FSU football started off the 2025 season with a huge upset against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Former FSU standout Bryant McFadden cautioned FSU players to only smell the perfume, not drink it. It appeared they took his advice to heart and dominated its next two opponents before traveling to Virginia for its first road game this season.
FSU appeared off out of the gates, and two offensive turnovers helped provide UVA with a 14-0 lead, giving them the belief they could pull off the upset. FSU showed good fight and resilience on the road, scoring 21 consecutive points to take the lead. However, too many mistakes on defense and some missed opportunities on offense ultimately cost them.
FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos admitted that FSU may have been feeling themselves a little too much after the 3-0 start:
Tommy Castellanos admits he feels like the team was feeling high after 3-0 start.
— Logan B. Robinson (@LogansTwitty) September 27, 2025
“I think we needed it. I think guys were riding high. Kinda smelling ourselves, feeling good.
I think we needed it. I think it will be good for us moving forward.” pic.twitter.com/tJsTQFzYWT
It felt like FSU went through the motions for much of that game, lacking the physicality and effort they had in the Alabama game. However, they have a huge opportunity to right the ship and quickly make everyone forget about last week with a win over the undefeated and rival Miami Hurricanes in Doak Campbell Stadium.
Related: 3 Huge Overreactions After FSU Loss Against UVA
One could argue it might have been a good thing that FSU lost against Virginia. If they found a way to win, they may not have been humbled in the same manner as the loss, and watching UVA fans storm the field.
FSU matches up better with Miami on defense than UVA, and I don’t think their offense is quite as good. However, Miami’s defense is better. Miami does some of the same offensive concepts UVA does, and the UVA film could help Tony White scheme it up better. The players shouldn’t need any extra motivation with Miami coming to town. It’s a home game, and they are undefeated, and they beat FSU last year.
It’s a prime-time game that most of the country will tune in to watch. Sometimes you have to be broken down to grow, and maybe that’s what FSU needed against UVA to right the ship this week against Miami.