Florida State football and head coach Mike Norvell face a crucial turning point after falling to 3-2 following a 28-22 loss to in-state rival No. 2 University of Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles trailed 28-3 in the fourth quarter before a late rally shrank the final margin — a finish that left questions about urgency and execution while the game was still in reach.
In losses to No. 19 Virginia and Miami, Florida State committed a total of six turnovers. Under first-year offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, the ’Noles emphasized a run-first, up-tempo approach that keeps transfer senior quarterback Thomas Castellanos out of obvious passing situations.
Against Miami, the play at the line of scrimmage told the story. Miami brought one of the nation’s deepest offensive and defensive lines, and the Garnet and Gold struggled to protect and win first downs early.
Defensively, first-year defensive coordinator Tony White tilted toward the run, showing four and five-man fronts rather than his base 3-3-5 scheme. He rotated edge rushers, including redshirt juniors Jayson Jenkins and Deante McCray and first-year Mandrell Desir, whose physical archetypes and skill sets set up better for run defense.
With resources committed to Miami’s downhill run game, Florida State left its corners on islands. Houston transfer and senior cornerback Jeremiah “Jerry” Wilson was beaten on multiple long pass plays — Miami redshirt senior wide receiver C.J. Daniels and true first-year wide receiver Malachi Toney killed Wilson and the secondary all night.
The Seminoles’ secondary faces another test on Saturday, as the Pittsburgh Panthers arrive with a top-15 passing attack behind true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel.
The Panthers also enter with the No. 11 rushing attack in the ACC at just 3.8 yards per carry. White will likely lean back into his 3-3-5 scheme and will remain in search of a primary pass rusher — transfer defensive end James Williams is still seeking his first sack or tackle for loss after recording five sacks and 5.5 TFLs with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2024. Further, no front-seven player has more than one sack, and only two Garnet and Gold players have multiple hits on the quarterback through five games.
Norvell updated the depth chart for Week 6, addressing injuries and performance, especially in the secondary. True first-year cornerback Shamar Arnoux is now a co-starter at field safety with redshirt sophomore defensive back Edwin Joseph after Arnoux saw 13 snaps against Miami. At 6-foot-2 with a track background, Arnoux adds range on the back end of Florida State’s defense.
Some important injuries to monitor for the Seminoles ahead of their game in Pittsburgh are those related to redshirt senior right tackle Micah Pettus and redshirt junior safety Ashlynd Barker. Redshirt senior right guard Adrian Medley stepped out to right tackle after Pettus went down last week but struggled against the ferocious Miami pass rush. Barker was the most consistent presence in the Seminoles’ secondary before his shoulder injury against Virginia. He brings a 6-foot-3, 216-pound frame to the safety position with sound ball-hawk instincts. If the ‘Noles are yet again without Barker, look for Arnoux as well as redshirt senior Shyheim Brown and redshirt sophomore KJ Kirkland to step up in the safety rotation.
The Seminoles own the nation’s second-ranked rushing attack at 295.4 yards per game, driven by Malzahn’s misdirection and the threat of the quarterback run in Castellanos. Junior running back Gavin Sawchuk and true first-year Ousmane Kromah are a two-headed monster out of the backfield, averaging 5.3 and 5.8 yards per carry on the season. However, against the dominant Miami front, they totaled only 70 yards on 17 carries.
For the Seminoles’ run game to remain efficient, it will need playmakers in first-year wide receiver Micahi Danzy and redshirt junior Jaylin Lucas to stretch the Pitt defense. Danzy and Lucas have shown their elite speed this season, with Danzy the ACC recordholder in the 400m dash and Lucas a former All-American returner.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi’s identity is on run stuffing, while scheming up blitzes at the second level. If the offensive line can hold up, Castellanos will have opportunities to hit explosive pass plays on Saturday. Coming off a two-interception performance against Miami, Castellanos’ decision-making and ball security could decide the game against the Panthers.
Junior Duce Robinson and senior Squirrel White are the most prominent vertical threats in the Seminoles’ wide receiver room. Robinson stands at 6-foot-6 and could be difficult for the Panthers to cover, while White’s burning speed offers all the potential for explosive plays.
Pitt’s strength and commitment to stopping the run is a massive test for the Seminoles. They could play in another tightly contested game when they face the Panthers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 11, at noon.
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