FSU FOOTBALL LOSES
Florida State football fell to arch-rival Miami on Saturday by a score of 28-22. The score might indicate that it was a competitive outing, but the Seminoles scored 19 points in the fourth quarter when the Hurricanes were running out the clock.
It was a contest that the offense couldn't get much going until the fourth quarter. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos stated in the post-game that it was all on him, and he will be better going forward.
This is the second straight loss for the Seminoles, and the joy of the Alabama season opener is slowly fading. While it was an impressive win, given how the Crimson Tide are playing as of late, it happened a little over a month ago.
FSU DEFENSIVE SHOT
Florida State's fan base was frustrated after the Seminoles allowed Virginia running back J'Mari Taylor to have 27 carries for 99 yards and one touchdown, as the Cavaliers were picking up yards after contact because the defenders weren't wrapping up effectively.
As a result, Florida State needed to ensure that the running game of Miami was contained since they had backs such as Mark Fletcher Jr. and CharMar Brown carrying the rock. The Hurricanes finished the game with 32 carries for 97 yards, which is a night-and-day difference from the Virginia game.
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson spoke to the media recently about the Seminoles' defense.
Yesterday, FSU DC Tony White said he knew everything Miami was doing. Sounds like the captain of the Titanic bragging that he saw the iceberg.
— CanesInSight (@CanesInSight) October 6, 2025
Today, the victorious Shannon Dawson spoke on FSU’s pass defense: pic.twitter.com/jrUeCtgh5E
Coach Dawson talked about how it was fine that the Seminoles defended their running game, but he mentioned how the Florida State defensive backs needed to cover their receivers, and they didn't.
Wide receivers Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels had a combined 12 receptions for 184 yards and four touchdowns. It seemed like every time the Hurricanes' defense got a takeaway, their offense would respond with a back-breaking pass play to quiet Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State will have to go back to the drawing board with their defensive backs, redshirt sophomore Ja'Bril Rawls has played very well, but Jerry Wilson, Earl Little Jr., and Edwin Joseph have all performed not up to their expectations.
There is still time to get things corrected, and I believe that the defensive backfield is a talented group, but they have to be more consistent if the Seminoles want to get where they want to be.