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- 🏹 November 22nd - The Chief Brief 🏹
🏹 November 22nd - The Chief Brief 🏹
Historic highs at home, familiar heartbreak on the road
The Chief
November 22, 2025
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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
Will FSU beat Florida to become bowl eligible? |
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Happy Stress Free Saturday, Seminole!
A brutal loss in North Carolina but excellent victories elsewhere:
🏀 Lajae Jones Makes History in 98–72 Win 🏀
FSU moved to 4–1 after Jones tied the school record with 10 threes and dropped a career-high 36, leading the Noles to a blowout at the Tucker Center.
🏐 FSU Upsets No. 15 UNC for First Ranked Win 🏐
The Noles took down the Tar Heels in four sets behind 23 kills from Iane Henke, hitting a season-best .353 to secure a signature victory at Tully Gym.
🏊♂️ Noles Close Georgia Invite with Top-3 Finish 🏊♂️
FSU wrapped the meet with seven top-five finishes, including a platform title from Kayleigh Clark, as both squads topped multiple Top-20 programs.
🏈 FSU Collapses 21–11 at NC State, Bowl Fate Shifts to Gainesville 🏈
Back-to-back muffed punts sealed the Noles’ eighth straight road loss, dropping FSU to 5–6 with postseason hopes now resting on next week at Florida.
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🏀 Lajae Jones Ties FSU Record with 10 Threes in 98–72 Win 🏀
Florida State moved to 4–1 and stayed unbeaten at the Tucker Center after a historic shooting night powered by sophomore guard Lajae Jones.
🔥 Jones Makes History
Career-high 36 points — most by an FSU player since Al Thornton’s 45 in 2007.
Tied the single-game school record with 10 made threes, matching George McCloud (1989).
First Seminole with 30+ points since Jamir Watkins on Nov. 9, 2024.
💨 Three-Point Barrage
FSU hit 17 threes — tied for 4th-most in school history.
Attempted 49 threes, setting new FSU and ACC single-game records (previous: 47 vs Alabama State on Nov. 7).
Jones broke previous personal highs of 24 points and 6 made threes.
📈 Game Flow
Opened on 9–0 run and never trailed.
Closed the first half with an 8–0 burst to lead 40–29.
Jones scored 13 straight points spanning halftime, including three consecutive threes to open the second half.
Largest lead reached 38 points (96–58) with 3:00 remaining.
🌟 Supporting Performances
Chauncey Wiggins: 11 points, 10 rebounds (first career double-double), 3 assists.
Kobe MaGee: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals.
Cam Miles: 11 points, career-high 5 assists — second straight game in double figures.
Alex Steen: 9 points, 6 rebounds; opened scoring with a dunk for second straight game.
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU’s offense is exploding early in the season, pairing pace and volume shooting with emerging depth and Jones’ breakout adds a new ceiling to what this team can be.
🏐 FSU Upsets No. 15 North Carolina for First Ranked Win 🏐
Florida State grabbed its signature victory of the season Friday night, taking down No. 15 UNC in four sets (23–25, 25–16, 25–21, 25–21) inside Tully Gym.
🔥 Henke Takes Over
23 kills on .400 hitting
Season-high 15 digs
Tied career-high 5 blocks
Had 7 of FSU’s 13 kills in the opening set
💨 Set-by-Set Flow
Set 1: 9 ties, 4 lead changes — UNC edges it late, 25–23
Set 2: FSU erupts with 11–2 run behind aces from Russ, Filimaua & Nicholson → 25–16
Set 3: Early 6–1 surge, Henke + Filimaua combine for 11 kills → 25–21
Set 4: 16 ties, 6 lead changes — FSU pulls away at 20, sealed by Lexie Mason → 25–21
📈 Team Highlights
Season-high .353 hitting percentage
58 kills, 7 aces, 10 blocks
Improved to 48–26 all-time vs UNC and 32–8 at Tully Gym
🧠 Why It Matters
The Noles secure their first ranked win of the year and build momentum heading into Sunday’s home matchup.
🏊♂️ FSU Closes Georgia Invite with 3rd-Place Finish & Platform Title 🏊♂️
Florida State wrapped up the four-day Georgia Invitational on Friday with seven top-five finishes — including a platform victory — against five Top-20 programs.
🔥 Standout Performances
Kayleigh Clark won platform with 314.70 (her 2nd top-3 of the week)
Logan Robinson: 2nd in 200 fly 1:40.40 (dropped a full second)
Gustav Olsson: 3rd in 100 free 42.43 (NCAA cut, tied 7th all-time)
Max Wilson: 42.07 in 100 free — now No. 3 in FSU history
Carlos Vargas: career-best 364.10 for 3rd on platform
📊 Team Results
Men (No. 16): 3rd place — ahead of No. 13 LSU, No. 14 Alabama, GT
Women: 5th place — beat GT, trailed four Top-20 teams
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🏃♀️🏃♂️ Three Noles Head to NCAA Cross Country Nationals on Saturday 🏃♀️🏃♂️
Florida State will send Bieke Schipperen, Rylee Blade, and Isaac Hirshman Chandler to the NCAA National Championship in Columbia, Missouri.
🌟 Who’s Running
Rylee Blade (Fr.)
Led FSU in 4 of 7 races
2× ACC Freshman of the Week
7th at NCAA South Regional in 19:29.1 (5th-fastest time in FSU history)
Bieke Schipperen (Sr.)
2nd straight NCAA appearance
All-ACC & All-Region in back-to-back seasons
Finished 57th at 2023 nationals
Isaac Hirshman Chandler (Fr.)
First NCAA appearance
Led men’s team in 4 straight meets
12th at NCAA South Regional (29:49.5)
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU sends a rising freshman star, a proven veteran, and a breakout newcome giving the Noles legitimate scoring potential on both sides at the season’s biggest stage.
🏈 FSU Collapses 21–11 at NC State, Road Curse Deepens 🏈
Florida State did nearly everything required to lose on Friday night — and did — falling 21–11 in Raleigh and dropping to 5–6 (2–6 ACC) with bowl eligibility now hanging by a thread.
🔥 Self-Inflicted Disaster (Again)
4 turnovers — 0 takeaways
Two muffed punts in final 5 minutes
8 penalties after multiple red-zone chances
Special teams: missed FG (51) + earlier miss from 35
Now 0–4 on the road in 2025 and eight straight road losses dating back to last season
💨 How the Game Unraveled
FSU opened with a 56-yard drive → INT
Trailed 7–3 at halftime after red-zone penalties and missed FG
NC State controlled the entire 3rd quarter (10+ minutes TOP) to go up 14–3
FSU’s best drive: 86 yards, TD to Duce Robinson, 2-pt to Jayvan Boggs → 14–11
Final sequence:
Punt hits KJ Kirkland’s helmet → NC State recovers
Next punt muffed by Squirrel White at FSU 14 → Wolfpack TD
Final FSU possession ends in interception
🔥 Individual Notes
Tommy Castellanos: 16–32, 203 yards, TD, 2 INT; 11 rushes for 76 yards
Duce Robinson: 4 catches, 74 yards, TD → surpasses 1,000 yards
Defense: 4 sacks (Deante McCray with the key 4th-quarter sack)
📊 Final Stats Snapshot
Total yards: FSU 383 — NC State 286
Rushing: FSU 180 — NC State 134 (5.3 YPC vs 3.2)
3rd down: FSU 5–12 — NC State 7–16
Red zone: FSU 1–2 — NC State 2–2
Turnovers: FSU 4 — NC State 0
Time of possession: 27:03 — 32:57
📉 Historical & Coaching Context
FSU hasn’t won in Raleigh since 2016
Norvell now 0–4 vs NC State
Seminoles have lost 6 of last 7 in the series
Road record under Norvell: 10–16 overall, 8 straight losses
🧠 Why It Matters
FSU now gets one final shot — at Florida next Saturday — to avoid missing a bowl for the fourth time under Norvell. One game will decide postseason fate, recruiting narrative, and how hot the seat gets heading into December.
👉 Full post-game breakdowns available across Noles247, Warchant & Tomahawk Nation
🔥 Norvell: “Hell No” — Coach Admits FSU Isn’t Meeting Expectations 🔥
After FSU’s latest road loss, Mike Norvell didn’t dodge the question — he hit it head-on.
💬 Direct Quote of the Night
“Hell no… we’re not even close to living up to expectations.”
Norvell acknowledged the program has failed to meet the administration’s stated “high expectations” — the same standard that will determine his future after the season.
📉 Recurring Issues He Cited
Slow starts on the road
Missed red-zone chances
Turnovers on the positive side of the field
Two muffed punts sealing the loss
Missed field goals and stalled drives
Norvell:
“It’s extremely frustrating… you’ve got to make plays to win the game, and we’ve failed to do that numerous times.”
🧠 What’s Next
FSU’s bowl hopes — and potentially Norvell’s job security — now depend on beating Florida in Gainesville next weekend.
🏈 FSU Sinks to 0–8 on the Road as Late-Game Errors Doom Comeback Hopes 🏈
Florida State’s 21–11 loss at NC State extended an eight-game road losing streak and pushed the Seminoles to 5–6 with bowl eligibility now resting entirely on Gainesville.
🔥 Two Fatal Special Teams Mistakes
Back-to-back punt return turnovers in the 4th quarter
First bounced off KJ Kirkland’s helmet
Second muffed by Squirrel White at the FSU 14
Both erased any chance at completing an 86-yard TD drive comeback
📉 Production Without Points
Outgained opponents in 10 of 11 games
Still 6 losses this season
Red-zone stalls and drive-killing miscues continue
Staff and fans describe it as a feature, not a bug
💬 Reaction from Tomahawk Nation
Belief in comeback: “Not an ounce.” … “Fully expected heartbreak.”
Why scoring stalls: “Self-inflicted mistakes… loser blood… tight coaching and tight players.”
Blame assignment: Split, but several cite coaching loyalty and decision-making
Bright spots: Mandrell Desir, young defenders, Duce Robinson hitting 1,000 yards
UF outlook: Majority predict a loss — unless an interim bump appears
And that’s a wrap!
From record-breaking threes to another road gut punch, the Noles packed a full week into one night — and now the entire season comes down to The Swamp.
Next edition: full Florida preview, bowl scenarios, and what’s actually at stake beyond six wins.
Until then — stay locked in, stay unconquered, and we’ll see you tomorrow.
— Chief
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