Florida State left Tuscaloosa with a fight, a pile of points and the same frustrating result: another road loss.
No. 10 Alabama beat the Seminoles 50-36 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a game stretched by two lightning delays and one long afternoon that ended with FSU dropping its 10th straight road game. The Seminoles are now 1-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play, while the Crimson Tide improved to 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC.
FSU came out swinging and actually set the tone early. After Alabama opened with a three-and-out, the Seminoles answered with a 72-yard march that ended on Ashton Daniels’ 20-yard touchdown pass to Duce Robinson.
Alabama went three-and-out again on its next possession, and FSU quickly turned that into more points when Daniels found Micahi Danzy for 56 yards and Ousmane Kromah finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. Late in the first quarter, Daniels kept it himself and scored from three yards out to push the Seminoles ahead 21-9.
Daniels was sharp early, and by that point he had already piled up 156 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception, while also adding a rushing score.
Alabama answered, though, and the game started to tilt once the Crimson Tide began stringing together longer possessions. Keelon Russell threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cederian Morgan, and Alabama then seized control in the final minutes before halftime.
Daniels was picked off a second time, Alabama turned that into points quickly, and the Tide struck again just 12 seconds after FSU punted with 42 seconds left in the half. Russell connected with Lotzeir Brooks for 40 yards and then hit Kaleb Edwards for a 16-yard touchdown to send Alabama into the break up 26-21 after FSU’s failed Hail Mary.
The second half opened with another FSU burst. Daniels led a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to Landen Thomas, and the biggest play of the march came on a 65-yard catch by Samuel Singleton Jr. FSU was back in front, 28-26.
That lead didn’t last long. Alabama responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive finished by EJ Crowell from four yards out, then widened the gap when Russell broke free for a 57-yard touchdown run. The Tide kept pulling away after FSU turned it over on downs on fourth-and-2, and Alabama added a 45-yard field goal to make it 40-28.
Florida State still had one more push. Daniels scored on a six-yard run and then ran in the two-point conversion, trimming the margin to 43-36 with 7:27 left.
But Alabama answered with the drive that ended it, covering 90 yards in nine plays and finishing with a 20-yard touchdown run by Trae'shawn Brown. Daniels was then intercepted for the third time on FSU’s next drive, and Alabama bled out the clock from there.
Daniels finished 17 of 29 for 377 yards, two passing touchdowns and three interceptions. He also carried 13 times for seven yards and scored twice on the ground.
Kromah led the Seminoles with 80 rushing yards on 17 carries. Singleton Jr. had four carries for seven yards before leaving in the third quarter, and he also caught two passes for 68 yards.
Robinson led FSU’s receivers with six catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Alabama finished with a 567-471 edge in total offense. Russell went 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three passing touchdowns while adding 56 rushing yards and another score on three carries.
Brooks had eight receptions for 101 yards. The Crimson Tide ran for 247 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns.
FSU returns home to Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, to face Central Arkansas at 3 p.m.
In Other News...
Mike Norvell's Future Suddenly Carries A Price FSU Fans Will Hate
Mike Norvells tenure at Florida State has reached a stage where every result feels heavier, and the financial reality around his job only makes it more complicated. He is in his seventh season in Tallahassee with a 39-35 record, and after signing an eight-year extension in 2024 that runs through 2031 and pays roughly $10 million to $11 million annually, the Seminoles are now dealing with the fallout of a much different kind of pressure than the one that came with that deal.
Florida State also recently fired athletic director Michael Alford, the administrator who signed Norvells extension, which has only added to the uncertainty around the programs direction. Add in the buzz generated by a viral photo of a moving truck at Norvells home, and the speculation has only grown louder, especially with the upcoming game against Alabama looming and a potential buyout of about $48 million hanging over any sudden change. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's Mike Norvell Near-Miss Looks Even Bigger Now
When Nick Saban retired in January 2024, Mike Norvell quickly emerged as one of Alabamas top targets, and the fit seemed real enough that talks reportedly got into advanced territory with the Crimson Tides athletic director. Instead, Norvell stayed at Florida State after landing a contract extension, a decision that looked like a major hold-the-fort moment for the Seminoles at the time. It was the kind of coaching crossroads that can shape a program for years, especially when a rival national power comes calling.
Since then, though, Florida States on-field slide has made that near-miss feel a lot larger in hindsight. The firing of the athletic director has only added another layer of uncertainty around the program, and it has inevitably renewed questions about Norvells long-term future in Tallahassee. What once looked like a big escape from a possible change now feels more like the start of a stretch Florida State still has not fully figured out. [Read more 🡒]
FSUs Comeback Just Took A Brutal Turn In The Backfield
Florida States comeback effort against Alabama took a worrying turn in the backfield when Samuel Singleton Jr. went down after a 65-yard catch and was later seen leaving the field on crutches. Before the injury, Singleton had already been an important part of the Seminoles offense, helping provide some much-needed explosiveness as the game wore on.
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 🡒]