Tag: Florida State Seminoles

Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell reacts before the game against the Clemson Tigers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State adds LB Caleb LaVallee, DL Deamontae Diggs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida State landed a pair of defensive players from the transfer portal on Friday, getting commitments from former North Carolina linebacker Caleb LaVallee and former Coastal Carolina and Youngstown State defensive lineman Deamontae Diggs.

Lavalle appeared in 15 games (one start) across his two seasons with the Tar Heels. He had 14 tackles in 2024, including a tackle for loss.

Diggs appeared in all 13 games for Costal Carolina this past season, including seven starts. He had five sacks among his 34 tackles, and he recorded a career-best seven tackles against Marshall.

The Seminoles finished 2-10 this past season and 1-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference to finish alone in last place. They ended the season with a 31-11 loss to Florida while losing five fumbles. It was the program’s first season with double-digit losses since 1974.

–Field Level Media

Jul 22, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State defensive end Patrick Payton speaks to the media during ACC Kickoff at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

LSU lands FSU transfer DE Patrick Payton

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Patrick Payton, the consensus top edge rusher in the transfer portal, committed to LSU on Saturday, according to multiple media reports.

Payton is leaving Florida State with a year of eligibility remaining.

He adds to a strong transfer haul joining the Tigers, a group that includes former Virginia Tech cornerback Mansoor Delane plus two wide receivers, Barion Brown (formerly of Kentucky) and Nic Anderson (formerly of Oklahoma).

LSU also added two more edge rushers, Jack Pyburn (formerly of Florida) and Jimari Butler (formerly of Nebraska).

Payton, a Miami native, recorded 35 tackles (11 for loss) and four sacks this season.

In 2022, Payton was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after he had 31 tackles and five sacks. Across the past three seasons with the Seminoles, he produced 110 tackles, 31.5 for loss, 16 sacks and 13 passes defensed.

LSU (8-4) is set to face Baylor in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31. The Tigers had a late-season, three-game losing streak before rebounding to close the regular season with wins over Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (14) fumbles as Florida Gators edge Jack Pyburn (44) strips the ball during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida runs wild in lopsided win over rival Florida State

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Montrell Johnson Jr. ran for 99 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries to help the Florida Gators secure a 31-11 victory over the host Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Gators (7-5) ran for 235 yards overall and won their third game in a row. Florida also beat the Seminoles (2-10) for the first time since 2021 as Florida State finished with its worst record since finishing 1-10 in 1974.

The Gators now wait to see where they will play their bowl game.

The Seminoles’ defense kept the score close for most of the first half and did a solid job on Gators starting quarterback DJ Lagway, who has been an integral part of Florida’s resurgence in recent weeks.

Florida State sacked Lagway three times and held him to 133 yards passing on 14-of-22 attempts. But Lagway finished with two touchdowns and one interception.

Lagway helped the Gators begin to separate just before halftime when he found Marcus Burke in the corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

Leading 17-3, the Gators sealed the win with 12:38 left in the fourth quarter when Johnson broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run.

Florida’s defense consistently put pressure on Florida State quarterback Luke Kromenhoek, sacking him eight times. Cam Jackson and Jaden Robinson each had two sacks to lead the effort.

Florida’s Jack Pyburn had a key strip sack, which led to D’Antre Robinson’s fumble recovery with 2:54 left in the first quarter. The turnover led to Florida’s first score — Ja’Kobi Jackson’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Jackson totaled 51 yards on 10 carries while Jadan Baugh had 81 yards on 11 carries.
Florida’s defense finished with 14 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Florida State scored its lone touchdown with 3:18 left in the game on a 2-yard run by Lawrance Toafili.

The teams got into a scuffle at midfield after the game’s final play and coaches and officials separated the players after a couple of minutes.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) scores a touchdown against Florida State Seminoles linebacker Omar Graham Jr. (9) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Riley Leonard, No. 10 Notre Dame pound Florida State 52-3

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Riley Leonard passed for one touchdown and rushed for two more as No. 10 Notre Dame cruised over visiting Florida State 52-3 on Saturday night in South Bend, Ind.

Jadarian Price added 95 rushing yards and a touchdown for Notre Dame (8-1), which won its seventh in a row. Leonard completed 14 of 27 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown and carried the ball 11 times for 70 yards and two scores.

Lawrance Toafili had 15 carries for 74 yards to lead the Seminoles (1-9), whose nightmare season continued with their sixth consecutive loss. Brock Glenn completed 5 of 18 passes for 52 yards and two interceptions and Luke Kromenhoek completed 5 of 8 passes for 37 yards.

Notre Dame outgained Florida State 453-208.

Notre Dame built a 21-3 lead at halftime thanks to a pair of long rushing touchdowns and a shorter passing strike.

Leonard started the scoring with a 34-yard scramble to the end zone on the opening drive. He made a pair of defenders miss and sprinted down the left sideline before leaping past another defender on his way across the goal line.

After a Florida State field goal, Notre Dame struck again with a 65-yard rushing touchdown by Price. He found a hole and won a footrace down the left sideline.

Leonard added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Evans with 17 seconds left in the half.

By the end of the third quarter, Notre Dame increased its lead to 31-3.

Leonard scored from 6 yards out for his second rushing touchdown of the game and 13th of the season. The Fighting Irish added a field goal late in the third quarter.

Three more Notre Dame touchdowns in the fourth quarter added to Florida State’s misery.

Jeremiyah Love scored on a 1-yard run with 10:53 remaining to cap a seven-play, 65-yard drive.

Backup quarterback Steve Angeli got in on the action with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Deion Colzie with 4:06 to go.

The final touchdown belonged to the Notre Dame defense. Luke Talich intercepted a pass by Glenn and returned it 79 yards to the house with 1:23 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown walks off the field after the Tar Heels' game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

North Carolina bids to build steam in clash vs. Florida State

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North Carolina might have discovered a path back to getting some traction for the final month of the regular season.

Florida State’s search for success of any kind remains ongoing.

Those goals will be atop the to-do list when the Tar Heels face the Seminoles on Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic Coast Conference game in Tallahassee, Fla.

“They’re very talented,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown said of Florida State. “They’re going to play well against us. We know that, so it’s on us to come out and play well.”

The Tar Heels (4-4, 1-3) snapped a four-game skid with a 41-14 victory at Virginia last Saturday.

The Seminoles (1-7, 1-6) have lost four consecutive games and no longer even have the quest for bowl qualification as an incentive.

“I challenged players, coaches, everybody involved, our focus this week is to go get it done with the opportunity that is in front of us,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said.

North Carolina’s romp vs. Virginia came with signs that Brown said point toward a strong finishing stretch for his team.

“Played loose, played free, had fun,” Brown said. “Winning is amazing. It solves a whole lot of issues.”

Brown said he sees the Seminoles in a similar light as his Tar Heels. He said both teams haven’t played as well as their skill levels would suggest. He said he fears Florida State will rise much like North Carolina did in the Virginia game.

Norvell said there are signs of improvement in rushing the ball, something that could be a boost to inconsistent quarterback play.

Florida State used quarterbacks Luke Kromenhoek and Brock Glenn in last week’s 36-14 loss at then-No. 6 Miami. Neither player completed more than half of his passes.

There are bound to be chances for a variety of players on the roster.

“Some young guys getting new opportunities,” Norvell said. “Guys that are fighting for more opportunities.”

With Florida State’s quarterback situation possibly in flux, the Tar Heels will be geared up again. They recorded 10 sacks at Virginia.

Brown said Tar Heels quarterback Jacolby Criswell has started to develop a better connection with offensive coaches. His 293 passing yards last week marked his second-highest total of the season.

“If Jacolby keeps doing what he’s doing, we have a chance to do at the end (of the season) what we thought we would,” Brown said.

These teams held national rankings a season ago, but they’re in danger of landing in the ACC basement. There’s plenty in common, including close defeats to Georgia Tech and Duke.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Damien Martinez (6) runs the ball against Louisville Cardinals defensive back Benjamin Perry (10) during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Miami defeated Louisville 52-45. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

No. 6 Miami keeps guard up ahead of clash vs. Florida State

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One of the more celebrated rivalries in college football doesn’t have that feel this year.

Sixth-ranked Miami (7-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) is a 21-point favorite against visiting Florida State (1-6, 1-5) on Saturday night.

However, Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said he doesn’t focus on the Seminoles’ record this year.

“It’s an insanely awesome rivalry,” he said. “I don’t think the juice behind it will ever change.”

Even so, the numbers show a huge disparity between the squads.

Miami ranks second in the nation in scoring (48.3 points per game) and leads the country in third-down conversions on offense (60.2 percent). Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward leads the nation in passing yards per game (363) and in touchdown throws (24).

The Hurricanes, who are off to their best start since opening 10-0 in 2017, also feature wide receiver Xavier Restrepo. He is averaging a robust 98.0 receiving yards per game.

Miami’s issue the past three games is points allowed: 34 to Virginia Tech, 38 to Cal, and 45 to Louisville.

Not all those points are on Miami’s defense, however. Ward threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown against the Bears, and the Cardinals scored on a 100-yard kickoff return.

Still, Miami’s defense is a concern, especially the secondary, which is missing starting cornerback Damari Brown due to injury.

But Malik Bryant, who is part of Miami’s rotation at defensive end, will be back this week after missing the Louisville game due to illness.

“I feel a sense of urgency,” Cristobal said when asked about his defense. “You don’t see a lack of effort. But there’s been miscommunication. There have been missed tackles.”

Florida State has won the three most recent matchups between the schools, but it isn’t close to the same program that went 13-1 last year. The Seminoles returned only 10 of 24 starters.

Florida State is last in the 17-team ACC in scoring, averaging 15 points a game. The Seminoles are 12th in the league in points allowed (25.0).

The Seminoles are coming off a 23-16 loss at Duke last week. It was Duke’s first-ever win against Florida State following 22 consecutive losses.

Seminoles freshman quarterback Brock Glenn turned the ball over on three consecutive plays against Duke, with two interceptions and one fumble.

After Glenn was benched, backup Luke Kromenhoek, also a freshman, completed 3 of 7 passes for just 19 yards.

“It’s unfortunate … some of the mistakes we made,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “I truly believe we were ready to play at a high level.”

The Seminoles, who have lost three straight games, have to win their remaining five contests to become bowl eligible. Two of those opponents are ranked in the top 12 in the nation (Miami and Notre Dame), and North Carolina and Florida also are on the schedule.

A bright spot for Florida State last week was Samuel Singleton Jr.’s 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. That’s especially interesting given Miami’s kickoff-return lapse against Louisville.

Special teams also is a strength for the Seminoles, as Shyheim Brown has blocked two field goals this season.

On defense, FSU is led by ends Patrick Payton (four sacks) and Marvin Jones Jr. (three). Payton was the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year last season. Jones, a Miami native, transferred from Georgia.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Antonio Williams (0) scores a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

15 Clemson handles Florida State again

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Cade Klubnik threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns and Phil Mafah ran for 154 yards on 25 carries to lead Clemson to a 29-13 victory over host Florida State on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

The No. 15-ranked Tigers (4-1, 3-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference) defeated the Seminoles (1-5, 1-4 ACC) for the eighth time in the past nine meetings and fourth consecutive time at Florida State.

The score did not match how lopsided the game was in terms of yardage as Clemson doubled the Seminoles’ output of total yardage 500-250.

Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn made his first start of the season in relief of injured starter DJ Uiagalelei. Glenn completed 23 of 41 passes for 228 yards and threw two touchdown passes and an interception.

But Glenn didn’t sustain much offensive rhythm and the Seminoles’ offense failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities with multiple dropped passes.

Clemson jumped all over Florida State in the first quarter, scoring the game’s first 17 points thanks to big plays from Klubnik, who replaced Uiagalelei as the Tigers’ starter when the latter was still enrolled at Clemson.

One of those big chunk plays for Clemson came when Klubnik found Antonio Williams for a 57-yard touchdown with 3:20 left in the first. He later Klubnik with T.J. Moore for a 23-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Tigers also made sure to keep Florida State’s offense one-dimensional as it completely contained the Seminoles’ running game and held them to only 22 yards on the ground.

It was the complete opposite story for Clemson as Mafah led a rushing attack that amassed 265 yards on the ground.

Klubnik completed 19 of 33 passes and also ran for 62 yards on 11 carries.

Glenn cut the Seminoles’ deficit to 23-13 with 9:36 left in the fourth with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas. But on the ensuing drive, Mafah broke loose for a 59-yard run, which set up a Nolan Hauser 31-yard field goal. Hauser made five field goals but had two others blocked.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) runs for a touchdown against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

QB matchup key as No. 15 Clemson faces Florida State

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When No. 15 Clemson heads to Tallahassee, Fla., on Saturday night to take on Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game, the quarterback storyline many expected reportedly won’t come to fruition.

It was supposed to be a matchup between ex-Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, now the starter at Florida State, and Cade Klubnik, the quarterback who replaced him in the 2022 ACC Championship Game.

But Florida State (1-4, 1-3) expects to have sophomore Brock Glenn make his first start of the season, against Clemson (3-1, 2-0), with Uiagalelei having suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand, according to ESPN. Uiagalelei is expected to miss multiple games, per the report.

Uiagalelei has struggled, throwing four touchdown passes and six interceptions and has completed only 53.8 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 34.4.

“DJ did make a lot of good throws throughout the course of the game and some good decisions,” Seminoles coach Mike Norvell said of last week’s 42-16 loss at SMU. “He made some poor decisions and a couple bad throws, but you’ve got to help the quarterback. I don’t think we’ve done a good job of that consistently. At the end of the day, we all have to have ownership in that.”

Glenn entered in relief against the Mustangs and did not complete any of his four pass attempts. Last season, Glenn started for the Seminoles as a true freshman in the ACC title game against Louisville after injuries sidelined Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker.

Glenn went 8 for 21 for 55 yards in the Seminoles’ 16-6 victory and was sacked four times. He also started FSU’s 63-3 loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, going 9-for-26 for 139 yards with two interceptions.

“I don’t care who’s playing quarterback,” Norvell said. “Some of the things that showed up tonight. Playing quarterback, you can have a freshman, you can have whatever talent in the world, we’ve got to help the quarterback out, too.”

Klubnik has fared far better than Uiagalelei this season.

In addition to one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios in the country with 12 touchdown passes and two interceptions, Klubnik enters Saturday’s game ranked second in the ACC in QB rating (89.1) and is tied for the third-most touchdown passes.

“It’s a part of it, but the majority of the credit belongs to him and his growth from last year. He’s a really talented football player,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Sometimes you have to be patient with some guys. Not every guy will show up and no assembly required. He put a ton of work in during the offseason and in every area.”

Clemson, which is coming off a 40-14 victory over Stanford last week, also has one of the top running games in the conference. The Tigers are led by one of the ACC’s most efficient running backs in Phil Mafah, who is averaging 8 yards per carry, among the best in the conference.

The biggest question for the Tigers has been their defense, which has yielded an average of 401.8 yards per game, including 183.3 rushing. Clemson ranks second-to-last in the ACC in both categories.

Swinney said Tuesday he hopes the Tigers will have offensive lineman Collin Sadler (calf) and defensive lineman Peter Woods (leg) back in the lineup after each player missed the past two games because of injuries.

“(Woods) was close. I think he’s right there,” Swinney said. “So we’re hopeful.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (4) warms up before a game against the California Golden Bears at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida St. looking to take down another ACC newbie at SMU

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Fresh off beating one conference newcomer, Florida State will now be the opponent for another Atlantic Coast Conference newbie’s debut when it travels to Dallas to take on SMU on Saturday night.

The Mustangs (3-1, 0-0 ACC) will face the Seminoles (1-3, 1-2) for the first time. SMU enters the game with one of the most potent offenses in the country under coach Rhett Lashlee and coming off a 66-42 shootout win over rival TCU.

SMU is 16th in the nation in scoring offense, led by Miami transfer Brashard Smith with 380 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Both teams have dealt with struggling quarterbacks differently in recent weeks.

SMU entered the season with Preston Stone as the starter. Stone was benched after the Mustangs’ 18-15 loss to BYU on Sept. 6 and replaced by Kevin Jennings, who shined in the win over TCU. Jennings completed 14 of 19 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 41 yards on 10 carries.

Jennings complemented Smith effectively as the latter finished with 127 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

“We felt like to win, from the first play to the last play we needed to just leave no doubt that we’re the most physical team on the field,” Lashlee said.

Meanwhile, Florida State has stuck with starter DJ Uiagalelei despite his subpar play most of the season. Uiagalelei has completed 72 of 126 passes for 843 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Last week, he passed for 177 yards and an interception against Cal but also had the game-winning, 36-yard TD pass to Ja’Khi Douglas.

“Obviously, we all get to have the opportunity to go out and get better, and that’s going to be the push throughout the course of this week,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said. “There were some good things that DJ did in some very critical moments, and there are things where he has to be better.”

Norvell said the Seminoles will be without running back Roydell Williams for an extended period of time due to an undisclosed injury.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the San Diego State Aztecs during the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Winless Florida State hosts unbeaten Cal in ACC action

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Some could have predicted that when California faced Florida State at this point in the season, one team would be undefeated and one would still be winless.

But most probably thought the roles would be reversed.

The reality is the Bears are the ones who arrive for their first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla., with an unblemished record. Meanwhile, the Seminoles (0-3) are off to one of the most disappointing starts in program history.

Cal coach Justin Wilcox has guided the Bears to their first 3-0 start since 2019, which includes a road win at Auburn. But Wilcox said his squad still has some growing up to do heading into what is always a tough road venue.

“We all got to learn how to win,” Wilcox said following last weekend’s 31-10 defeat of San Diego State. “The team has to learn how to win, the program’s got to learn how to win.”

The Bears finished with a season-best 473 yards of offense in that win over the Aztecs. Fernando Mendoza played well, completing 21 of 29 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Nyziah Hunter has four touchdown receptions in three games.

For the Seminoles, the offense has continued to struggle for a team that opened the season ranked in the top 10 and coming off a 13-0 regular season in 2023.

Transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is 56-of-99 passing for 666 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and is averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. FSU’s lack of a running game has not helped. The Seminoles rank 133rd of 134 FBS teams, averaging 52 yards rushing per game.

“Looking at DJ, obviously, it’s been a challenging start for everybody. It takes 11,” coach Mike Norvell said this week, coming off a 20-12 loss to Memphis, the team he coached for four years before taking the FSU job.

Uiagalelei threw for 201 yards and an interception against Memphis.

“We all have a job, we all have a responsibility. I think when you look at the game, there were some things that DJ did really well in putting guys in a position and trying to give opportunities,” Norvell said. “But there were also a few times that we had some missed opportunities on his part, in our overall execution.”

–Field Level Media