Former Alabama star embarrassed after FSU football beat up the Crimson Tide

"Disrespect will be handled accordingly."

That's seemingly the only phrase Alabama Crimson Tide defenders could muster in response to Florida State senior quarterback Tommy Castellanos' trash talk about the program. It seemed like Castellanos had a target on his back entering the matchup last weekend.

Instead, it was the Seminoles' offense that set the tone. The offensive line only allowed one sack and three tackles for loss in four quarters but it wasn't just the trenches. The physicality from the entire unit stood out as tight ends, wide receivers, and running backs all chipped in on the blocking effort.

Florida State's nasty effort paid off as the offense racked up 230 yards on the ground, the most by the Seminoles against a ranked opponent since 2021.

The difference at the line of scrimmage was highlighted by former Alabama star running back Trent Richardson on The Dynasty podcast while speaking to AJ McCarron.

Former Alabama Star Says FSU Sent A Message 'Real Early'

Richardson highlighted a play that appeared to take place in the third quarter. FSU redshirt senior right tackle Micah Pettus absolutely annihilated junior Alabama defensive lineman James Smith.

Pettus sprawled over Smith after planting him on Bobby Bowden Field, taking a little extra time to get to his feet.

"I literally seen an offensive lineman from Florida State rub their junk on somebody's head from Alabama while they was on the ground," Ingram said on the show." Like, he pancaked him and rubbed his junk. Just letting him know, you're finna get this all night...they sent a message to us real early."

"After that, I didn't see that guy [Smith] no more," Ingram added. "Ain't gonna call him out, but I ain't seen that guy no more. You know who he is. Turn the film on. I ain't seen him no more."

Just check out the effort for yourself.

Got to be talking about what Micah Pettus did to James Smith in the third quarter 😂 #Noles https://t.co/B3ISbZRkOQ pic.twitter.com/QQG1ROmCNS
— Dustin Lewis (@DustinLewisNG) September 2, 2025

That's exactly the type of physicality that the Seminoles were missing upfront last season. Florida State's ground attack was one of the worst in the country in 2024, averaging less than 100 yards per game.

Head coach Mike Norvell flipped his offense around, bringing in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and offensive line coach Herb Hand. The Seminoles are also fielding practically an entirely new starting lineup.

At the same time, there's a lot of experience upfront with the combination of redshirt senior left tackle Gunnar Hansen, redshirt senior left guard Richie Leonard IV, redshirt senior center Luke Petitbon, redshirt senior right guard Adrian Medley, and Pettus.

Petitbon was recently named the ACC's Offensive Lineman of the Week. Really, you could've given that honor to any of the five.

Florida State will look to continue stacking success against East Texas A&M this weekend.

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