College football is back, and Florida State gets the new season started Saturday night against New Mexico State in Tallahassee.
Both programs come into Week Zero carrying the same ugly number: 7-17 over the last two seasons. That’s the backdrop for a matchup that gives Florida State a chance to start cleaning up its own recent mess while New Mexico State tries to climb out of the same hole.
The Aggies do arrive with one notable piece of history attached to their program. Their most recent brush with real relevance came from quarterback Diego Pavia, who helped New Mexico State go 10-5 in 2023 before transferring to Vanderbilt and leading the Commodores to a 10-3 season last year. Pavia also became a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Florida State’s only previous meeting with New Mexico State came in 1964, when the Seminoles rolled to a 36-0 win. In that game, Fred Biletnikoff caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. Biletnikoff is a member of both the NFL and College Football Halls of Fame.
The Seminoles have been strong in openers overall, owning a 56-23 (.709) record in season openers and a 60-19 record (.759) in home openers.
Saturday’s game is set for 7:00 PM ET at Doak Campbell Stadium and will air on The CW.
For New Mexico State, the offense will be built around a new quarterback. The Aggies are turning to Trey Hedden, an FCS transfer from Furman who threw for 2,967 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. Hedden had two 300-yard passing games and six outings with multiple touchdown passes.
He’ll also have help from a productive ground game. James Jones is back after averaging 9.8 yards per carry while rushing for 958 yards and nine touchdowns. In the passing game, Ty King returns after catching 41 passes for 588 yards and three scores.
Defensively, the Aggies’ best piece is at linebacker. Tony Gethers finished second on the team with 89 tackles and added 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.
Florida State, meanwhile, heads into the opener looking like a much different group than the one that has dropped 17 games over the past two seasons. The Seminoles are expected to start their third transfer quarterback in three years, Ashton Daniels, who had stops at Stanford and Auburn before landing in Tallahassee.
Daniels won’t be short on support. Ousmane Kromah is in the backfield, and the receiving corps includes 6-foot-6 Duce Robinson, a preseason All-American and All-ACC selection. Michai Danzy brings elite track speed and gives Florida State another vertical threat.
On defense, the Seminoles bring back the Desir twins and Daniel Lyons up front, along with Jabril Rawls in the secondary. Chris Jones is another name to keep an eye on at linebacker, and both Rawls and Jones were named preseason All-ACC selections by Phil Steele.
The source on this game makes the expectation clear: Florida State should cover and win comfortably, with a chance to use New Mexico State as an example. Aug. 29 is framed as a statement night for the Seminoles, a chance to show they’re ready to reclaim relevance with a different edge and a more aggressive style.
In Other News...
Florida State Fans Now Face A Troubling Devin Carter Injury Question
Devin Carter has become the latest Florida State injury storyline to watch, and this one carries more uncertainty than the usual day-to-day practice update. A public Instagram post from his father, Dexter Carter, said the wide receiver has been dealing with fractures to four lumbar transverse processes, and it painted a picture of a player pushing through significant pain while still trying to stay involved. For a Seminoles offense that values depth and continuity, any extended absence at receiver is worth monitoring closely.
Mike Norvell confirmed Carter is currently unavailable because of injury, but stopped short of adding much detail beyond that. The public account has left fans with more questions than answers, especially after the post said the injury worsened when Carter was hit while wearing a no-contact jersey. For now, Florida State is left waiting on the next update, and Carters timeline remains one of the more unsettling unknowns around the program. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Fans Heading To Doak Face A Game Day Traffic Squeeze
Florida States 2026 football opener at Doak Campbell Stadium will arrive with more than the usual first-game buzz, as fans heading to the final Saturday in August will also have to navigate a tightened traffic plan around campus. The Tallahassee Police Department and Florida State University have already laid out parking guidance, recommended routes and adjusted traffic flow for the day, with the SeminoleSafe App set up as a real-time resource for updates before and after kickoff.
The added wrinkle is the calendar, with Florida A&M also scheduled to play at home on the same day, a setup that could stack traffic across the city and make the approach to Doak more crowded than usual. For Seminole fans, that means leaving extra time, paying close attention to the universitys guidance and expecting a busier-than-normal game day even before the seasons first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Ashton Daniels Rumor Puts Florida State's Week 0 Commitment In Focus
As Florida State turns the page toward its season opener, the quarterback picture has settled in a way that leaves little room for interpretation. Ashton Daniels was named the starter in the spring and held that spot through fall camp, and the Seminoles official depth chart made it clear he is still in line to open the year under center.
Still, the chatter around Daniels surfaced enough for David Pollack to ask about it publicly, which says something about how closely people are watching the Seminoles first real decision point of the season. For Florida State, the important part is that the rumor never turned into a camp battle, and the Week 0 commitment appears to be exactly what the staff said it was all along. [Read more 🡒]