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Yesterday’s Poll Results

Today’s Poll

🏹 Welcome to The Chief Brief! 🏹

Happy Tuesday, Seminole!

Today’s Lineup: near-miss hardware, Homecoming under the lights, Noles shining on Sundays, hoops previews, the Stanford autopsy, and Alford’s gamble.

⛳️ Seminoles Fall One Stroke Short ⛳️
Women’s golf finishes runner-up at Jim West; Fullbrook & Nakatani both T-7 at -5 as momentum builds for East Lake.

🏟️ Homecoming vs. Wake: 7:30 p.m. on ACCN 🏟️
FSU rides an 11-game Homecoming streak into a primetime Seminole Heritage matchup at Doak.

🏈 Noles in the NFL: Week 7 🏈
Brian Burns surges to an NFL-leading 9 sacks while Rams rookies Fiske & Verse wreck shop in London.

🏀 ACC Hoops Previews This Week 🏀
ACC Network drops back-to-back season primers—women Monday, men Tuesday—plus FSU exhibition/openers locked.

📊 Stanford 20, FSU 13: By the Numbers 📊
Yards weren’t the issue (444–293); 13 flags, red-zone stalls, and game-management miscues were.

🧨 Alford Hits Pause: Norvell Stays (For Now) 🧨
FSU opts for a season-end review—buyout math, recruiting risk, and a PR powder keg before Wake.

Let’s get into it 👇️

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⛳️ Seminoles Fall One Stroke Short at Jim West Challenge ⛳️

Florida State women’s golf nearly pulled off a statement win in Texas, finishing just one shot behind No. 5 Texas A&M at the Jim West Challenge at Kissing Tree Golf Course.

🔥 Top-10 Tandem
Sophomore Sophia Fullbrook and freshman Haruhi Nakatani both tied for seventh at 5-under (211), leading FSU to a runner-up team finish. Each recorded a round in the 60s, showcasing consistency across the three-day event.

• Fullbrook capped her weekend with a 2-under 70, marking her fourth career top-10 finish and her third straight top-15 this fall.

• Nakatani, in just her first collegiate season, earned her first career top-10, highlighted by a career-low 68 in round two.

💥 Supporting Scores

• Alexandra Gazzoli shot a final-round 69 and finished at 2-under (214), tying her career-low round while tallying 13 birdies — most on the team.

• Elin Pudas Remler quietly impressed as well, placing 22nd at 1-over (217) with back-to-back rounds under par.

🏆 Narrow Miss
Texas A&M stormed back with a 13-under final round to edge the Seminoles by just one stroke. Houston’s Natalie Saint Germain claimed individual medalist honors at 10-under (206).

🗣️ Coach’s Corner
“I’m super-proud of each of the girls,” said head coach Amy Bond. “We led the field with 63 birdies, and that’s a huge accomplishment. Playing this well gives us a lot of momentum heading into the East Lake Cup.”

📅 What’s Next
The Seminoles close out their fall slate at the East Lake Cup (Oct. 27–29) in Atlanta — a showcase featuring some of the nation’s premier programs.

👉 Read the full tournament recap here.

🏟️ FSU Sets Homecoming Kickoff vs. Wake Forest 🏟️

The ACC announced Monday that Florida State’s Homecoming matchup against Wake Forest will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 and air on ACC Network.

🔥 Tradition Continues
The Seminoles have won 11 straight Homecoming games dating back to 2012 and hold a 62-12-1 all-time record in the event.

📊 Series Snapshot
FSU leads the all-time series 31-9-1, including a dominant 20-4 mark at Doak Campbell Stadium.

🎯 Seminole Heritage Game
This year’s Homecoming will also double as the Seminole Heritage Game — a tradition FSU has yet to lose, boasting a 2-0 record after wins over No. 16 Duke (2023) and Charleston Southern (2024).

👉 Read the full announcement here.

🏈 Noles in the NFL: Week 7 Roundup 🏈

Florida State alumni made their presence felt across the league in Week 7 — from Brian Burns’ Defensive Player of the Year–caliber performance to rookie standouts making their mark overseas.

🔥 Brian Burns Dominates
Giants linebacker Brian Burns exploded for 4 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 QB hurries in a 33–32 loss to Denver. He now leads the NFL with 9 sacks, drawing national attention for early Defensive Player of the Year buzz.

💥 Rams Duo Wrecks London
In the Rams’ 35–7 rout of the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium, Braden Fiske and Jared Verse both started and shined:

• Fiske: 1 solo tackle, 1 pass deflection

• Verse: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB hurries
  Verse’s sack on Trevor Lawrence even went viral on ESPN Los Angeles’ feed.

🎯 Steady Sunday Efforts

• Jalen Ramsey (Steelers): 6 tackles and a pass defended in a tight 33–31 loss to the Bengals.

• Ryan Fitzgerald (Panthers): Perfect day kicking — 2-for-2 on field goals and 1 extra point in a 13–6 win over the Jets.

• Jermaine Johnson II (Jets): 3 tackles and a QB hurry; Azareye’h Thomas added 3 tackles and a pass breakup.

• Derwin James (Chargers): 7 tackles, 2 QB hurries despite the Chargers’ blowout loss to the Colts.

🧠 Notables & Transactions

• Jaheim Bell joined the Eagles’ practice squad this week.

• Jammie Robinson was signed by the Lions off the Chiefs’ practice squad and is expected to debut on Monday night.

👉 See every Nole’s NFL stat line from Week 7 here.

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🏀 ACC Hoops Previews Tip Off This Week 🏀

Basketball season is almost here, and the ACC Network is rolling out back-to-back preview specials to get fans ready for tipoff.

🔥 On the Air

• Monday, 7 p.m. — Nothing But Net: Women’s Basketball Preview hosted by Kelsey Riggs Cuff, joined by Kelly Gramlich and Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw.

• Tuesday, 7 p.m. — Nothing But Net: Men’s Basketball Preview hosted by Taylor Tannebaum alongside Luke Hancock (Louisville, 2013) and Joel Berry II (UNC, 2017).

🎯 Seminole Outlook
Both hour-long shows will highlight offseason storylines and roster moves for every ACC team, including Florida State’s men’s and women’s squads.

📅 Mark Your Calendars

• Women’s Basketball: Exhibition vs. Tampa — Oct. 28, 6 p.m.; Season opener vs. Florida A&M — Nov. 3, 6 p.m. (ACCNX)

• Men’s Basketball: Exhibition vs. Florida A&M — Oct. 26, 4 p.m.; Season opener vs. Alcorn State — Nov. 4, 7 p.m. (ACCNX)

👉 Watch the ACC basketball preview schedule here.

📊 Final Stats: Stanford 20, Florida State 13 📊

The numbers behind FSU’s late-night loss in Palo Alto reveal a game dominated on paper — but undone by penalties and execution.

🔥 Offensive Highlights

• FSU outgained Stanford 444–293, marking its sixth straight 400-yard performance, the longest streak since 2022–23.

• Tommy Castellanos threw for 242 yards (17.3 yards per completion) and added a rushing TD — his fifth of the season.

• Micahi Danzy caught 3 passes for 106 yards, all in the fourth quarter, including a 53-yard bomb from freshman QB Kevin Sperry, who saw late action.

• Gavin Sawchuk’s 20 carries were the most by an FSU back since 2022.

💣 Costly Mistakes

• The Seminoles committed a season-high 13 penalties for 87 yards, killing multiple drives.

• Despite 79 plays and 444 yards, FSU managed just 13 points — its lowest total of the year.

• They went 2-for-4 in the red zone and only 7-of-19 on third downs.

🧱 Defensive Notes

• Earl Little Jr. grabbed his third interception of the season, the most by a Seminole since 2023.

• Jayson Jenkins and K.J. Kirkland each recorded their first career sacks.

• Freshman Shamar Arnoux became FSU’s first true freshman cornerback starter since 2021.

📉 The Big Picture
FSU’s offense produced more yards, more big plays, and more time of possession — yet Stanford’s efficiency and FSU’s mental errors told the story. The Cardinal scored on every red zone trip and capitalized when it mattered most.

Why It Matters: Dominant stats can’t mask discipline issues. With 13 penalties and another blown lead, the Seminoles’ problems now look systemic — not situational.

👉 Read the full game stats and analysis here.

🏈 Alford Hits Pause: Norvell Stays (For Now) 🏈

Florida State’s administration chose continuity over catharsis: AD Michael Alford will retain Mike Norvell through the end of 2025, promising a “comprehensive assessment” afterward. The call lands amid a four-game skid, a sideline caught-on-camera fracture, and reports of a locker room tuning out the message.

🔥 The Decision

• Alford’s statement: evaluation at season’s end; “fully committed” to helping Norvell rebound in the coming weeks.

• Translation fans are reading: a stay of execution that prolongs uncertainty — not a vote of confidence.

💬 Inside the Locker Room

• Multiple program sources describe buy-in erosion; one current player says Norvell has “lost the team.”

• Sunday/Monday reports: team reaction to “Norvell’s staying” was quiet, not galvanized.

• Post-Stanford noise: players allegedly mocked “respond” messaging after the loss.

💸 The Money Math (and Why It Looms)

• Buyout estimates range mid-50s to ~60M+ for Norvell alone; $65–100M all-in including staff + next hire.

• Recent comps (A&M, Penn State) show massive payouts can cascade into years of budget tradeoffs elsewhere.

• One proposed lever: restructure Norvell’s deal/buyout to create a manageable off-ramp.

📉 Recruiting & Roster Fallout

• With the HC publicly on a lame-duck track, rival staffs will poach commits and portal targets.

• Expect decommitments and a tougher NIL retention battle; some players may emotionally check out.

• An interim now could’ve given FSU a head start selling a new vision before early signing — that window narrows.

📣 Optics & Game-Day Reality

• Wake Forest Homecoming now doubles as a PR tinderbox: boos, apathy, and a tough sell for on-campus recruits.

• Two home dates left limits exposure — but the tone may overshadow everything on the field.

🧠 The Business Lens

• College athletics sells emotion; when belief drops, so do donations and demand.

• Leaders juggle cash flow, debt (stadium/facility), candidate pool quality, and timing vs. an angry market of fans/boosters.

• Smart corporate move: plan the transition (structure, GM model, roster/NIL strategy) before the check clears.

🧩 Donor Calculus & The “What If” Trap

• Theory: buy time to line up the next coach and the donor stack behind closed doors.

• Risk: if FSU wins 4–5 down the stretch, do you reset the clock on trust and keep him? That spooks donors even more.

🧭 What Alford Can Do Now

• Signal control: appoint a true Program GM (roster/NIL/ops authority) to professionalize decision-making.

• Contract work: explore buyout glide-path / protections to avoid another nine-figure corner.

• Recruiting triage: prioritize retention list (locker room leaders, cornerstone underclassmen) with aligned NIL.

• Transparency (to boosters): outline criteria & timeline for the post-season review — restore credibility.

Why It Matters: FSU just chose purgatory over rupture. It may protect balance sheets in the short term, but it amplifies competitive, recruiting, and reputational risk week-to-week. The next moves — GM hire, buyout engineering, NIL retention, and a clear post-season plan — will determine whether this pause is a bridge to renewal or just more drift.

And that’s a wrap!

Florida State didn’t rip the bandage — it pressed pause. The choice to keep Mike Norvell through season’s end might make short-term fiscal sense, but it also ensures six more weeks of volatility, apathy, and tension inside Doak. Meanwhile, the players, recruits, and donors wait in limbo.

There’s no comfort in stability when belief is gone — and that’s the tightrope Alford now walks. Either this pause becomes the groundwork for a professionalized reset, or it cements the moment Florida State officially lost its edge.

Until tomorrow,
– Chief