Rivalry weekend in college football brought some upsets and near upsets across the country. But on a chilly Saturday night in front of 55,107 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium, the FSU Seminoles ended their season pretty much as predicted with a 31-11 loss to their in-state rival, the Florida Gators.
The Noles struggled to hold onto the ball with five turnovers. A fumble by quarterback Luke Kromenhoek and a muffed punt by Lawayne McCoy resulted in 10 UF points. Two other fumbles ended FSU drives into Gator territory, one at the Florida 7-yard line on what was seemingly going to be a Nole scoring drive.
The FSU defense held Gator freshman-phenom QB D.J. Lagway to 133 passing yards. But the Gators gained 233 yards on the ground, including a 65-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter that took away what was left of any real hope for a Seminole second-half comeback.
While the Noles held the ball longer and ran more plays than the Gators, Florida outgained FSU with 368 to 239 total yards.
Saturday’s sloppy turnover-filled game ended a football season that FSU fans want to forget quickly. The two-win season was the worst since 1974 when the Noles went 1-10.
Coach Mike Norvell has a big job ahead. By his own admission, the upcoming transfer portal will likely take a number of players who will want to leave the program. Norvell must also rebuild his
coaching staff with new Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. News leaked late Saturday that former UCF Head Coach Gus Malzahn will be the new OC for the Noles.
College football rivalry games ended with four fights as victorious visiting teams planted their team flags at midfield. As could be expected the FSU/UF rivalry didn’t disappoint. Saturday night ended with a post-game incident at midfield as Gator players planted their flag on the FSU logo. Players and coaches were involved in the fracas with Coach Norvell grabbing the Florida flag as he ran off the field.
The 2025 FSU Football season will kick off on August 30th as the Noles host the Alabama Crimson Tide at the renovated Doak Campbell Stadium.