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Yesterday’s Poll Results
Today’s Poll
What will matter most for FSU against Miami?
🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹
Good morning, Seminole!
Luke Loucks’ team gave us the first on-court headline of the new basketball season: an 82–71 exhibition win over Auburn, powered by a remarkable debut from freshman Marcis Ponder. Football turns back toward Miami, where the road response and a Wednesday availability report frame Saturday’s test.
📋 In Today’s Chief Brief:
🏀 Auburn Takeaways – Ponder owns the glass in an exhibition win
🏈 The Miami Response – Norvell calls for four complete quarters
🩺 Availability Report – The first look at both teams’ injury lists
⭐ Rivalry Recruiting – Six prospects with both schools on their radar
📈 2028 Top247 – Seven FSU targets in the updated rankings
⚽ Soccer at Wake – A ranked road showdown tonight
🏀 Loucks’ Next Test – What Auburn did and did not answer
🗞️ Around the Noles – The line and the Louisville fallout
Let’s dive in. 🍢
Kickoff is coming. Are you ready?
The flag. The stickers. The keychain you grab on the way out. Desert Cactus has officially licensed FSU flags, posters, keychains, magnets, and stickers to round out your gameday setup. Get ready for the next kickoff.
🏀 Ponder Powers an Auburn Exhibition Win
FSU beat Auburn 82–71 Wednesday after trailing by five at halftime. Freshman center Marcis Ponder led the way. FSU’s game recap →
Owning the glass: Ponder had 13 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks, including 12 offensive boards, per FSU On SI.
Plenty of scoring help: Kam Taylor scored 19 with four steals; Shon Abaev added 15 and Sebastian Rancik 14.
A second-half turn: FSU won the second half 50–34 and held Auburn to 28.6% shooting. The Seminoles went 34-for-40 at the line, but 6-for-19 from deep.
Why It Matters: Ponder’s rebounding and FSU’s defense encouraged. LSU visits Oct. 24 for the final tuneup. 🍢🍢
🏈 Norvell Wants a Different Road Response
FSU visits No. 3 Miami carrying 11 straight true road losses. The Seminoles led at Alabama and Louisville before losing. Mike Norvell wants a steadier response to momentum swings. Read Noles247’s account →
Finish the game: FSU has started well but has yet to deliver 60 minutes of consistent offense against a strong opponent, Norvell said.
Disrupt Mensah: Darian Mensah completes 84.2% of passes with a 15–0 touchdown-interception mark. His quick release complicates pressure.
Handle the rush: Miami blitzes on roughly a third of snaps. FSU must protect Ashton Daniels and sustain drives.
Why It Matters: Miami averages more than 49 points. FSU needs longer drives and composure after setbacks. 🍢🍢
🩺 First FSU–Miami Availability Report Arrives
Wednesday’s first availability report lists several Seminoles out for Saturday’s game. The report is scheduled to update Thursday, Friday and again near kickoff. See Noles247’s full list →
FSU out: Running back Samuel Singleton Jr. and receiver Devin Carter join defensive backs Karson Hobbs, Jamari Howard and Jordan Crutchfield, plus linebackers Blake Nichelson, Izayia Williams and Daylen Green.
FSU watch list: Linebacker Noah LaVallee is questionable. Defensive lineman Darryll Desir, defensive back Zae Thomas and offensive lineman Paul Bowling are listed as probable.
Miami out: Receiver Joshua Moore and running back CharMar Brown are among six Hurricanes listed out. Miami had no one listed as probable or questionable Wednesday.
Why It Matters: The lists can change before kickoff, but they show the depth each staff must prepare to use. 🍢🍢
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Complete the guided 10 minute test and you get $5 even if Fo finds nothing. Anything you actually recover is yours to keep (obviously).
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⭐ The Recruiting Battle Travels to Miami
Saturday’s game also puts six 2028 recruiting targets who have heard from both programs in one stadium. Warchant and CaneSport compared where FSU and Miami stand with each prospect. Read the joint report →
George Selvie, offensive line: Selvie has visited both schools. Warchant notes his relationship with FSU line coach Herb Hand; CaneSport says Miami impressed him and his father.
Malik Muhammad, edge: FSU has hosted the South Georgia prospect for camp and two games. He has called the Seminoles his hometown team, while Miami has also brought him to campus.
Prince Che, defensive line: The five-star did not list FSU among his recent top schools. He has visited Tallahassee twice, but both analysts describe the Seminoles as trailing Miami and Texas A&M.
JC Wessel, tight end: FSU has prioritized Wessel, though he has not visited since spring. Miami is also recruiting him.
Why It Matters: A rivalry Saturday can shape relationships well beyond this season. For FSU, the recruiting challenge is to turn existing contact into momentum. 🍢🍢
📈 Seven FSU Targets Make the Updated Top247
Seven FSU targets made the updated 2028 Top247. Four were previously unranked. Noles247 breaks down all seven →
Antonio Thomas Jr.: The edge rusher fell from No. 14 to No. 51. An FSU fan growing up, he plans a Clemson-game visit and could reclassify to 2027.
Dalen Powell and Giovanni Tuggle: No. 58 Powell and No. 82 Tuggle, an Ole Miss commit, plan Clemson-game visits.
New names on the list: Jaxon Flowers (149), Hudson West (153), Baganley Donzo (161) and AJ Criss (214) entered the list.
Five fall out: Quarterback Chandler Dyson, corner Izayah Vickers, linemen George Selvie III and Omari Lawson, and defensive lineman Zylen Little dropped out of the Top247. FSU remains involved with each →
Why It Matters: Upcoming visits will show where FSU has the strongest traction. 🍢🍢
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⚽ No. 24 Soccer Visits No. 4 Wake Forest
FSU soccer returns from a 10-day break tonight at No. 4 Wake Forest. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network. The North Carolina match was postponed, so this is the Seminoles’ first game since beating ranked Clemson on Oct. 4. FSU’s match preview →
FSU’s form: The Seminoles are 5-1-3, unbeaten in their last five, and 2-0 against ranked opponents this season. Both top-25 wins came on the road.
Who to watch: Sam Erbach and Wrianna Hudson have four goals apiece. Goalkeeper Kate Ockene has three shutouts.
The opponent: Wake Forest is 10-1-1 and 7-0 at home. FSU is 3-9-2 all-time in Winston-Salem, even as it has won six of the last seven meetings overall.
Why It Matters: The first match after a long break comes against one of the nation’s best teams. FSU continues the road swing at Pitt on Sunday. 🍢🍢
🏀 What Auburn Answered—and What Remains
Before the exhibition, Loucks told Warchant his focus was defense and rebounding. A ChopChat analysis also identified shot selection as a Year 2 question. Wednesday offered encouraging evidence, with more to prove.
Rebounding: Ponder’s 21 boards stood out against an Auburn roster with two seven-footers. Last season, opponents collected 12.3 offensive rebounds per game against FSU.
Perimeter defense: FSU held Auburn to 26.3% from three. Last season, opponents took about 27 threes per game and made 34.6% of them.
Offensive balance: The Seminoles earned 40 free throws but shot 6-for-19 from deep. FSU On SI also noted Abaev needed 16 shots for his 15 points.
Why It Matters: One exhibition cannot settle season-long questions. LSU on Oct. 24 will offer another look at whether the defensive effort and interior presence carry over. 🍢🍢
🗞️ Around the Noles
Miami’s early line: FSU was a 21.5-point underdog in ChopChat’s Wednesday odds snapshot. Lines can move before kickoff.
After Louisville: Norvell apologized Monday for his postgame language. FSU On SI reported that many fan reactions focused instead on the team’s performance.
TV conversation: FSU–Louisville drew 2.66 million ESPN viewers, according to On3’s Week 6 ratings. A Tomahawk Nation community post asks whether FSU–Miami will top last year’s audience.
And that’s a wrap!
That is the news for today. The hoops win gives Loucks a starting point; Miami week will test whether the football team can build a finish to match its fast starts.
Thanks for reading The Chief Brief. Share it with a Seminole who wants the full picture, and we’ll be back tomorrow. Go Noles! 🍢
