Florida State Upends No. 8 Alabama
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State football team began the 2025 season with a 31-17 victory over No. 8 Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles (1-0) scored 24 consecutive points in the victory, beginning with their opening drive of the game after the Crimson Tide (0-1) also scored on their first possession. UA snapped its scoreless stretch with 10 points late in the third and early in the fourth to make it a seven point game, but FSU quickly responded with a touchdown of its own to seal the win.
Quarterback Tommy Castellanos made his Seminole debut and completed nine of 14 passes for 152 yards while also rushing for a team-high 78 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown. Wide receiver Micahi Danzy ran for 56 yards with a score, and he and Castellanos were two of four to rush for a touchdown.
Florida State registered 382 total yards of offense, 230 on the ground and 152 through the air. Alabama had 341 yards offensively, 254 passing and just 87 rushing. The 87 rushing yards are the Crimson Tide’s fewest in an opener since 1975. Both teams were successful twice on fourth down, though FSU went for it twice and UA attempted five fourth-down tries.
The Seminole defense posted seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks with 57 total tackles. The Crimson Tide had three TFLs, one sack and 58 total tackles. Defensive back Earl Little Jr. led the team with nine tackles, four solo, with a TFL.
Florida State recorded its ninth non-conference win in the last 10 seasons against an SEC team, second-most in the country, and the team is 5-2 all-time against current SEC foes in openers. That includes a 45-24 win over No. 5 LSU to begin the 2023 campaign. Head coach Mike Norvell now has five non-conference victories against the SEC since 2016, also second-most in that span.
Alabama suffered its first non-conference regular-season road loss since 2003, as they opened the year with a true road game for the first time since 2000. UA’s defeat snapped a 23-game win streak in season-opening contests, which was the second-longest active streak in the country.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first possession of the game, with Alabama opening the scoring with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took 8:50. Florida State quickly answered to tie the score at 7-7 just three minutes later. A 40-yard pass completion from Castellanos to wide receiver Squirrel White on third-and-long set up a nine-yard touchdown run by Castellanos.
On the Crimson Tide’s next drive, they drove down to the FSU 24, only to have a false start and a sack for a loss of six set up a 53-yard field goal attempt. The kick was short, and the Seminole offense got the ball back on their own 35. Eight plays later, on a drive that included a 14-yard completion from Castellanos to tight end Randy Pittman Jr., Danzy ran it in for a 32-yard touchdown on his first touch of the season.
The 65-yard touchdown drive that took 3:59 gave Florida State its first lead of the game, 14-7, with 9:13 left in the second quarter.
FSU’s defense then got another stop and forced a punt after a three-and-out. The offense followed with a 52-yard drive that set up a career-long field goal by kicker Jake Weinberg. The successful 45-yard kick extended the lead to 17-7 with just under four minutes left in the half.
The defense again got a stop, this time forcing a punt thanks to a tackle for no gain on third-and-short. The Seminoles got the ball back with 96 seconds on the clock, but could not add to its lead before time expired in the half.
Alabama turned it over on downs on its first drive of the second half, and two plays later, Florida State extended its lead to 24-7. The fourth-down stop was courtesy of linebacker Justin Cryer, who tackled the UA ball carrier just before the line to gain on fourth-and-short.
On FSU’s first play after the defensive stop, on its own 32-yardline, Castellanos connected with running back Jaylin Lucas for a career-best 64-yard completion to the Alabama four. Running back Caziah Holmes then ran it in for the score to punctuate the two-play, 68-yard drive that took just 37 seconds.
The Crimson Tide cut their deficit to 24-10 with a field goal with 5:59 left in the third quarter. Alabama was forced to punt on its next possession and turned it over on downs near the end of the third quarter before a touchdown made it a one-score game at 24-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. A six-yard touchdown pass ended the seven-play, 63-yard drive that took just over three minutes.
Florida State answered Alabama’s touchdown drive with one of its own, as a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took 3:43 extended the Seminole lead to 14, at 31-17. The drive featured a fourth-and-one conversion at the FSU 34 and was capped by a 14-yard scoring run by running back Gavin Sawchuk.
With 7:17 remaining in the fourth quarter and down 14, the Crimson Tide’s next drive saw them convert a fourth-and-sixth on their own 29 and nearly convert another fourth down, but the nine-yard rush came up one yard short. That turned it over on downs on the FSU 49 yard line with 5:39 left.
A fourth-and-one conversion with just over two minutes on the clock sealed the win and set up victory formation for the Seminoles.
Florida State returns to Doak Campbell Stadium next Saturday, September 6, to host East Texas A&M. Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
The Seminoles (1-0) scored 24 consecutive points in the victory, beginning with their opening drive of the game after the Crimson Tide (0-1) also scored on their first possession. UA snapped its scoreless stretch with 10 points late in the third and early in the fourth to make it a seven point game, but FSU quickly responded with a touchdown of its own to seal the win.
Quarterback Tommy Castellanos made his Seminole debut and completed nine of 14 passes for 152 yards while also rushing for a team-high 78 yards on 16 attempts with a touchdown. Wide receiver Micahi Danzy ran for 56 yards with a score, and he and Castellanos were two of four to rush for a touchdown.
Florida State registered 382 total yards of offense, 230 on the ground and 152 through the air. Alabama had 341 yards offensively, 254 passing and just 87 rushing. The 87 rushing yards are the Crimson Tide’s fewest in an opener since 1975. Both teams were successful twice on fourth down, though FSU went for it twice and UA attempted five fourth-down tries.
The Seminole defense posted seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks with 57 total tackles. The Crimson Tide had three TFLs, one sack and 58 total tackles. Defensive back Earl Little Jr. led the team with nine tackles, four solo, with a TFL.
Florida State recorded its ninth non-conference win in the last 10 seasons against an SEC team, second-most in the country, and the team is 5-2 all-time against current SEC foes in openers. That includes a 45-24 win over No. 5 LSU to begin the 2023 campaign. Head coach Mike Norvell now has five non-conference victories against the SEC since 2016, also second-most in that span.
Alabama suffered its first non-conference regular-season road loss since 2003, as they opened the year with a true road game for the first time since 2000. UA’s defeat snapped a 23-game win streak in season-opening contests, which was the second-longest active streak in the country.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first possession of the game, with Alabama opening the scoring with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that took 8:50. Florida State quickly answered to tie the score at 7-7 just three minutes later. A 40-yard pass completion from Castellanos to wide receiver Squirrel White on third-and-long set up a nine-yard touchdown run by Castellanos.
On the Crimson Tide’s next drive, they drove down to the FSU 24, only to have a false start and a sack for a loss of six set up a 53-yard field goal attempt. The kick was short, and the Seminole offense got the ball back on their own 35. Eight plays later, on a drive that included a 14-yard completion from Castellanos to tight end Randy Pittman Jr., Danzy ran it in for a 32-yard touchdown on his first touch of the season.
The 65-yard touchdown drive that took 3:59 gave Florida State its first lead of the game, 14-7, with 9:13 left in the second quarter.
FSU’s defense then got another stop and forced a punt after a three-and-out. The offense followed with a 52-yard drive that set up a career-long field goal by kicker Jake Weinberg. The successful 45-yard kick extended the lead to 17-7 with just under four minutes left in the half.
The defense again got a stop, this time forcing a punt thanks to a tackle for no gain on third-and-short. The Seminoles got the ball back with 96 seconds on the clock, but could not add to its lead before time expired in the half.
Alabama turned it over on downs on its first drive of the second half, and two plays later, Florida State extended its lead to 24-7. The fourth-down stop was courtesy of linebacker Justin Cryer, who tackled the UA ball carrier just before the line to gain on fourth-and-short.
On FSU’s first play after the defensive stop, on its own 32-yardline, Castellanos connected with running back Jaylin Lucas for a career-best 64-yard completion to the Alabama four. Running back Caziah Holmes then ran it in for the score to punctuate the two-play, 68-yard drive that took just 37 seconds.
The Crimson Tide cut their deficit to 24-10 with a field goal with 5:59 left in the third quarter. Alabama was forced to punt on its next possession and turned it over on downs near the end of the third quarter before a touchdown made it a one-score game at 24-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. A six-yard touchdown pass ended the seven-play, 63-yard drive that took just over three minutes.
Florida State answered Alabama’s touchdown drive with one of its own, as a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took 3:43 extended the Seminole lead to 14, at 31-17. The drive featured a fourth-and-one conversion at the FSU 34 and was capped by a 14-yard scoring run by running back Gavin Sawchuk.
With 7:17 remaining in the fourth quarter and down 14, the Crimson Tide’s next drive saw them convert a fourth-and-sixth on their own 29 and nearly convert another fourth down, but the nine-yard rush came up one yard short. That turned it over on downs on the FSU 49 yard line with 5:39 left.
A fourth-and-one conversion with just over two minutes on the clock sealed the win and set up victory formation for the Seminoles.
Florida State returns to Doak Campbell Stadium next Saturday, September 6, to host East Texas A&M. Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
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