3 Thoughts As FSU Football's Hot Start Fades In Loss To Alabama

The Florida State Seminoles were unable to sustain a high-octane first quarter, falling to Alabama 50-36 in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.

Instead of a game of two halves, this felt like two different games entirely. Honestly, the last two outings against Alabama and SMU have been anything but normal.

The Labor Day matchup was postponed for an extended period due to an electrical issue in Doak Campbell Stadium. In Alabama, it was Mother Nature who had an impact on the festivities.

Lightning strikes during pre-game resulted in the opening kickoff being pushed back. Coming out of that delay, the Seminoles were firing on all cylinders.

However, shortly after the Crimson Tide cut the deficit to 21-13, inclement weather in the area resulted in another stoppage.

This time, it was Alabama that came out with the momentum. The Crimson Tide combined their touchdown before the delay with two more quick scores, erasing a 21-6 lead in less than 2:36 of game time.

I don't want to use the 'R' word, but from there, the Seminoles withered, instead of responding.

Here are three thoughts on another road loss for Florida state.

1. Credit Florida State For Throwing The First Punch

Sep 19, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) runs against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There weren't many people who expected Florida State to make a blip on the radar in Alabama. To be transparent, I personally didn't give the Seminoles a chance in this game, predicting a 41-10 victory for the Crimson Tide.

No one would've blamed FSU if the program had folded. Mike Norvell is in a rough spot, and there's plenty of uncertainty around Tallahassee after athletic director Michel Alford was fired earlier this month. The Seminoles were also heavy underdogs, with the line jumping up to nearly three touchdowns on most books.

Instead of laying down, Florida State did show some fight. The offense finally connected on a couple of big plays in the passing game, and Ousmane Kromah was running like a man possessed in the opening frame.

On the other side of the ball, the Seminoles forced Alabama into consecutive three-and-outs to begin the game, and held up on a short field following Ashton Daniels' first pick.

That effort, mindset, and aggressiveness are worth praising. The problem is that Florida State fizzled out as the first half went back on, and never got back to that same level of execution.

2. Ashton Daniels Delivers Brilliance And Frustration

For the first two games, Ashton Daniels was picked apart for his indecisiveness and unwillingness to push the ball downfield. He only threw for 125 yards in the loss to SMU. Somehow, Daniels eclipsed that number shortly in the second quarter against possibly the best defense that the Seminoles will see in 2026.

Daniels connected on eight passes of 20+ yards, and three passes of 40+ yards. He finally started to force-feed Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy, which led to some of Florida State's success.

By the end of the night, Daniels had thrown for 377 yards, the second-most of his career. He completed 17/29 passes, but threw 2 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. The turnovers were part of the reason Alabama got back into the game.

It was hard to tell if his first pick was tipped. Either way, it took away a potential big play and led to the Crimson Tide's first points. The second interception was just a bad decision, and Alabama turned it into a touchdown in just 2 plays.

Daniels didn't look confident on the next possession. The Seminoles went three-and-out. Once again, the Crimson Tide swiftly found the end zone and took the lead right before the half.

There was brilliance, and plenty of frustration. That's pretty much what Daniels has shown throughout his college career.

The positive signs against Alabama most likely mean we won't see a quarterback change against Central Arkansas.

3. Florida State's "Defense" Is In Total Disarray

Sep 19, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Ja'Bril Rawls (6) reacts after a play against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's getting depressing writing about Florida State's "defense".

I've got to pick defense in quotes, because this unit can do anything but stop opposing offenses. It's almost comical how bad the Seminoles are on that side of the ball. The personnel is disappointing, the coaching is poor, and the scheme is even worse.

There's nothing positive to say about how Florida State played against Alabama. Following the first 2 possessions, the Crimson Tide scored on 9 straight drives from the end of the first quarter to late in the final frame. They would've made it 10 straight but decided to run out the clock instead.

The Seminoles have surrendered 565+ yards in consecutive games, and gave up 50+ points for the fourth time in Mike Norvell's tenure.

Florida State held Alabama to 27 rushing yards in the first half. The Seminoles completely fell apart over the final 2 quarters, as the Crimson Tide rushed for 220 yards on 10 yards per carry in the third and fourth quarters.

7 of Alabama's drives accumulated 50+ yards, including a game-sealing 90-yard touchdown drive on 9 plays to make the score 50-36.

The Seminoles rank near the bottom of basically any defensive metric you can uncover. They've got 1 sack in the last 8 quarters, and that came on a cornerback blitz.

I literally can't find one good thing to say about this unit right now.

Personally, I'm in favor of Florida State firing defensive coordinator Tony White. This just isn't working, and it's not going to work.

However, Norvell might not have the greenlight to make that move, as he just moved on from Adam Fuller less than 2 years ago and committed a bunch of money to bring White and his gang over from Nebraska.

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