For more than two decades, Alabama’s football program treated season openers like coronations. Since falling to UCLA in 2001, the Crimson Tide had rattled off 23 straight opening-game wins, knocking off ranked opponents, silencing doubters, and setting the tone for national title runs. Yet, this summer, Boston College transfer Tommy Castellanos felt that the Crimson Tide wouldn’t be able to stop him or the new FSU offense he was getting ready to lead. Alabama players said that Castellanos’ disrespectful words would be addressed when the ball was kicked off on August 30th at Doak Campbell Stadium.
No one in the country gave FSU a chance to win this game, including yours truly. The only person who believed the Noles could do the impossible was Florida State alum and national treasure, Lee Corso. Coach Corso retired from ESPN’s College Gameday show after picking Ohio State (the first headgear he ever put on) to beat Texas earlier in the day.
Well, the disrespect was addressed, and that Alabama streak ended under the lights of a newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium, where Florida State delivered a statement: the Seminoles are back, and they are here to dominate.
With 230 yards on the ground, Florida State’s 31–17 victory over No. 8 Alabama wasn’t just an upset. It was an emphatic dismantling of a program that rarely looks rattled on the national stage. For Mike Norvell and his team, it was a night that redefined expectations, not just for the 2025 season, but for what Seminole football can be.
For a brief moment, it looked like Alabama was going to script yet another opening-day showcase. Ty Simpson and the Crimson Tide offense marched 75 yards on a grinding, 17-play drive to open the game, chewing up 8:50 of game clock and capping it off with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Simpson to tight end Josh Cuevas. The drive was vintage Alabama, balanced, methodical, and suffocating. Simpson ran twice for 12 yards, picking up a key first down and throwing to convert on a fourth down to keep the first quarter, first drive alive.
But FSU would not let that score go unanswered. The Noles responded with their own 7-play, 75-yard drive, capped off with a 9-yard tightrope on the sideline run by the Seminoles’ new quarterback. Castellanos had two runs on that drive for 21 yards, including the touchdown run.
The highlight play of that drive was a 40-yard bomb to Tennessee transfer wide receiver Squirrel White, who made a spectacular diving catch to ignite sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium. “It’s one of the reasons why I came here, for moments like these, for days like these,” Castellanos said. “We got a long season ahead. Just take it one week at a time, keep grinding.”
After Conor Talty missed a 53-yard field goal for Alabama, Castellanos led the Noles on an 8-play, 65-yard drive that was capped off by Micahi Danzy’s end-around, running through Crimson Tide arm tackle attempts, showing off his blazing speed into the end zone to put the Noles up 14-7 midway through the second quarter. FSU would tack on a Jake Weinberg 45-yard field goal (would have been good from 55 yards) to go into the half 17-7, sending shockwaves through college football, letting the nation know that something was cooking in Tallahassee.
Florida State would score first in the second half on an electric 2-play, 68-yard drive. Castellanos found Jaylin Lucas on a wheel route down the sideline for 64 yards. Caziah Holmes then scored on a hurry-up toss play from 4 yards out to put the Noles up 24-7 over the Crimson Tide, sending fans into a frenzy. Alabama would then go on to score 10 unanswered points before FSU scored the final, game-sealing touchdown of the game on a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Castellanos finished the day with 152 yards passing and 78 yards on the ground in 16 carries with a touchdown.
Mike Norvell replaced much-maligned offensive coordinator (in name only) Alex Atkins with his long-time mentor and former Auburn and UCF head coach, Gus Malzahn, who brought his no-huddle, hurry-up offense to revitalize an offense that was next to last in the country in most categories last season. Malzahn, who has beaten Alabama several times, was determined to establish the new physicality standards for FSU in this game. After only averaging 89.9 yards last season, the Noles’ run game exploded for 230 rushing yards against what was supposed to be the best defense in the country, according to most ESPN pundits.
Norvell also added defensive coordinator Tony White, who deserves as much credit as anyone for the victory. White’s 3–3–5 scheme frustrated Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who entered the season with high expectations but left Doak Campbell looking battered and uncertain. Simpson finished with a modest 254 passing yards, two touchdowns while completing 23 of 43 pass attempts (53%). He also had 9 carries for 17 yards.
But those numbers barely capture how uncomfortable he was. FSU’s pressure packages disguised coverages, forcing Simpson into hurried throws, scrambling when he didn’t need to, and missing open receivers. The Tide’s vaunted offensive line struggled to adjust, surrendering three sacks and multiple quarterback hurries. On third downs, Alabama went just 6-of-17, and 2-of-5 on fourth down, unable to find rhythm against White’s relentless front line and a mostly disciplined secondary.
Alabama’s offense had no answer for FSU’s run defense either, as the Seminoles held the Tide to 87 total yards on the ground and made their offensive line (which was heralded as the best line in the country) look pedestrian. “We wanted to be the aggressor,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “And we were. Our players rose to the challenge.” The win gave Norvell his 5th win over an SEC team as head coach at Florida State.
FSU returns to action next Saturday against East Texas A&M at Doak Campbell Stadium. Tune into Plant The Spear for your authentic Florida State Football coverage. Thanks for reading ,and Go Noles!
Share this Article with other Nole fans!
