Forwarded this email from a friend? Subscribe at the button below

Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

It was a bruising weekend for the Noles — another heartbreaking finish on the gridiron, pointed words from the press, but plenty of promise elsewhere across campus.

🏈 Football Collapse in Palo Alto
FSU’s 20–13 loss to Stanford marked its fourth straight defeat and ninth consecutive ACC loss, ending inches short at the goal line. With the bye week ahead, all eyes are now on Mike Norvell’s job security.

📰 Corey Clark Calls It Over
Warchant’s Corey Clark declared Norvell’s tenure “past the point of no return,” describing the program’s struggles as “magic turned tragic.”

🏊‍♀️ Swimming & Diving Finish Third in Atlanta
The Noles capped the Dual Meet Tournament with a strong showing against Auburn, led by standout wins from Logan Robinson, Michel Arkhangelsky, and Julia Mansson.

🏐 Volleyball Grinds Out Five-Set Win at Cal
Behind Iane Henke’s 27 kills and Kyleene Filimaua’s 25, FSU outlasted the Golden Bears in a marathon battle to return home above .500.

⛳ Golf Opens Jim West Challenge
FSU women’s golf teed off in Texas with a superstition-filled lineup chasing its first team title since 2017 — and wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

⚾ Baseball Splits Fall Opener in Pensacola
The Seminoles battled Mississippi State to an even draw across 14 innings, highlighted by Eli Putnam’s homer and Kelvyn Paulino Jr.’s clutch RBI singles.

Let’s get into it 👇️ 

📉 FSU Falls to Stanford in Heartbreaking Finish, Drops Fourth Straight 📉 

Florida State’s season hit a new low in Palo Alto, as the Seminoles (3–4, 0–4 ACC) fell to underdog Stanford 20–13 in a late-night thriller that ended on the 2-yard line — literally.

💀 The Final Play
True freshman Kevin Sperry, pressed into action after starter Tommy Castellanos exited with an injury, nearly delivered a miracle finish. With one untimed down left, Sperry shoveled a short pass to Gavin Sawchuk, who appeared to cross the goal line on replay — but the side judge ruled him short, and after a three-minute review, the call stood.

🔥 Key Moments

• Early Errors: FSU opened the game with a delay of game penalty and repeated mistakes — 13 penalties for 87 yards total, including an offsides on a missed Stanford field goal that gave the Cardinal new life.

• Stanford’s 94-yard TD Drive: Despite losing their starting QB to a sack from K.J. Kirkland, the Cardinal strung together a 94-yard march, aided by two costly Seminole penalties, to take a 20–10 lead.

• Castellanos’ Effort: Before leaving, Castellanos went 14-for-28 for 242 yards and rushed for FSU’s lone TD, but never looked fully healthy.

• Bright Spots: Duce Robinson (4 catches, 98 yards) and Micahi Danzy (3 catches, 106 yards) provided explosive plays in the loss.

📉 By the Numbers

• FSU Outgained Stanford: 444–293 total yards

• Penalties: FSU 13 for 87 yards

• Streaks: 4 straight losses overall | 9 straight in ACC play

😬 The Fallout
The loss leaves FSU at the bottom of the ACC standings heading into the bye week — and puts head coach Mike Norvell’s future in serious question, as pressure mounts following the program’s fourth consecutive collapse and undisciplined showing.

👉 Read the full postgame breakdown — and the play-by-play chaos that ended at the 2-yard line.

🔥 Corey Clark: “Mike Norvell Has Passed the Point of No Return” 🔥

Warchant columnist Corey Clark didn’t hold back after Saturday night’s loss at Stanford, declaring that Mike Norvell’s tenure at Florida State has effectively reached its end.

🩸 “Fitting End to a Fitting Tenure”
Clark opened by calling the 20–13 defeat “a fitting end” to the Norvell era — one defined by fight, frustration, and “bad luck that borders on parody.” He argued that Gavin Sawchuk’s final play was a touchdown, but even that symbolic near-miss — blocked from clear view by a teammate — perfectly captured the Norvell experience: almost heroic, ultimately heartbreaking.

📉 The Breaking Point

• Four straight losses this season

• Nine straight ACC losses, the longest streak in FSU history

• Four separate four-game losing streaks under Norvell — something the program hadn’t seen since 1975

Clark wrote bluntly:

He said the only two options left for AD Michael Alford are to publicly back Norvell for 2026 — “which would certainly be a choice” — or fire him immediately, calling it “the most expensive Band-Aid in Florida State history.”

🚨 “This Isn’t the Same Universe as Good Enough”
While Clark expressed personal sympathy for Norvell as “a genuine person who cares about his players,” he insisted the program’s results have become indefensible. Citing penalty-ridden losses, emotional collapses, and a repeated inability to “respond,” he concluded:

Clark added that even high-priced coordinator hires like Gus Malzahn and Tony White couldn’t steady the ship — saying the magic that beat Alabama has long since vanished:

👉 Read Corey Clark’s full column — including his full breakdown of what went wrong and what comes next

🏊‍♀️ FSU Wraps Dual Meet Tournament with Competitive Showing vs. Auburn 🏊‍♂️

The No. 18/RV Florida State swimming and diving team capped its weekend at the Dual Meet Tournament in Atlanta with a hard-fought third-place matchup against Auburn, falling 503–286 at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

🔥 Weekend Recap
After opening Friday with a commanding win over Army and a strong effort against No. 7/8 NC State, the Seminoles closed out the tournament displaying continued depth and competitiveness against another nationally ranked SEC opponent.

🧱 Event Highlights

• Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay — Logan Robinson, Gustav Olsson, Michel Arkhangelsky, and Sam Bork teamed up to post FSU’s first win of the day (2:51.34).

• Logan Robinson — Followed up with an individual win in the 200 Butterfly (1:45.14).

• Michel Arkhangelsky — Claimed the 100 Freestyle (43.14), marking his second event victory of the weekend.

• Mathias Christensen — Earned first in the 200 Individual Medley (1:45.57).

• Julia Mansson — Captured her second win of the weekend, dominating the 200 Breaststroke (2:12.00).

• Kayleigh Clark — Continued her strong form, taking first on 3-meter springboard with a score of 162.85.

🗣️ Coach’s Take

📅 Next Up
The Seminoles return home to host the All-Florida Invite at the Morcom Aquatics Center on Oct. 24 at 5:00 PM ET.

• FSU Men vs. Florida Southern

• FSU Women vs. Florida Southern, West Florida, and North Florida

👉 Full results and meet information

Make sure you have the best car insurance deal by shopping around

With rates rising 20% over the last year, you may be paying way more than you need to on car insurance. Shopping around usually takes minutes and switching providers could save you hundreds a year on your premium, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Check out Money’s Best Car Insurance list today and see if you can save.

🏐 FSU Volleyball Outlasts Cal in Five-Set Thriller Behind Henke & Filimaua 🏐

Florida State volleyball (9–8, 3–5 ACC) closed out its West Coast road trip with a gutsy five-set victory over Cal (6–12, 3–5) on Saturday night in Berkeley — rallying late to win 22–25, 25–15, 25–20, 22–25, 16–14 at Haas Pavilion.

🔥 Dynamic Duo Dominates
It was the Kyleene Filimaua and Iane Henke show all night.

• Henke: Career-high 27 kills, leading all players.

• Filimaua: Matched her own career high with 25 kills, including the match-winner.
  Together, they combined for 59.5 total points, carrying the Seminoles’ offense down the stretch.

💥 Set-by-Set Snapshot

• Set 1: FSU led 14–10 early before Cal rallied 4–1 late to steal the opener.

• Set 2: The Noles roared back with a 13–5 run, winning 25–15 behind Filimaua’s swing and Henke’s return to form.

• Set 3: FSU took control at the net, posting three straight blocks to grab a 20–17 lead before closing it out 25–20.

• Set 4: A slow start allowed Cal to extend the match, 25–22.

• Set 5: The finale was a nail-biter — Cal led 6–3 before FSU stormed back. Filimaua’s back-to-back kills flipped the momentum, and her 25th kill sealed the match at 16–14.

📅 Next Up
The Seminoles return to Tully Gymnasium on Friday, Oct. 24, to host Virginia at 6:30 PM ET on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

👉 Read the full recap and player reactions

⛳ Superstitions and Stroke Play: FSU Women’s Golf Tees Off at Jim West Challenge ⛳

The Florida State women’s golf team opened play Sunday at the 14th annual Jim West Challenge at Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos, Texas — and if there’s one thing that’s certain for this Seminole lineup, it’s that superstitions travel, too.

🔥 Seminoles in the Field
Head coach Amy Bond brought a six-player squad featuring Sophia Fullbrook, Alexandra Gazzoli, Layla Pedrique, Elin Pudas Remler, Freya Russell, and freshman Haruhi Nakatani, as FSU looks to earn its best finish of the fall.

The Seminoles, who captured the team title at the Jim West in 2017, are seeking to become only the fourth two-time champion in event history — and one of just two programs with multiple individual winners (Matilda Castren, 2017; Frida Kinhult, 2018).

🏌️‍♀️ Inside the Seminole Superstitions
For a program that thrives on consistency, each player’s pre-round ritual tells its own story:

• Fullbrook always plays with a Titleist 2 or 4, claiming even-numbered balls “just feel right.”

• Nakatani mirrors that superstition — using only even-numbered balls, marked with a black Sharpie — after slashing 18 strokes from her score since her collegiate debut.

• Pudas Remler keeps a lucky ball marker in her pocket at all times, while Pedrique uses her ring as a marker before every round.

• Gazzoli, meanwhile, gets into the zone by blasting “Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses before she tees off.

📺 How to Watch & Follow

• Play Schedule: Sunday & Monday (Oct. 19–20) — 36 holes Day 1, 18 holes Day 2

• TV Coverage: ESPN+ (Sunday 2:30–6:00 PM ET; Monday 9:00 AM–1:00 PM ET)

• Live Scoring: Scoreboard by Clippd

💗 Pink for a Purpose
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Seminoles will wear pink shirts for Monday’s final round — channeling LPGA great Paula Creamer’s iconic “Pink Panther” spirit.

👉 See which superstition pays off for FSU — and who climbs the leaderboard — in the full Jim West Challenge preview

⚾ FSU Splits 14-Inning Fall Ball Opener vs. Mississippi State in Pensacola ⚾

Florida State baseball opened its 2025 fall exhibition slate at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Saturday, facing off against Mississippi State in a pair of seven-inning contests. The Bulldogs took Game 1, 4–1, but the Seminoles answered with a 5–2 victory in Game 2, resulting in an even split across 14 innings of play.

🔥 Game 1 — Mississippi State 4, FSU 1

• Virginia transfer Bryson Moore made his Seminole debut, striking out three over two innings while allowing two unearned runs on a misplayed fly ball that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double.

• FAU transfer Trey Beard followed with two scoreless innings in relief.

• Ben Barrett and Cooper Whited allowed two more runs before Payton Manca closed with a clean final frame.

• Noah Sheffield drove in FSU’s lone run with a hard single to left — part of a two-hit effort that led the team.
  Despite loading the bases in the final inning, FSU’s rally ended with a 4–6–3 double play.

🔥 Game 2 — FSU 5, Mississippi State 2

• Oregon transfer Cole Stokes worked out of early trouble, limiting the Bulldogs to one run in the first.

• Freshman Kelvyn Paulino Jr. tied the game with a clutch two-out RBI single in the bottom half.

• FSU took its first lead when Davidson transfer Eli Putnam launched a wind-aided solo homer — his power carrying over from last year’s 19-HR campaign.

• On the mound, Brodie Purcell (USC), Kevin Mebil (D-II transfer), and Cade O’Leary (Mississippi State transfer) each tossed scoreless innings, showing off the depth of FSU’s revamped pitching staff.

• Paulino added another RBI single off a 97 MPH fastball to put FSU ahead for good, and Jace Estes capped things off with a two-run single in the extra bottom half for insurance.

⚾ Notable Performances

• Paulino Jr.: 2-for-3, 2 RBI

• Putnam: HR, 2 runs

• Estes: 2 RBI single

• Purcell, Mebil, O’Leary: Combined 5 scoreless innings

📅 Next Up
Florida State continues fall exhibition play with UAB visiting Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25 (Noon ET) for Fan Day, followed by the Garnet & Gold All-Star Game on Oct. 31.

👉 Get full game insights and player interviews from the Pensacola doubleheader

And that’s a wrap!

That’s a wrap on a week that tested every corner of Seminole Nation — from heartbreak on the West Coast to heart in every other arena.

Even when the headlines sting, the spirit never fades. Volleyball’s grit, swimming’s growth, baseball’s promise — they’re reminders that Florida State doesn’t fold, it rebuilds.

Enjoy the bye week, Noles. Rest up, recharge, and remember: the story’s not over — it’s just getting rewritten.

🔥 Stay unconquered.