts despite the result. Junior defensive back CJ Richard Jr. piled up a career-high 12 tackles, and junior linebacker Chris Jones added six tackles to move past 200 for his career.
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FSUs Comeback Just Took A Brutal Turn In The Backfield
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The immediate concern now is his knee and what it could mean for Florida State moving forward, since the team has not yet offered an official update. If Singleton is forced to miss time, the Seminoles will have to turn to other running backs to absorb the workload and keep the ground game moving. [Read more 🡒]