Patrick Surtain sees fight, not frustration, in FSU football locker room

Florida State's defensive backs coach doesn't believe the team will quit after four-game slump.

Seminoles.com

Flashbacks from Florida State's 2024 season have already started to rear their ugly head as the Seminoles look to bounce back after a four-game losing streak.

Having not won a conference game this season (and dating far back into last), the will and fight to continue competing, even after an ACC Championship Game appearance and a College Football Playoff rebirth, seem entirely off the table.

So what is it that drives college football players, and especially those living in Tallahassee, Florida, to continue pushing on?

FSU defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain, Sr., met with the media on Tuesday as the Seminoles are coming off their second bye week ahead of Wake Forest, and said it's more than just a goal at season's end, but a respect for your name and program with sights set on the NFL that should be the motivating factor.

Surtain Doesn't See Quit in the 2025 Seminoles

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles safety Earl Little Jr. (0) and defensive back Ja'Bril Rawls (11) celebrate after an interception during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Through seven games of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, Surtain Sr. said he doesn't see quit in the team. The major focus for Florida State this week is bouncing back and taking down the Demon Deacons.

"When it comes to college ball, you have to have a genuine care for the program. Respect the name on the back of your jersey and go out there and be self-motivated to play for your brothers. Obviously, a lot of these guys, their lasting goal is to get to the NFL, and you never want to go out there and put bad stuff on film," Surtain Sr. said.

"So, it’s a self-motivation and a chance to go out there and play at Florida State, you know, such a prestigious university, and the will to go out there and compete," Surtain Sr. added. "I think we have some guys on the team who have that in mind. I know this team. They’re not going to quit. They’re going to keep fighting, and we just have to find a way to win one and then let it go from there."

READ MORE: Super Bowl MVP and FSU legend shares honest thoughts on Seminoles' struggles

No Moral Victories in Tallahassee

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles safety Earl Little Jr. (0), defensive back Ashlynd Barker (27), defensive back Edwin Joseph (3), and defensive back Ja'Bril Rawls (11) celebrate after an interception during the first half of the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

While the last four games have been decided by a touchdown or less, it doesn't change the 2025 record books. Regardless of bad calls, fourth-quarter rallies, injuries, and whatever else can go right or wrong during the course of a season, the win-loss column is the same, and Surtain Sr. knows that.

"It’s a results-oriented business. They have a scoreboard, so it doesn’t matter if you lose by 21 or you lose by three; a loss is a loss, and it means the same," Surtain Sr. said. "So, we are who we are right now. We’re a 3-4 football team, we don’t have a win in the ACC, and the whole focus is on the next opponent."

The Seminoles enter Saturday as favorites to win the matchup against Wake Forest. For a Florida State team that has given up 128 points in the last four games, the 'Noles will be looking to put a dead halt to their losing streak and start November on the right path.

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READ MORE: Ex-Florida State head coach appears in early odds for LSU Tigers opening

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