FSU FOOTBALL'S MASSIVE WIN
Florida State football got a great win versus Alabama by a score of 31-17. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos stated that Alabama couldn't stop him, and he was right.
The offense was moving the football with ease yesterday afternoon, where the encouraging aspect was the ability to run vertically and horizontally. This was peak Gus Malzahn at its finest. He has a history of beating the Alabama Crimson Tide three times previously in his coaching career.
One of the bigger headlines by the fan base was that Florida State acquired former UCF head football coach Gus Malzahn to be its offensive coordinator. Coach Malzahn went on Twitter (X) to describe how he felt about yesterday's game.
Felt like old times tonight!! 🍢
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) August 30, 2025
RUN, RUN, RUN!
Florida State football knew what the game plan was on Saturday afternoon. They wanted to run the football at will. The Seminoles had 46 carries for 236 yards and four touchdowns versus Alabama.
This is a night-and-day difference from the 2024 season, where Florida State was only able to muster 89.9 rushing yards per game. The acquisition of quarterback transfer Thomas Castellanos was massive because of his dual-threat ability.
You can say what you want about Castellanos and his throwing prowess. However, he did just enough through the air, where he completed 9 of his 14 passes and 152 yards, to open up the running game. The former UCF and Boston College transfer had 16 carries for 78 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
This season opener reminded me of the 2013 Auburn-Alabama matchup in terms of the stat line (not the result of the game, since I know that it ended in a Kick Six). Quarterback Nick Marshall was not asked to do much in the passing game, where he completed 11 of 16 for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Then, they had 296 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Well done, Gus! You deserve the flowers and recognition for this offensive performance.