TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Florida State left Bryant-Denny Stadium with 36 points, a handful of explosive plays and still no road breakthrough.
That was the frustrating part for the Seminoles in Saturday’s 50-36 loss to No. 10 Alabama: the offense did enough to make the night interesting, but the mistakes piled up fast enough to erase the good work. Three interceptions, three sacks and too many stalled stretches kept FSU from cashing in on a game that felt available at different points.
“They battled, played really hard,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “Just unfortunately not enough plays to come out victorious.”
It’s a line Norvell has leaned on before, and the pattern is hard to miss. FSU is now 4-18 against Power Four teams since the start of the 2024 season, and Saturday extended the Seminoles’ road misery to 10 straight losses away from home. Alabama, meanwhile, kept its home streak against unranked opponents rolling to 90 straight.
FSU (1-2) had chances early in a game that was pushed back by severe weather and then interrupted again in the second quarter. The Seminoles came out with energy in a week that also saw athletic director Michael Alford lose his job.
For stretches, they matched Alabama’s punch. They just couldn’t hold it together long enough.
Ashton Daniels was right in the middle of that push-and-pull. The quarterback threw for 377 yards and two touchdowns and added two rushing scores of his own, but the three picks were costly, with Alabama turning them into 10 points.
“Can’t throw three picks. That’s the end of the story,” Daniels said. “That’s a non-negotiable, especially when you play a team that good.”
Daniels started cleanly, working through the scripted portion of the offense with quick decisions and a sharp rhythm. As the game wore on, though, he began holding the ball too long, and the pressure followed. He was also too reluctant to get rid of it, and the result was a night that mixed production with damage.
One of the clearest bright spots was his work with Duce Robinson. Robinson entered the game with just five catches for 75 yards, then broke loose for six receptions on eight targets for 135 yards. He hit big early, including a 40-yard catch and a 20-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
“We have a great relationship, great connection and we’re going to continue to build on that for the rest of the year,” Daniels said.
The ground game showed some fight, too, but not much room. Ousmane Kromah finished with 17 carries for 80 yards, including a 27-yard burst and a 12-yard touchdown run.
Alabama’s front made him earn every inch. Late in the game, Samuel Singleton Jr. was seen on the sideline on crutches after being tackled from behind on a 65-yard catch and run, and Norvell had no update on his status.
The bigger issue for FSU may be what comes next on defense. The Seminoles have been leaning on a lighter front, and the run defense has not held up well enough. Alabama finished with 247 rushing yards after managing just 27 before halftime, a reminder that the issue is not going away on its own.
“The last two teams we played are top offenses,” Norvell said. “But, no, we have got to be able to get off the field.”
That challenge doesn’t get much easier. Virginia, Louisville and Miami are all among the top 40 rushing offenses, and FSU’s defensive line depth will be tested again and again if the rotation doesn’t improve.
Now the Seminoles get a short reset against FCS Central Arkansas (2-2) on Saturday in Tallahassee, the team Norvell played for. That week also opens the door for some personnel evaluation. Norvell can look at younger players in practice and decide whether to expand the rotation, especially up front.
There are questions on offense, too, including whether quarterback Malachi Marshall finally gets a look. He was regarded as the top junior-college passer in 2025, but he has not seen the field. The same goes for the rest of the depth chart: does Norvell use this week to find out which freshmen or second-year players have earned more snaps, or even give Marshall a half against Central Arkansas?
Either way, the next stretch will demand answers. After the breather, FSU heads into three straight ranked ACC games against Virginia, Louisville and Miami.
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 🡒]