Florida State has wrapped up its first game of the 2026 season. They were able to get the win against the New Mexico State Aggies. However, it wasn't the performance that they'd hoped for.
The Seminoles were 31.5-point favorites in this matchup. They won by double digits, but the game felt a lot closer than the 34-17 score indicated. FSU had a hard time consistently finding a rhythm offensively, and their defense wasn't much better in that department.
Over the next two games, Florida State will take on the SMU Mustangs at home before traveling to battle the Alabama Crimson Tide. Based on what was seen tonight, those games could end up being extremely long outings for the Seminoles. There were some positives, but there's a ton to clean up.
Here
are five takeaways from FSU's win.
Offensive line needs a lot of work
The offensive line group got revamped through the transfer portal during the offseason. They have a ton of experience, but they weren't good in any sense when it came to pass blocking. Quarterback Ashton Daniels routinely had to break the pocket to avoid pressure, and even some of the running plays were hard to watch. This unit has to get better with back-to-back huge tests coming up.
Third down defense was atrocious
New Mexico State had a tough time running the football. However, long third downs weren't a problem for the most part as Florida State's pass defense allowed 10 conversions on 17 attempts, which kept the Aggies in the ball game deep into the fourth quarter. They have to clean this up and fast.
No sense of urgency
No opponent should be taken lightly. With that said, FSU has significantly more talent on its roster than New Mexico State, but the latter seems to be the team with some spunk during the game. Ultimately, things worked out for the Seminoles, but they seemed to be going through the motions quite a bit.
Samuel Singleton needs to be involved a lot
Florida State had a big night on the ground with over 200 yards. Ousmane Kromah gained the most with 115, and although Singleton gained just 42 yards, the burst and explosiveness were clear. Plus, he caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. Getting the ball in his hands needs to be included in every game plan this season.
Ashton Daniels was solid in his Seminoles' debut
Daniels had a bad interception in the first half. Overall, he looked pretty good as he finished 17 for 27 for 202 yards and a touchdown. As mentioned earlier, the offensive line didn't do him any favors, but he was able to stay poised and make plays when he needed to.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Five takeaways from FSU's win over New Mexico State
