Three thoughts after FSU rips off another commanding non-conference rout

Two hours before Florida State’s final embarrassment in the 2024 season, ESPN first reported that Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell’s mentor, would resign from his head coaching post at UCF and join his mentee at FSU. Even though UCF struggled in Malzahn’s final two years at the helm, he left millions on the table to take a pay cut and a demotion to join what seemed to be a sinking ship in Tallahassee. Malzahn offered more of an explanation in his opening press conference last December, calling himself an “old ball coach” and insinuating he wanted to get back to focusing on football and away from the changing dynamics of the sport.

Through three weeks of the 2025 season, the only thing that looks old with Malzahn is the Seminoles’ old-school style of play. The first-year offensive coordinator appears rejuvenated and is leading a revelation along the offensive side of the ball. For the second week in a row, the Seminoles shattered records and rewrote the history books. FSU amassed 498 rushing yards on Saturday, a program record, 272 rushing yards in the first half, the most from Florida State in a half since 2015, and eight rushing touchdowns, which, believe it or not, was also a new program high. Malzahn created a career in coaching by designing refined run schemes, earning the nickname of the ‘Gus Bus’ and the offensive coordinator once again reached into his bag of tricks to begin the season and again on Saturday. Florida State recorded 17 big plays on the ground (runs over 10+ yards) versus Kent State, averaged 9.2 yards per rush and handed the ball off to eight different running backs, including Gavin Sawchuk, who picked up 97 yards on 11 carries and cemented himself as the leader in the running back room. After the game, head coach Mike Norvell commented on the rushing performance.

“I thought our guys rose to the challenge. You really felt them play, once again, fast, physical. I thought we had explosive plays. It was an extraordinary night offensively, to be able to have great balance. I think we ran for close to 500 yards, which broke a school record.”

In one offseason, Malzahn turned one of the worst rushing offenses in the country into a top-10 team that prides itself on its ability to run the ball. The offensive coordinator brought with him his offensive line coach from UCF, Herb Hand, to Florida State, who helped overhaul a unit in dire need of a facelift. The two coaches, along with Norvell, attracted four transfers out of the portal to fix the OL room, and through three games, seemed to hit on all of them. Led by C Luke Petitbon, the Noles have increased their rushing output by over 100 yards in each game this season, which started with 230 yards against Alabama.

“Yeah, it comes down to their work,” Norvell told the media about the offensive line after the game. “They’ve really made a great investment into each other. I think we’ve got great leaders in that group. The way that they’re taking coaching -- I say that, Coach Hand does a remarkable job pouring into those guys. He challenges them on a daily basis.”

“For all the experiences that they have previously, whether it’s here, whether it’s newcomers that have joined the program, young guys that are growing and developing, it’s a constant push.”

The Seminoles’ rushing offense has put the Noles at the forefront of a wide-open ACC. At the same time as the conclusion of Florida State’s “lightning delay”, the defending ACC champions, Clemson, lost by double digits at home, landing their second ACC loss before FSU has even played an in-conference game. Earlier in the day, Clemson’s opponent in the ACC title a year ago, SMU, fell to .500 with their second loss of the season. NC State, Florida and Stanford, three opponents on the Noles’ schedule, also fell on Saturday. When the AP Poll comes out on Sunday, only three of the 17 ACC teams will be represented.

A year after everything went against Florida State, the breaks are starting to fall in the Seminoles’ favor.

Thought No. 1: Response

In games against inferior opponents, teams rarely get a chance to be tested. Although Florida State won by over 50 points for their second-straight game, Kent State and the weather provided a few challenges that allowed the Seminoles a chance to respond, which they did with flying colors. Early in the game, the Golden Flashes ripped off a 75-yard touchdown pass, the longest play allowed by the FSU defense in 2025, to make it a 14-7 game. Tommy Castellanos picked up his defense and led a two-play 75-yard TD drive in 35 seconds to push the Seminoles back out to a 14-point advantage. In the second quarter, the defense bailed out its quarterback. After Castellanos tossed his first interception of the season, Tony White’s unit forced a turnover on downs to post a zero in a sudden-change situation. The elements tried to force Florida State off their game as a lightning delay paused the contest for 30 minutes. On the first play out of the break, the Noles broke into the end zone for their sixth touchdown in seven drives. Mental toughness continues to come in spades whenever the Seminoles find themselves with their backs against the wall.

“What they were able to do, just really with all of the things that showed up, whether it was the lightning delay,

obviously some challenges that presented themselves, our guys just didn’t get shook by the circumstances. They just continued to focus on the next play, and I thought they did an outstanding job in their performance.

Thought No. 2: Year Two Breakthroughs

Mike Norvell’s 2023 recruiting class was his highest-rated preps class during his tenure at Florida State. Those freshmen then experienced the worst year in program history a season ago. Once more facing a decision to commit to FSU or play for a new school, many of the highly-touted prospects chose to stay in Tallahassee and help be part of the solution. On Saturday, multiple second-year players broke through. Running back Kam Davis scored his first touchdown of his FSU career as part of a day with 76 all-purpose yards. Tight end Landen Thomas picked up his first touchdown of the year and smiled ear-to-ear after finding the end zone. Sophomore wide out Lawayne McCoy made his season-debut versus the Flashes and picked up two catches for 30 yards.

However, no second-year player impressed more than Micahi Danzy. The ACC 400-meter champion displayed an all-around game that not many knew he had. In the first quarter, Danzy made a brilliant grab on a jump ball and finished the game as FSU’s leading receiver with 112 yards. The Tallahassee native also found the end zone on a 64-yard touchdown run, his third-straight game with a score. With Squirrel White missing out due to an injury and the offense dying for a #2 receiver, Danzy put on quite the audition to win the role.

“Yes, to have three, four touchdowns here already in this season, a lot of explosive plays, but that’s a big play that you can look at and say, man, that’s -- yes, his speed got him behind, but the play-making ability is what finished the catch. To see him -- we had a couple of those in fall camp and you’re seeing a young man that’s growing and

developing kind of right here before our eyes.”

Thought No. 3: Quarterback Questions

All of Florida State collectively held their breath when they saw Tommy Castellanos limp off the field with two minutes to go in the second quarter. The first-year transfer continued his strong play to open the season, recording over 200 passing yards before the end of the first half while adding two rushing touchdowns to his ledger. FSU ruled him out for the game early in the second half, but Castellanos did run onto the field during the third quarter, appearing mobile, suggesting that the worst-case scenario was avoided. With Castellanos sidelined, Norvell turned to true freshman Kevin Sperry over the veteran Brock Glenn. Sperry went 4-5 with 64 yards, and while his statline will not light up the scoreboard, the fact that the coaching staff feels better about Sperry than Glenn provides insight into who will be the next man up if Castellanos cannot go. After the game, Norvell and Castellanos each downplayed the severity of the injury, allowing the city of Tallahassee to exhale.

“We’ll see where it progresses as we go into this week,” Norvell told the Tallahassee media postgame, “But I was glad to see him back and moving around. I think it’s going to be something that’s very manageable as we’re moving forward.”

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