Coming off the program\u2019s worst season in 50 years, Florida State could have used a soft opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, the Seminoles will host college football\u2019s premier powerhouse,\u00a0eighth-ranked Alabama, while showcasing a $265 million stadium renovation, a revamped offense and a retooled defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a daunting task, no doubt. But it\u2019s also an unbelievable opportunity for FSU and coach Mike Norvell to kickstart the team\u2019s climb from the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u2018Noles finished 2-10 in 2024, with wins against Cal and lower-division Charleston Southern. It was FSU\u2019s fewest victories since going 1-10 in 1974 and\u00a0prompted Norvell to fire offensive coordinator\/offensive line coach Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and receivers coach Ron Dugans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a stunning slide for a team that went 13-1 in 2023, won the ACC and would have made the College Football Playoff if not for a\u00a0gruesome injury to all-everything quarterback Jordan Travis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it left the \u2019Noles in rebuilding mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not going to be a player who stands up and says they want to be mediocre or they want to be average,\u201d Norvell said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s going to say the same things. It\u2019s like every team when they report: \u2018This is the year; this is the time.\u2019 It all sounds the same. But on a daily basis, what shows up? Are you truly willing to give everything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Norvell changed just about everything in hopes of delivering a quick turnaround and quieting speculation about his future in Tallahassee. He hired\u00a0former UCF and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn\u00a0as offensive coordinator and\u00a0brought in Nebraska\u2019s Tony White as defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Norvell then signed 23 players out of the transfer portal, which ranked sixth nationally according to 247Sports. The group included\u00a0former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, three plug-and-play receivers and four starting offensive linemen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their goal is to improve an offense that averaged 15.4 points a game and ranked 131st out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to look in the future and make expectations and stuff like that,\u201d Castellanos said. \u201cWe\u2019re just going to focus on one day at a time and we\u2019re going to earn it and we\u2019re going to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Castellanos raised eyebrows over the summer when he said the Crimson Tide \u201cdon\u2019t have (coach) Nick Saban to save them. I just don\u2019t see them stopping me.\u201d He hasn\u2019t backed down since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI said what I said, and we stand on that,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t mean no disrespect to none of those guys at Alabama or anything like that. I just have confidence in my guys and the work we have been putting in and preparing and the preparation we\u2019ve been putting together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Seminoles added five defensive transfers who are expected to start, including well-traveled linebackers Elijah Herring (Memphis\/Tennessee), Stefon Thompson (Nebraska\/Syracuse) and James Williams (Nebraska\/Iowa Central). FSU is expected to have at least seven defensive starters who came from elsewhere, including nose tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. (Miami\/Maryland) and safety Earl Little Jr. (Alabama).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDesperate to win, desperate to eat, just desperate to succeed,\u201d Little said. \u201cWe hit on that every day. You come here to be desperate and to succeed and put that logo on your chest and play for your last name and the school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As challenging as it is to start against the Crimson Tide \u2014 FSU has lost six of its last eight openers \u2014 the team\u2019s toughest stretch might come in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Seminoles close out the regular season with three of four on the road, including games at No. 4 Clemson, at North Carolina State and at rival and 15th-ranked Florida. They also host No. 10 Miami in early October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"