Florida’s Kyra Taylor opened the scoring in the 22nd minute off a Mia Gray assist, then struck again in the 62nd minute on a feed from Zoe Main. Montelene Dymond made it 3-0 in the 79th minute, assisted by Tatum Borman.

Freshman forward Ryder Ajeto answered for FSU in the 83rd minute, her second goal of the season, but the Seminoles could not find another before the final whistle.

Florida out-shot FSU 14-8 with an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Goalkeeper Kate Ockene finished with five saves, more than double her season total entering the match.

FSU’s nine-game winning streak and 13-game unbeaten streak both came to an end, runs that were tied for No. 7 and No. 9 in program history.

A five-game shutout streak, fourth-most all-time at FSU, also closed out, along with an eight-game winning streak in the rivalry series itself.

FSU falls to 18-14-0 all-time against Florida and 9-8-0 on the road in the series, now sitting at 3-1-0 on the season.

Fifth-year quarterback Ashton Daniels heads into the opener as the unquestioned starter after a confident, decision-heavy camp, with FSU’s staff repeatedly voicing confidence in him throughout August. Junior college transfer Malachi Marshall closed camp as the primary backup over sophomore Kevin Sperry, showing more upside at the position.

Sophomore Ousmane Kromah emerges as the clear top option in the backfield after a standout camp built on his versatility as a runner, pass catcher and blocker, with the staff viewing him as a potential feature back.

Senior Samuel Singleton Jr. rounds into the No. 2 role after Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner sat out both scrimmages, setting up a three-man rotation with Wisner, Gemari Sands and Zay Parks providing depth.

Senior Duce Robinson enters the season as FSU’s best player and a preseason second-team All-American, with junior Micahi Danzy and sophomore Jayvan Boggs rounding out a deep receiver room that features freshman Jasen Lopez pushing hard for first-team reps after one of the best camps on the roster.

At tight end, East Carolina transfer Desirrio Riles and junior Landen Thomas battled to the final week for the top spot, with Riles offering more in the passing game and Thomas the better blocker. Sophomore Chase Loftin and fifth-year Greyson Labiad add depth behind them.

Blocking at tight end remains the group’s biggest question mark entering the season, though the staff believes its four-man rotation can handle it.

FSU’s projected starting five is fifth-year left tackle Xavier Chaplin, senior left guard Andre' Otto, senior center Bradyn Welch-Joiner, fifth-year right guard Nate Pabst and senior right tackle Chimdia Nwaiwu, though sophomore Paul Bowling and junior Jonathan Daniels each pushed hard enough in August to make left guard and right tackle genuine competitions.

Offensive line coach Herb Hand said he is confident in his top five regardless of the final combination, and the staff views this group as deeper than a year ago behind reserves Chavez Thompson, Sean Poret and Jayden Todd.

FSU projects Texas A&M transfer Rylan Kennedy as the starting Jack, with junior college product Jalen Anderson pushing for snaps behind him after a strong camp built on motor and desire. The Desir twins, Mandrell and Darryll, add interior-to-edge versatility after both flirted with transferring in January before staying.

At linebacker, Southern Miss transfer Chris Jones and returning senior Caleb LaVallee project as the top two options under new linebackers coach Ernie Sims, who wants “apex predators” at the position. Fifth-year Nebraska transfer Mikai Gbayor adds experience in coordinator Tony White’s system as he works back from a spring injury.

Interior linemen Daniel Lyons, Deante McCray, Jordan Sanders and Kevin Wynn round out a rotation the staff believes can win individual matchups and handle multiple looks up front.

Seniors Ja'Bril Rawls and Quindarrius Jones project as the starting cornerbacks, with South Alabama transfer Nehemiah Chandler and junior Charles Lester III as the first options off the bench. Fifth-year Ashlynd Barker earned praise all camp for his handling of the rover role.

Safeties coach Evan Cooper expects to rotate more at safety than a year ago, when the position wore down late in the season, with sophomore Ma'Khi Jones, junior CJ Richard Jr. and senior K.J. Kirkland sharing time behind Barker.

Special teams is largely set with North Dakota State transfer Caleb Bowers at long snapper, New Mexico transfer Daniel Hughes punting, and Oklahoma State transfer Gabe Panikowski handling field goals, while sophomore Conor McAneney took the lead on kickoffs late in camp.

Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll interior lineman Charlie Pisani, who camped in Tallahassee this summer, returns to Doak Campbell on October 3 for the Virginia game, using the trip to gauge where the program is heading.

Miami, Tennessee, FSU, Virginia Tech and a fresh Ole Miss offer (extended August 21) round out his group. Pisani said he likes Mike Norvell and wants to see FSU “going in the right direction” on the field before deciding how it factors into his recruitment.

Pisani holds an 86 prospect rating, ranking No. 38 among interior offensive linemen and No. 81 in Florida.

Four-star offensive tackle Timi Aliu, a Locust Grove, Georgia product committed to Nebraska since May 25, will be in Tallahassee for the New Mexico State opener despite his firm pledge to the Huskers.

FSU does not have a single offensive lineman committed in the class after its lone O-line visitor this summer, DaJohn Yarbrough, chose Cal shortly after his trip, making any flip interest notable.

Aliu, who has also stayed in contact with North Carolina and Georgia, ranks 270th nationally and 23rd among offensive tackles in the industry rankings.

Daniel Hughes dropped out of high school in Australia, completed a carpentry apprenticeship, and ran his own construction business by his mid-20s before deciding to chase a football career after watching Prokick Australia athletes he felt he could out-kick.

Lacking a high school diploma, Hughes had to complete additional academic work to become NCAA eligible, a process he called “horrible” but one that Prokick head punting coach Nathan Chapman said he handled well once he committed to it.

After Prokick, Hughes played a year at City College of San Francisco, then a year at New Mexico, where his unit ranked 10th nationally with 43.02 net yards per punt, before transferring to FSU.

Hughes has built more than 50,000 Instagram followers documenting his daily life as an FSU athlete, saying his content stays genuine rather than performative.

Chapman said Hughes balances his online personality with real dedication to the craft, calling him primed for another strong year after his production at New Mexico.

Former UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea told ESPN’s Max Olson he thought he was headed to Florida State during the portal frenzy, calling the Seminoles the first school to host him for a visit and saying he “almost did go.”

Head coach Mike Norvell called Colandrea personally before FSU’s decision on Daniels became public, but financial constraints played a role in the Seminoles not landing Colandrea or DJ Lagway, who left for Baylor.

Colandrea ultimately signed with Nebraska, moving from the Mountain West to the Big Ten, while Daniels became FSU’s choice out of Auburn.

In his lone season at UNLV, Colandrea completed 275 of 417 passes for 3,459 yards with 23 touchdowns against nine interceptions, adding 649 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground.

The production earned him Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors.

John Garrett said the top offseason priority was retaining defensive linemen and veterans while overhauling an offensive line that lost every starter to graduation and the draft, calling the group’s development “really pleased” so far.

His evaluation philosophy centers on identifying fit over financial investment, arguing that no NIL budget guarantees success without strong player evaluation.

Garrett said Daniels' leadership stood out immediately on his portal visit, separating him from fellow visitors DJ Lagway and Anthony Colandrea, both of whom ultimately left without an FSU commitment largely over financial terms.

He credited Duce Robinson's early decision to return for 2026, made before the portal opened, with helping stabilize the quarterback room and giving Daniels a proven target from day one.

Garrett called retaining the Desir twins on the defensive line one of the offseason’s biggest wins, along with landing Texas A&M’s Rylan Kennedy and junior college transfer Jalen Anderson at the edge.

He singled out linebacker Chris Jones, who led the Sun Belt with 134 tackles in 2025, saying his instincts and relentless pursuit of the ball were evident on his very first visit.

49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune racked up six tackles, including two tackles for loss, in San Francisco’s 41-17 win over the Chargers. Cornerback Renardo Green started and added two solo stops in the same game.

Jets cornerback Azareye’h Thomas started and posted a pair of tackles in a 17-0 shutout of Pittsburgh, while Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald hit field goals from 48 and 61 yards in a win over Jacksonville.

Falcons safety Jammie Robinson factored in all over the field in Atlanta’s win over Indianapolis, recording a tackle, a pass defended and two special teams stops.

Chargers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw a 28-yard touchdown while going 7 of 15 passing, and the Colts cut running back Roydell Williams during final roster trims.

Bills receiver Keon Coleman remains out in a walking boot with a sprained foot, and Cardinals running back Trey Benson continues to be limited by a knee issue.

Seattle closes out Week 2 Sunday night against Tennessee, with former Seminoles Bobby Hart and Jermaine Johnson II both in action.

Inside Seminole Football, hosted by Mike Norvell and Voice of the Seminoles Jeff Culhane, streams live from the new Dunlap Football Center starting tonight at 7 p.m. on the Seminoles Unconquered app and FSU Football’s X and Facebook accounts.

The show also airs on WTXL ABC in Tallahassee Tuesdays at 7 p.m., in Miami on WSFL Saturdays at 11 a.m., and in West Palm Beach on WHDT Saturdays at 1 p.m. through October 3.

Tonight’s premiere features defensive coordinator Tony White as the special guest, five days before kickoff against New Mexico State.