Florida State had opportunities to change the direction of its season Saturday afternoon. Instead, another road trip ended with a familiar result.
The Seminoles fell 50-36 to No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium, dropping to 1-2 after losing consecutive games to SMU and the Crimson Tide. FSU led 21-6 during the second quarter and briefly regained a 28-26 advantage early in the third, but Alabama eventually took control behind 568 yards of offense and a turnover-free performance.
Here are the winners and losers from Florida State’s loss in Tuscaloosa, which once again has FSU's fans calling for changes.
Winner: Duce Robinson
Florida State needed more from its passing game entering Saturday, and Duce Robinson answered the call.
Robinson caught six passes
for 135 yards and a touchdown, easily his most productive performance of the season. His 20-yard touchdown opened the scoring and helped FSU build an early advantage against one of the best defenses it has faced.
Ashton Daniels also threw for 377 yards, while Micahi Danzy added 89 receiving yards and Jayvan Boggs finished with 69. The Seminoles finally generated the explosive passing plays that were largely absent through the first two games.
Loser: Florida State’s road drought reaches 1,029 days
The most troubling streak surrounding Mike Norvell’s program continues. Florida State has not won a true road game since defeating the Florida Gators 24-15 in Gainesville on Nov. 25, 2023. Saturday marked 1,029 days since that victory.
The Seminoles went winless on the road during both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and their first opportunity of 2026 produced another defeat. That issue will not disappear anytime soon. FSU still has road games remaining against Louisville, Miami, Boston College, and Pitt.
Loser: Florida State turnovers
Florida State accumulated 471 total yards and averaged 7.5 yards per play. Those are numbers that usually give a team a chance to win.
Three interceptions from Daniels made that much more difficult. Alabama finished without a turnover, giving the Crimson Tide a plus-three advantage in one of the game’s most consequential categories. Daniels’ final interception came with FSU attempting to make one last push inside the final two minutes.
Winner: Ousmane Kromah
Even with the passing game taking a significant step forward, Ousmane Kromah continued to provide Florida State with production out of the backfield. The sophomore rushed 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown, including a 12-yard score that gave FSU a 14-3 first-quarter lead.
Kromah has now been Florida State’s leading rusher in each of its first three games and continues to look like the most dependable piece of the Seminoles’ offense.
Loser: FSU’s defense
Florida State’s defensive issues did not disappear during the bye week.
Alabama accumulated 568 total yards while averaging 8.6 yards per play, with quarterback Keelon Russell completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns. He also delivered one of the game’s defining plays with a 57-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
FSU surrendered 50 points despite forcing Alabama into just three conversions on nine third-down attempts. The Crimson Tide repeatedly found explosive plays before third down could become a factor.
Loser: Alabama gets its revenge
The recent history between these programs gave Saturday’s matchup additional weight.
Florida State stunned then-No. 8 Alabama 31-17 in Tallahassee to open the 2025 season, scoring 24 consecutive points in one of the Seminoles’ biggest victories of the year. Alabama returned the favor Saturday with 50 points on its home field.
There is also an unavoidable connection to 2023. Florida State finished that regular season 13-0 but was left out of the four-team College Football Playoff, with one-loss Alabama receiving the No. 4 seed while FSU finished No. 5 in the committee’s final ranking.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Winners and losers from Florida State’s loss to Alabama
