Yesterday’s Poll Results

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🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Florida State is firing on all cylinders after an action-packed weekend! From thrilling wins on the court and diamond to key recruiting battles heating up, we’ve got everything you need to stay up to date on the latest Noles news.

🔥 In This Edition:

🏀 FSU Women’s Hoops Stuns No. 20 Georgia Tech – Sydney Bowles’ career-high 32 points lifts the Noles to a 73-70 road win.

🏈 Top CB Chauncey Kennon Names FSU & Georgia His Top 2 – The No. 1 corner in the 2026 class has the Noles in prime position.

⚾ FSU Baseball Sweeps Penn – No. 9 Florida State stays unbeaten with a 5-3 win to complete the weekend sweep.

🎾 FSU Men’s Tennis Stuns No. 9 Texas A&M – The Noles secure their first top-10 road win in over a decade.

🏊‍♂️ FSU Swimming & Diving Wraps Up ACC Championships – 21 podium finishes and a strong showing heading into NCAA competition.

🏈 FSU Pursuing 4⭐ WR Madden Williams – The Texas A&M commit is set to take an official visit to Tallahassee.

🏈 FSU’s 2025 Win Total Set at 7.5 – FanDuel releases early betting odds, projecting a challenging but promising season ahead.

👇️ Scroll down for all the details, key stats, and what’s next for the Noles

🏀 FSU Women’s Basketball Edges No. 20 Georgia Tech, 73-70

Florida State (22-6, 12-4 ACC) secured a thrilling 73-70 victory over No. 20 Georgia Tech (21-7, 9-7 ACC) on Sunday at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

Key Performances:

• ⭐ Sydney Bowles: Career-high 32 PTS, 6 AST

• 💪 Makayla Timpson: 19 PTS, 16 REB, 3 BLK (45th career double-double)

• 🔥 Clutch Moments: Timpson’s go-ahead jumper and key rebound in the final minute sealed the win.

How It Happened:

• 1st Half: FSU trailed 34-31 at halftime after a back-and-forth first two quarters.

• 3rd Quarter Surge: Bowles sparked a six-point run, helping the Noles grab a 57-49 lead.

• 4th Quarter Battle: Georgia Tech fought back to tie the game, but late buckets from Bowles and Timpson secured the win.

• Final Play: The Yellow Jackets had a chance to force overtime, but their final three-point attempt missed.

What’s Next:

🔥 FSU vs. No. 1 Notre Dame – Thursday, 8:00 PM ET (ACC Network)

🔗 More on FSU’s statement win and upcoming top-ranked showdown here

🏈 Top CB Chauncey Kennon Names FSU & Georgia as His Top Schools

The nation’s No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class, four-star Chauncey Kennon (Sarasota, FL – Booker), has over 30 offers but recently revealed that Florida State and Georgia are his top two schools.

"As of right now, I'm big on Georgia and Florida State," Kennon said ahead of the Under Armour camp in Orlando.

🔥 Recruiting Highlights:

• FSU & Georgia Lead the Race – Kennon cites strong relationships with both coaching staffs.

• FSU Official Visit Scheduled – June 13-15

• Other Official Visits: Auburn (May 16-18), Miami (May 30 - June 1), Georgia (June 6-8), LSU (June 20-22)

• 2024 Stats: 33 tackles, 16 passes defended, 1 INT | 10 receptions, 317 yards, 6 TDs

• National Ranking: No. 32 overall, No. 1 CB (247Sports)

🚀 Why FSU & Georgia Stand Out:

• Coaching Connections: Kennon has frequent conversations with FSU’s Mike Norvell, Tony White, and Patrick Surtain Sr., as well as UGA’s Kirby Smart and Donte Williams.

• Culture & Energy: He praised FSU’s culture and Norvell’s high-energy approach.

• Proximity Matters: Staying within a manageable distance from home is a key factor in his decision.

📅 What’s Next? 🔥 Decision Expected in July – FSU and Georgia will battle to the finish line. 🔥 Kennon will take all five official visits before making a final call.

🔗 More on FSU’s push to land the nation’s top CB here

⚾ No. 9 Florida State Completes Sweep of Penn with 5-3 Win

Florida State (7-0) stayed unbeaten by securing a 5-3 victory over Penn (0-3) on Sunday afternoon, completing the weekend sweep at Dick Howser Stadium.

Key Performances:

• 🔥 Wes Mendes (W, 2-0): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 Ks, 1 BB

• 💪 Maison Martinez: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 Ks

• 🎯 Ben Barrett (Save, 2nd career): 0.2 IP, 1 K, secures win with tying run at the plate

• 💣 Alex Lodise: HR for second straight day, 2 R

• ⚡ Gage Harrelson: 3rd multi-hit game, 2 R, RBI

How It Happened:

• 1st Inning: Harrelson led off with a single, followed by a Lodise walk. Fisher’s RBI double and West’s infield single put FSU up 2-0.

• 2nd Inning: Harrelson’s RBI single and an error by Penn extended the lead to 4-0.

• 4th Inning: Lodise crushed a solo homer (110 MPH exit velocity) to push the lead to 5-0.

• 5th Inning: Penn got on the board with an RBI double, but Mendes struck out eight in total to limit damage.

• 6th-8th Innings: Martinez kept Penn at bay, inducing a key double play and striking out three.

• 9th Inning: Barrett entered with the tying run at the plate, struck out the batter, and sealed the win.

What’s Next:

🔥 FSU hits the road to face Jacksonville on Tuesday at 6:00 PM ET at John Sessions Stadium.

🔗 More on FSU’s dominant weekend and upcoming road matchup here

🏈 FSU Targets Texas A&M WR Commit Madden Williams for 2026 Class

Florida State is making a push for one of California’s top 2026 recruits, four-star WR Madden Williams (Bellflower, CA – St. John Bosco), despite his commitment to Texas A&M.

Recruiting Highlights:

• 📅 FSU Official Visit Scheduled: June 6-8

• 🔥 FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell & OC Gus Malzahn visited Williams last month

• 🎯 FSU WR Coach Tim Harris Jr. also involved in his recruitment

• 🏈 2023 Season Stats: 50 receptions, 851 yards, 13 TDs

• ⭐ Rankings: No. 245 overall, No. 38 WR (247Sports)

Why FSU is in the Mix:

• Williams was last on campus in March 2023 for an unofficial visit.

• Strong performance in camp & 7v7 circuits has made him a coveted recruit.

• FSU aiming to flip the talented receiver from his Texas A&M commitment.

Scouting Report (via Greg Biggins):

• 📏 Size & Strength: 6'2", well-built, powerful WR.

• 🎯 Route Running: Polished and effective in contested catches.

• ⚡ Speed Development: Not a burner but uses technique to get open.

• 🏆 Competitive Edge: Shows No. 1 WR potential at the Power 4 level.

What’s Next?

🔥 FSU will look to impress during his June visit and push for a flip. 🔥 Monitor spring visits—Williams is expected to check out multiple schools in March & April.

🔗 More on FSU’s pursuit of Madden Williams here

🎾 FSU Men's Tennis Stuns No. 9 Texas A&M with 4-2 Road Upset

Florida State men’s tennis secured a massive 4-2 upset victory over No. 9 Texas A&M on Sunday, marking the program’s first top-10 road win since 2013.

Key Highlights:

• 🔥 Doubles Dominance:

  • Joshua Dous-Karpenschif & Erik Schiessl (Court 2) – 6-3 win (unbeaten in 8 matches)

  • Jan Sebesta & Jamie Connel (Court 3) – 6-4 win (clinched doubles point)

• 🎯 Singles Standouts:

  • Corey Craig (Court 1): 6-3, 7-6(4) win – First career No. 1 court victory

  • Azariah Rusher (Court 6): 7-5, 6-1 win – Sixth straight-set victory of the spring

  • Alex Bulte (Court 3): 6-2, 7-5 win – Third front-court victory of the season

How It Happened:

• FSU captured the doubles point with wins on Courts 2 & 3.

• The Seminoles stormed ahead in singles with wins from Rusher & Bulte.

• Texas A&M responded with two wins, tightening the match at 3-2.

• Craig sealed the upset on Court 1 with a second-set tiebreaker win.

What’s Next:

🏆 FSU Returns Home for ACC Play

• Friday, Feb. 28 – vs. Boston College 🏠

• Sunday, March 2 – vs. SMU (new ACC foe) 🏠

🔗 More on FSU’s historic road win and what’s ahead here

🏊‍♂️ FSU Swimming & Diving Closes ACC Championships with Strong Performances

Florida State wrapped up the ACC Championships in Greensboro, NC, with three more top-eight finishes, bringing their total to 21 podium finishes over the five-day event. 💪

Final Day Standouts:

• 🥇 Maddy Huggins (200 Breaststroke) – 7th place (2:08.94, A-final qualifier)

• 🤿 Kayleigh Clark (Platform Diving) – 8th place (250.80)

• 🏆 Men’s 400 Free Relay – 5th place (2:47.91, NCAA A cut)

  • Arkhangelskiy, Olsson, Herbet, Wilson

  • Arkhangelskiy sets fourth FSU record (41.68 leadoff leg)

ACC Championships Recap:

• 🏅 Michel Arkhangelskiy – 100 backstroke gold, 100 butterfly silver, 200 backstroke school record

• 🥈 Men’s 100 Medley Relay – ACC runner-up

• 🚀 FSU Sets Four School Records – Including two relay marks

• Final Team Standings:

  • Men: 7th place (639 points)

  • Women: 7th place (467 points)

Looking Ahead:

FSU now shifts its focus to the NCAA Championships next month, where they will look to carry this momentum forward and add more standout performances to an already impressive season. 🔥

🔗 More on FSU’s ACC Championship results and what’s next here

🏈 Florida State’s 2025 Win Total Set at 7.5 by FanDuel

Florida State’s 2025 season win total odds have finally been released, with FanDuel setting the over/under at 7.5 wins. The under is slightly favored at -118, while the over sits at -104.

🔥 Key Betting Lines:

• FSU Win Total: 7.5 (Under -118, Over -104)

• FSU vs. Alabama Spread: Alabama favored by 8.5 points (opened at 7.5)

• FSU vs. Alabama Over/Under: 51.5 total points

• Florida Win Total: 6.5 wins (Over -148)

🚀 Why the Uncertainty?

• FSU underwent major coaching changes, replacing six assistants, including both coordinators.

• Significant roster turnover adds unpredictability to the upcoming season.

• Despite last season’s struggles, FSU’s projected win total is still higher than in-state rival Florida.

📅 What’s Next? 

🔥 Season Opener: FSU faces Alabama in a marquee Week 1 matchup.

🔥 Betting Lines Could Move: Future roster and coaching developments may shift the odds.

🔗 More on FSU’s win total projections and early season betting lines here

And that’s a wrap!

That’s a wrap for today’s edition of The Chief Brief! The Noles are rolling across the board, from statement wins to major recruiting moves. As FSU gears up for another big week, stay locked in for all the latest updates.

📩 What’s your biggest takeaway from this weekend? Reply and let us know!

Until next time - Go Noles! 🍢