Florida State was hoping for a bounce-back year in 2025 — now, after a stunning win over Alabama, expectations have shifted in a major way.
Just what should fans be expecting moving forward? What impact did it have on the recruiting trail? How did FSU pull off that game?
The Tomahawk Nation staff tackled those questions, posed by readers, in our first edition of this season’s recurring mailbag.
What in your opinion was the play of the game? Or the moment that stands out the most?
OrgaNole
Tim Alumbaugh:
There are several that come to mind. The 40-yard pass to Squirrel White on the first drive, followed up by the touchdown run from Tommy Castellanos are back-to-back plays and execution that stand out. But in the end, as mentioned by several posters, the fourth down conversion in the fourth quarter is the play of the game in my opinion.
There were so many factors working against the Seminoles on this drive. The momentum had shifted to the Tide. Alabama had just made this a one score game, Florida State had punted on their last two drives and the Seminoles looked to stall out again without a first down conversion. Gutsy call by Norvell on your own 34 yard line, but it paid off as Roydell Williams, against his former team, powered ahead for the first down. The rest is history as the Seminoles marched down to take the 31-17 clinching lead.
Do you think FSU has a path to the playoffs? I’m thinking best case they beat Miami, lose to Clemson, and head into Florida 10-1. If they lose that game and in the ACC Championship I’m assuming they’re out, but do you think they get in if they’re 11-2 with two losses to Clemson? And is any of this realistic at all, or is it just dreaming after beating a Bama team that is way more average than we expected?
Kyle_Watford
Matthew Minnick: Some years in basketball, the bubble is strong. Other years, it’s weak. Maybe 10-2 gets you in, or maybe 8-4 does.
Overall, it’s too early to say. Who knows how good Clemson or Miami are after one week? Win the games you’re supposed to (which does likely require a win over one of the two aforementioned teams), find your way into the championship game and win it. That’s the path, and Florida State, with a schedule that shapes up nicely, does have a realistic shot at making it happen.
What did we just witness? Or, how the hell did that happen? Maybe where was this fire and commitment and desire last season?
DenverNoleFan
Perry Kostidakis: We witnessed a team change the perception of the program in a singular game, to a degree that I cannot for the life of me come up with a comparable situation. Many have tried to put into words just what the win meant, but it all loops back to trying to capture the euphoric roller coaster ridden last Saturday by a fanbase that hadn’t felt a singular moment of joy since December (arguably, November) 2023 and had more or less given up on the Norvell era.
How did it happen? A complete, immediate fix, just like Norvell promised after last season’s season-ending failure of a showing vs. Florida. A rehaul of the roster brought in players who were all-in on what the staff was selling, the rebuilding of the staff allowed Norvell to do what he does best while Gus Malzahn recaptured his mad scientist magic and Tony White schemed the hell out of the entire 60 minutes.
Where was it last season? It went out the window the moment Florida State cratered in Dublin. After the gut blow of how 2023 ended, Florida State didn’t have the tools (player and coaches alike) to bounce back when dealt with a sincere challenge from Georgia Tech. When that misery compounded week after week and left the identity of the team smoldering, there was no chance for commitment and desire to rise from the ashes.
The way that FSU responded to Alabama’s opening drive (again, players and coaches alike) gave you all the proof needed that things were sincerely different.
I’ve watched the game three times. Am I the only one who thought Randy Pittman was primarily a “pass-catching” TE? Pittman blew up several Alabama players. DEs, LBs, DBs – it didn’t matter. In my opinion, his blocking ability was the biggest surprise on offense.
UncleCB
Jordan Silversmith: Is it possible that Randy Pittman Jr., who caught only 2 passes for 18 yards on Saturday was FSU’s most impactful player outside of QB Tommy Castellanos and C Luke Petitbon? It certainly seems that way.
With Gus Malzahn calling plays and trying to establish a run game, he utilized Pittman Jr. as a lead-blocker for his backs and Castellanos. Pittman Jr., molded into the Jaheim Bell role, lined up all over the field, in-line, in the slot and out wide. The TE was the lead blocker for Castellanos on his opening TD drive and on Caziah Holmes’ score in the third quarter. He played the most number of snaps outside of Castellanos and the starting OL and clearly is one of Malzahn’s most trusted weapons.
Unfortunately, Mike Norvell announced Wednesday that Pittman Jr. will miss “some time” and that he needed to get himself ready to play just to suit up against Alabama. It will be a massive blow for FSU and Malzahn who consistently used 12 and 13 personnel against the Tide. Hopefully, the absence opens the door for sophomore TE Amaree Williams and TE Landen Thomas. Both flashed a season ago but had questions in spring and fall camp and did not see the field much in week one. If FSU can create a stable of TE they trust, Malzahn will be able to open up the playbook even more than last Saturday.
What are top recruits saying about FSU after that game?
PhDSeminole
NoleThruandThru: The upset itself was enough to get anyone’s attention, but the ways in which FSU dominated the lines of scrimmage and made clutch drives is what has recruits talking. The new coaching staff told recruits the vision for what was going to happen on the field back in the summer and then delivered on those promises. The players and coaches were having fun again, Doak was rocking, and plenty of younger players got snaps. That built a lot of trust with some prospects. We’ve heard plenty of positive feedback from recruits who are committed elsewhere, uncommitted, and committed to FSU. This also made a large impression on class of 2027 and 2028 recruits. I’ll write more about this in an upcoming article but suffice to say, FSU is very relevant on the trail again.
That’s all for week one.
Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts.
Once again, special thanks to OrgaNole, Kyle_Watford, DenverNoleFan, UncleCB, and PhDSeminole for the questions.
