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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Sunday, Seminole!

Today’s edition is loaded — emotional moments, big wins, elite visitors, and a historic jersey retirement across campus.

⚔️ A Powerful Moment on Legacy Walk
Freshman LB Ethan Pritchard made his first game-day appearance since surviving a life-threatening gunshot wound, drawing one of the loudest ovations Doak has heard all season.

🏈 FSU Smashes Virginia Tech for Win No. 600
The Noles capped their home slate with a 34–14 Senior Night statement, powered by Tommy Castellanos’ three touchdowns and another monster performance from Duce Robinson. Complementary football finally clicked — and bowl hopes are alive heading into a short week.

🏀 Women’s Hoops Hosts Indiana + Natasha Howard’s Jersey Retirement
Sunday brings a major non-conference test AND a historic halftime ceremony as FSU raises Natasha Howard’s jersey into the rafters.

🎯 FSU’s Biggest Recruiting Weekend of the Season
Six official visitors — including multiple flip targets and priority defensive pieces — are on campus as the staff pushes to stabilize the 2025 class.

🎙️ Inside the Locker Room: Norvell, Duce & Pritchard’s Impact
FSU’s staff and players break down how this week flipped the team’s mindset and why Pritchard’s return resonated so deeply.

🔍 How FSU–VT Looked From Both Sidelines
From Virginia Tech’s frustration to Tomahawk Nation’s film takeaways, we dive into what worked, what didn’t, and what it means heading toward NC State.

Let’s jump in.

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❤️‍🩹 Ethan Pritchard Makes Powerful Return During Legacy Walk ❤️‍🩹

Two and a half months after surviving a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head, freshman LB Ethan Pritchard made a moving appearance at FSU’s pregame Legacy Walk on Saturday.

🔥 A Moment That Stopped Everyone

• Pritchard arrived in a motorized wheelchair, greeted by loud cheers from both sides of the walkway.

• His father, Earl, carried the team’s hammer — normally reserved for the week’s top practice performer.

• It marked Pritchard’s first time back at a game since the Aug. 31 shooting.

💪 The Day Before: A Message to the Team

• Pritchard returned to the practice fields Friday after leaving rehab.

• When asked by Mike Norvell if he wanted to speak to the team, he kept it simple:
  “Go win.”

👉 Full Story & Video via Warchant

🏈 FSU Closes Home Slate with 34–14 Win Over Virginia Tech 🏈

Florida State capped its 2025 home schedule with a convincing 34–14 Senior Night victory — securing the 600th win in program history and delivering one of its most complete performances of the season.

🔥 Castellanos + Robinson Power the Offense

• Tommy Castellanos accounted for 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 passing), breaking FSU’s single-season QB rushing TD record with his 8th of the year.

• He finished 12–24 for 189 yards and added 45 rushing yards on 7 carries.

• Duce Robinson delivered another monster outing: 6 catches, 134 yards, 1 TD, his ACC-leading 5th 100-yard game and his 5th 120+ yard game of the season.

• FSU totaled 431 yards (237 rushing, 194 passing) with zero turnovers.

💨 Second-Half Surge

• FSU opened the third quarter with a 13-play, 63-yard TD drive, capped by a 1-yard Castellanos plunge.

• A forced fumble by freshman Mandrell Desir (sack + FF) led to a Randy Pittman Jr. wildcat TD for a 24–7 lead.

• After VT cut it to 24–14, FSU answered immediately with a 61-yard TD drive, finished by a 15-yard Castellanos run.

🔒 Defense Delivers Turnovers

• Jerry Wilson opened the night with an end-zone pick — his third INT of the year.

• Linebacker Blake Nichelson recovered the key third-quarter fumble.

• FSU held VT to 125 passing yards, and no team punted all game.

❤️‍🩹 Senior Night + Ethan Pritchard’s Return

• FSU honored 18 seniors before kickoff.

• Freshman LB Ethan Pritchard — two months removed from a life-threatening gunshot wound — joined the Legacy Walk, participated in warmups, and watched from the sideline.

• His presence lifted the team emotionally, with several players pointing to him postgame as the night’s true inspiration.

💡 Why It Matters
FSU is now 5–5, firmly back in bowl contention, and heads into a short week with momentum for Friday night’s ACC finale at NC State.

👉 Full Game Recaps via Seminoles.com, Warchant & 247Sports

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🏀 FSU Women’s Hoops Hosts Indiana + Natasha Howard Jersey Retirement 🏀

Florida State returns home Sunday for a marquee matchup vs. Indiana — and a historic halftime moment as FSU retires Natasha Howard’s jersey.

🔥 Spotlight on Senior Night & Military Appreciation

• FSU (3–1) hosts Indiana (3–1) at 5 p.m. inside the Tucker Center.

• Veterans receive up to four free tickets with valid military ID at the northwest box office.

• Broadcasts: ACC Network + 96.5 The Spear + SiriusXM 135.

💨 Noles Heating Up from Deep

• FSU beat Nicholls State 89–64 behind Jasmine Shavers’ 28 points and six made threes.

• Shavers and Sole Williams (23 pts, five steals, five threes) powered an offense averaging 11.3 threes per game — 8th nationally.

• Pania Davis added her first career double-double (12 pts, 10 boards).

🌟 Natasha Howard Jersey Retirement

• Howard becomes the fifth FSU player ever to have her jersey retired.

• 1,811 career points • 1,047 rebounds • 41 double-doubles • 186 blocks • 209 steals.

• Two-time All-ACC First Team • 2014 AP/WBCA All-America HM.

• Shares FSU’s single-game scoring record (40 vs. Syracuse).

• No. 5 pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft • 3× WNBA Champion • 2019 Defensive Player of the Year.

Why It Matters:
FSU gets its toughest test of the early season — on a night celebrating both military service and one of the greatest players in program history.

👉 Full Game Preview via Seminoles.com

🏈 Six Key Official Visitors Hit Tallahassee for Final Recruiting Weekend 🏈

Despite a rocky season, FSU is hosting a pivotal group of official visitors this weekend — six priority defensive targets and commits as the staff looks to stabilize the 2025 class and push momentum into 2026.

🔥 4⭐ LB Izayia Williams (FSU Commit)

• One of FSU’s wildest recruiting rides this cycle, but he’s remained fully locked in.

• Hasn’t visited any other schools — only FSU.

• This visit is about connections, fit, and seeing his role in the system during the home finale.

• Wants to be part of the rebuild and long-term resurgence.

💨 4⭐ EDGE Kam Wilson (Syracuse Commit)

• A top FSU edge target with a strong relationship with DL coach Terrance Knighton.

• Nebraska is the biggest competition — offers more staff stability right now.

• FSU must address coaching uncertainty and deepen his bond with current players to gain ground.

🔥 4⭐ EDGE Jalen Anderson (JUCO)

• Recruitment trending toward FSU vs. Vanderbilt down the stretch.

• Early playing time and a clear plan for usage in the defense will be decisive.

• Personal fit with Knighton could tip this one — this visit is crucial.

🔒 3⭐ DB Jordan Crutchfield (Kentucky Commit)

• One of the most important flip attempts of the weekend.

• Familiar with FSU early in his process + teammates with FSU WR commit EJ White.

• Staff will push hard to define his role (likely safety) and strengthen ties with Patrick Surtain & Evan Cooper.

💨 3⭐ EDGE Josh Warren (JUCO)

• Late push from FSU after an in-person evaluation — trending upward for the Noles.

• Auburn hosted him, but their coaching uncertainty helps FSU.

• Wants to talk extensively with players to understand day-to-day life inside the program.

🔥 3⭐ TE Corbyn Fordham (FSU Commit)

• Longtime Ohio State commit who flipped to FSU in early October.

• Local legacy who wanted to stay close to home; hasn’t visited elsewhere since committing.

• This weekend helps lock things in unless major staff changes occur.

👉 Full Visitor Breakdown via Warchant

🏈 Inside the Locker Room: Norvell Praises Resilience, Duce’s Rise & Pritchard’s Inspiration 🏈

A week after looking flat at Clemson, Florida State responded with one of its most complete efforts of the season — and the postgame messaging from Mike Norvell and his players made clear why the bounce-back happened.

🔥 “Resilient Week” — Norvell on the Team’s Response

• Norvell opened by crediting the locker room:
  “It was a resilient week… They poured into each other and wanted to get a win and send the seniors out the right way.”

• He emphasized the emotional swing from last Sunday’s low point to a sharp, disciplined week of work.

• Despite imperfections, he said the team “continued to battle” and played complementary football across all three phases.

💫 Duce Robinson Continues His Climb Toward 1,000 Yards
Norvell was effusive about his star receiver, who posted 134 yards and his third straight 100-yard game:

• “He just continues to show up… Every day has to be your championship day.”

• His favorite play wasn’t a catch — it was a block on a swing pass, exactly the off-ball effort Norvell challenged him to elevate.

• TE Randy Pittman added:
  “Back in January, he was first in, last out… I believed then he’d be a 1,000-yard guy.”

• Robinson now needs just 53 yards to become FSU’s first 1,000-yard receiver of the decade.

💨 Complementary Football Returns
Norvell highlighted how for the first time in weeks, all three phases stacked together:

• Defense: 2 takeaways + 2 fourth-down stops

• Offense: Clean execution, only one penalty, and timely second-half scoring

• Special Teams: Jaylin Lucas sparked multiple drives with strong returns

• “You felt all parts of the team working together — that’s what you want to see.”

❤️‍🩹 Ethan Pritchard’s Presence Energizes the Team
Norvell spoke at length about the emotional impact of LB Ethan Pritchard returning for Legacy Walk and game day:

• “He means so much to us… He fought through everything with heart.”

• When shown on the videoboard, Pritchard drew one of the loudest ovations of the night — from both sidelines.

• The two words he delivered at Friday practice: “Go win.”

🧠 Why It Matters
This was FSU’s most aligned performance in weeks — a needed momentum swing before a short-week road trip to NC State with bowl eligibility on the line.

👉 Full Postgame Pressers via Tomahawk Nation & 247

🏈 How FSU–VT Looked From Both Sides: Dominance, Flaws & What’s Next 🏈

From Virginia Tech’s vantage point to Tomahawk Nation’s film room, everyone agreed: FSU was better, Duce was ridiculous, and both teams still have big questions.

🔥 Hokies’ View: One-Dimensional & Undisciplined

• Virginia Tech piled up 238 rushing yards on 41 carries, but managed just 125 passing yards (10-of-18, 1 TD, 1 INT) — once the ground game slowed, they had no counter.

• The Hokies failed to record a sack, letting Tommy Castellanos extend plays and hit explosives like the 50-yard TD to Duce Robinson that flipped momentum before halftime.

• Game weirdness: zero punts. Tech’s six drives ended in: INT, FG, TD, fumble, turnover on downs, turnover on downs.

• Discipline issues lingered: 8 penalties for 59 yards, plus missed tackles, bad angles, and confusion vs motion/misdirection — their 4th straight game allowing 28+ points.

💫 FSU View: Duce, Tommy & “Complementary… Ish” Football

• Tomahawk Nation’s staff almost unanimously tabbed Duce Robinson as MVP — another 100+ yard night and the clear “lone bright spot” of a strange season.

• Several writers also shouted out Tommy Castellanos and LB Blake Nichelson (forced fumble recovery + 4th-down stop) as quiet difference-makers beyond the box score.

• Biggest difference? Many circled complementary football to open the 2nd half: long TD drive out of the break + forced fumble + short-field TD that stretched the lead to 24–7.

• Turnovers were a decisive edge: FSU won the turnover battle 2–1, cutting off promising VT drives and keeping the game from tightening late.

🛡️ Defense & What It Really Meant

• FSU held VT to 14 points, but both sides admitted it wasn’t exactly a clinic:

  • Tech still ran for 238 yards at 5.8 yards per carry.

  • Multiple TN writers knocked the early game plan (light boxes vs a run-heavy team) and tackling fundamentals.

• Verdict from the FSU side: somewhere between “met expectations” and “failed to meet them” — solid on the scoreboard, shaky on details.

🔮 Season Outlook: 2–0, 1–1, or 0–2?

• Predictions were all over the map:

  • Some see a path to 2–0 and an 8–5 finish with a mid-tier bowl win.

  • Others are bracing for 0–2, citing Carter–Finley on a Friday night + a revived Florida.

  • Most landed on 1–1 as the “most likely”, with total uncertainty about which version of FSU will show up week to week.

• One consistent theme: this team is capable of beating anyone left on the schedule — and capable of losing to them, too.

👉 Full Reaction & Instant Analysis via VT Beat & Tomahawk Nation

And that’s a wrap!

From Ethan Pritchard’s incredible return to a statement Senior Night win and a campus-wide weekend packed with emotion, history, and big-time visitors — this one felt like Florida State at its best.

Short week ahead. Bowl eligibility within reach. And momentum finally building again.

See you tomorrow, Chief — big days ahead in Tallahassee.

✌️ Go Noles.