Tag: Florida State Seminoles

Florida can play spoiler as Florida State seeks bowl eligibility

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Florida State coaching staff received a boost Sunday when the school decided to retain coach Mike Norvell for another season, but the Seminoles will be looking for a monetary bump this Saturday.

A bowl berth.

Needing one more victory to become eligible, the Seminoles (5-6) will try to earn that when they visit the rival Florida Gators (3-8) on Saturday in Gainesville.

A Seminoles win would leave Florida with its fewest wins in a season since the 1979 team went 0-10-1.

But the Atlantic Coast Conference school’s first item of business after losing 21-11 at North Carolina State last week was keeping Norvell, who is 38-33 since his tenure began in 2020.

The sixth-year coach vows to get the ship righted.

“I’m not going to let them down,” Norvell said on Monday. “I know what it’s got to be, and we’re going to get it done.”

The Seminoles have dropped six of eight, with the season beginning its unraveling on Sept. 26 in a 46-38 double-overtime loss at Virginia.

“Obviously, this week is a huge week,” Norvell said. “I’ve got an elite level of confidence in where we’re going and what we’re going to be able to accomplish.

“I believe we’re close, (but) you lose six games, and it sucks.”

The Seminoles’ Tommy Castellanos has passed for 2,520 yards and rushed for 480 — both team highs. Receiver Duce Robinson tops the ACC with 1,021 yards on 19.3 yards per reception.

Florida won last year’s game 31-11 in Tallahassee.

Running back Jadan Baugh has been the brightest spot for the Gators this season, totaling 904 rushing yards and leading the team with eight scores (six rushing, two receiving).

“It’s been difficult the whole season,” Baugh said. “But we continue to just keep coming in the facility and giving our best. … Florida State, it’s another day in the office, going in there, keeping our head on straight and preparing the right way.”

Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales has been eyeing Baugh’s attempt to become the Gators’; first 1,000-yard rusher since Kelvin Taylor ran for 1,035 yards in 2015.

“I think that’s big,” Gonzales said. “I think individual accolades are always nice to attain, but I think if you asked the team right now if we’d rather have a win or a 1,000-yard rusher, they’d probably say both. But I’d definitely lean more on a W.”

–Field Level Media

Longtime ACC powers Clemson, Florida State aim to get right

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Clemson and Florida State largely have run the Atlantic Coast Conference of late, winning 13 of the last 14 conference championships between them.

When they meet Saturday in South Carolina, they’ll be fighting for something far less significant: bowl eligibility.

The Tigers (3-5, 2-4 ACC) and visiting Seminoles (4-4, 1-4) have struggled to find consistency this season, although Clemson’s struggles are far more surprising.

The Tigers began the season fourth in the AP Top 25 poll.

After last week’s 46-45 home loss to Duke, the Tigers’ streak of 20 straight bowl appearances is in serious jeopardy.

“Hard to put into words the disappointment,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Very frustrating.”

The biggest disappointment is the defense under new coordinator Tom Allen. After the Tigers finished each of the previous nine seasons in the top four of the ACC in scoring defense, this year’s Clemson defense ranks 10th, allowing 24.0 points per game.

Clemson outgained Duke by 121 yards but allowed the Blue Devils to amass 158 yards and 11 points in the fourth quarter.

“Defensively, just not much good,” Swinney said. “… I feel like it’s back-to-back games we’ve lost to Clemson with a bunch of big-play busts and poor awareness.”

Florida State enters this week in a better head space after snapping its four-game losing streak with a 42-7 beatdown of Wake Forest.

Despite the problems that have arisen, Florida State’s 18 plays of 40-plus yards are the most of any Power Four team.

Receiver Duce Robinson is a big part of that success. He had 148 receiving yards and a touchdown last week, his third game of the season with 140-plus yards. His 689 yards rank third in the ACC, and he’s second in the league in yards per catch (20.3).

This week starts a stretch of three of Florida State’s final four games being on the road. The Seminoles have played just two road games to date, losing at Virginia and Stanford.

“To be able to go and get our first road win, that’s something important for us, something that we’ve got to go out there and get done,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Samuel Singleton Jr. (8) runs the ball during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Florida State rolls Wake Forest to end ACC winless drought

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Florida State racked up five rushing touchdowns while snapping its four-game losing streak in blowout fashion with a 42-7 win over Wake Forest on Saturday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

Four different players ran for touchdowns for the Seminoles (4-4, 1-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), who also snapped a nine-game losing streak in ACC games.

Tommy Castellanos completed 12 of 16 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown. Duce Robinson caught five of those passes for 148 yards and a score.

The Demon Deacons (5-3, 2-3) failed to build off the momentum of last week’s win over SMU, managing just 247 yards of total offense while committing 93 yards of penalties.

Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie were a combined 18-of-31 passing for 162 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Ashford was also Wake Forest’s leading rusher with 59 yards on 12 carries.

In a span of just over eight minutes in the second half, Florida State scored 28 points to turn the game into a blowout.

With the Seminoles leading 14-0 coming out of the half, it appeared Wake Forest was about to make a game of it when it got a fourth-down stop then moved the ball into the red zone for the first time in the game.

But a snap that bounced off Ashford’s hands was recovered by Florida State’s Ja’Bril Rawls. Seven plays later, Gavin Sawchuk punched in a 1-yard run to make it 21-0 Seminoles with 4:59 left in the third.

The Seminoles followed that up with a fourth-down stop and scored two plays later on another 1-yard Sawchuk run.

Earl Little Jr. came away with an interception on the Demon Deacons‘ ensuing possession, and Randy Pittman Jr. turned that into points on a 7-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Robinson’s 11-yard touchdown with 11:51 left closed out FSU’s ambush and put the game away.

Wake Forest got on the scoreboard with 6:49 left on a 6-yard pass from Purdie to Micah Mays Jr., denying Florida State its first shutout since 2015.

Florida State took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 6-yard Castellanos scramble. It was set up by a 65-yard pass from Castellanos to Robinson on the first play of the quarter.

The Seminoles added to the lead on a 10-yard scoring run from Samuel Singleton Jr. with 57 seconds left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Desmond Reid (0) runs the ball past Florida State Seminoles defensive back Jerry Wilson (19) during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Pitt storms back, piles on FSU’s conference disarray

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Desmond Reid racked up 200 yards from scrimmage, Ja’Kyrian Turner scored two rushing touchdowns and Pitt rallied for a 34-31 upset of a depleted, 25th-ranked Florida State team in Atlantic Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla.

Reid, who missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, returned in epic fashion against the Seminoles. He finished with 155 yards on eight catches, 45 rushing yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.

After Florida State took a 24-21 lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter, the Panthers (4-2, 2-1 in ACC) scored the next 13 points. Turner made it a 10-point game on a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:28 left.

The Seminoles (3-3, 0-3) got a touchdown back on a 58-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Castellanos to Micahi Danzy with 1:45 left, but were unable to recover the onside and ran out of time.

The loss is Florida State’s third in a row after its 3-0 start which included a top-10 upset of Alabama. It’s also its eighth consecutive ACC loss dating back to September of 2024.

True freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel, making his first career road start, completed 21 of 29 passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Panthers.

Down two starting receivers and a starting tight end entering the game and then losing leading receiver Duce Robinson in the second quarter, Castellanos threw for 245 yards and three scores. Danzy had two of those touchdowns on a career-high 133 receiving yards.

The Panthers got off to a quick start, scoring touchdowns on their opening two drives. Pitt capped off an eight-minute opening drive that saw three fourth-down conversions with a 10-yard Turner touchdown run.

After Florida State tied it up with a Caziah Holmes 1-yard touchdown, the Panthers reclaimed the lead on a 24-yard catch by Reid with 14:21 left in the half.

The Seminoles tied the score once more on a 33-yard pass from Castellanos to Danzy.

Heintschel, after a hot start, threw interceptions on each of Pitt’s consecutive possessions late in the first half.

The second of those by Edwin Joseph with 1:26 left set up a 7-play, 88-yard scoring drive that ended with a 25-yard pass from Castellanos to Landen Thomas with six seconds left to give FSU a 21-14 halftime lead..

Pitt got a stop out of halftime and then tied the game at 21 on another Reid touchdown catch, this one from 16 yards.

The teams traded field goals before Jake Butkowski put Pitt ahead for good with a 34-yard field goal with 7:15 left.

–Field Level Media

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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