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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
What must improve most for FSU to compete at Miami?
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Good morning, Seminole!
Florida State is 3-3 at the midpoint, and the numbers behind its wins and losses show how much changes when a game turns. Yesterday’s poll showed where readers stand: 124 of 188 voters said they are ready for major changes, while 35 expect more of the same.
There was a brighter Sunday at Tully Gym: volleyball swept Clemson for its fifth straight home win. We also have a pro Noles roundup and a look at the new men’s basketball roster.
📋 In Today's Chief Brief:
🏈 The Week After Louisville – The reported outlook for Mike Norvell
📊 The Numbers Behind 3-3 – What separates the wins from the losses
🛣️ Miami Is the Next Road Test – An 11-game streak and a big question
🏐 A Sunday Sweep – Clemson falls at Tully
🏈 Noles in the NFL – Winston, Green and defenders make plays
🏀 A New Basketball Roster – Six transfers and six freshmen
🗞️ Around the Noles – Recruiting and softball fall ball
Let's dive in. 🍢
Make Saturday look like this.
A flag on the porch. A flag at the tailgate. Garnet and gold wherever you watch. Desert Cactus makes officially licensed FSU flags in multiple designs, so your Saturday setup can look the part.
🏈 The Week After Louisville 🏈
Friday’s 44-20 loss left FSU at 3-3 and put Mike Norvell’s future back in focus. On3’s Pete Nakos reports that a change during the season appears unlikely, though his sources do not rule it out. No decision has been announced.
The immediate path: FSU visits No. 4 Miami on Saturday, then has a bye. Nakos reports that decisionmakers had viewed 7-5 or better as a possible route to Norvell returning in 2027.
The financial hurdle: Nakos estimates Norvell’s buyout at roughly $51 million and says replacing the coach and staff could put the total cost near $100 million. Those are reported estimates, not an announced FSU plan.
The on-field concern: Norvell is 4-15 in his last 19 ACC games, per On3. In Ira Schoffel’s Warchant column, the larger issue is how FSU responded after losing its early lead at Louisville.
Why It Matters: Saturday will bring another test of the team’s response under pressure. The coaching discussion is growing, but the university has not announced a change. 🍢🍢
📊 The Numbers Behind 3-3 📊
Noles247’s wins-versus-losses breakdown puts hard numbers on FSU’s uneven first half. The gap is most striking on defense.
Defensive yards allowed: 257.3 per game in FSU’s three wins; 563.0 per game in its three losses.
Rushing yards allowed: 64.7 per win; 266.3 per loss. Opponents have averaged 7.26 yards per rush in the losses.
Pressure and production: FSU averages 5.33 sacks in wins and 0.67 in losses. Its own rushing attack drops from 225.7 yards per win to 148.7 per loss.
Why It Matters: The 3-3 record contains two very different profiles. FSU needs to keep opponents out of the open field and generate pressure when it leaves Tallahassee. 🍢🍢
🛣️ Miami Is the Next Road Test 🛣️
Louisville extended FSU’s true road losing streak to 11 games. The next trip is to unbeaten, fourth-ranked Miami this Saturday, where the Seminoles will try to turn a better start into a complete game. ChopChat’s road-streak look | On3’s coaching outlook
In the rankings: After Week 6, FSU ranks 117th nationally in defensive yards allowed per play and 109th in yards allowed per rush, according to Noles247’s national-stat tracker.
On offense: FSU still ranks ninth in red-zone touchdown rate at 79.2%, but its sack rate ranks 120th in the same tracker.
Why It Matters: FSU has shown it can score; protecting the quarterback and sustaining stops are the sharper questions before Miami. 🍢🍢
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🏐 A Sunday Sweep at Tully 🏐
FSU volleyball swept Clemson 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 for its fifth straight home victory. The Seminoles are 10-6 overall and 4-1 in ACC play. FSU recap
At the net: FSU had 45 kills to Clemson’s 26, six aces to one and held the Tigers to a .101 hitting percentage.
Leading the way: Kyleene Filimaua put down 18 kills on .552 hitting and tied her season high with four aces. Nenu Kpea and Bailey Higgins each added nine kills.
Next up: The Noles visit No. 2 Pitt on Friday at 7 p.m., then No. 6 SMU on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Both matches are on ACCNX.
Why It Matters: The home streak gives FSU momentum before its toughest road weekend of the conference season so far. 🍢🍢
🏈 Noles in the NFL 🏈
Several former Seminoles made Sunday’s NFL roundup. Noles247’s tracker has the full list.
Jameis Winston: The Giants quarterback threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, adding 27 rushing yards.
Renardo Green: The 49ers cornerback picked off two passes and finished with three passes defended.
On defense: Darrell Jackson Jr. logged a sack and two passes defended for the Jets, while Jalen Ramsey made nine tackles for Pittsburgh.
Why It Matters: Sunday offered a reminder of Seminoles making an impact across the league. 🍢🍢
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🏀 A New Basketball Roster 🏀
Year two under Luke Loucks will look very different. Tomahawk Nation’s roster guide counts six transfers and six freshmen, with only one player returning who saw meaningful action last season.
New backcourt pieces: UNC Asheville transfer Kam Taylor averaged 18.9 points last season. Tallahassee native Anthony Robinson II arrives from Missouri after averaging 8.9 points and a team-high 1.6 steals.
Up front: Colorado transfer Sebastian Rancik averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season.
Still unresolved: Alex Steen is seeking another year of eligibility; his status remains uncertain in the roster guide.
Why It Matters: Loucks has experience to blend with a large freshman class as the season approaches. 🍢🍢
🗞️ Around the Noles 🗞️
🏈 Recruiting: Clearwater Catholic cornerback Daveon Belhomme plans to visit FSU for the NC State game after receiving an offer last week. Warchant also reports that FSU remains in contact with tight end targets Josh Pettigrew and DeShaun Thomas. On3 report
🥎 Fall ball: FSU beat Troy 9-2 in seven innings Sunday, then played extra situational innings. Bob Ferrante’s notes say Hayley Griggs hit a three-run homer and a double, freshman Kaylee Goodpaster added a two-run homer in a seven-run sixth, and sophomore Averi Dockery pitched three scoreless innings. FSU did not keep an official box score for the exhibition.
Next up: FSU’s fall schedule currently lists Gulf Coast State College at noon Saturday and Auburn at 1 p.m. Sunday, both at home.
Why It Matters: Recruiting keeps moving during Miami week, while softball’s young pitchers and new bats are getting fall-ball work. 🍢🍢
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for riding with us today, Seminole!
The Miami trip is coming, but there’s plenty to follow before Saturday. We’ll keep tracking the football response and the Noles across every sport.
Go Noles,
– The Chief Briefers
