FSU's per-play efficiency jumped across the board against Alabama: yards per play rose to 6.1 (68th nationally, up from 97th the week before), yards per pass attempt jumped to 8.9 (36th, up from 111th), and third-down conversion rate climbed to 40.9 percent (76th, up from 101st).

The offense's EPA per play improved to 0.12 (61st nationally), and its red zone touchdown rate sits at 84.6 percent, 13th best in the country.

The defense ranks 135th nationally in yards allowed per play (7.4) and 131st in yards allowed per pass attempt (9.4). Third-down defense, once a strength, has cratered to 129th at 51.2 percent allowed. Defensive EPA per play sits at -0.23, 131st out of 138 teams.

One bright spot: FSU's defensive turnover rate is tied for 29th nationally at 1.7 takeaways per game, though the Seminoles didn't force one against Alabama.

FSU blitzed Keelon Russell on more than 59 percent of his dropbacks, its highest rate of the season, hoping added pressure would force mistakes. Instead, when FSU sent extra rushers, Russell still completed 10 of 17 for 103 yards. When FSU rushed four or fewer, he went a perfect 13 for 13 for 217 yards, a staggering 16.7 yards per attempt, and two touchdowns.

FSU's only real pass-rush win of the day was Ja'Bril Rawls' first-quarter sack, a cornerback blitz. The 19 total explosive plays FSU allowed (10 passes of 15-plus yards, nine runs of 10-plus) accounted for 424 yards and five touchdowns by themselves.

Per Pro Football Focus, Kevin Wynn (72.4) and Darryll Desir (67.9) graded out as FSU's best defenders despite limited snaps, while starting safety Ashlynd Barker posted the defense's lowest grade at 30.0, allowing four catches on four targets and missing three tackles on two Alabama touchdowns.

Duce Robinson graded out as FSU's best offensive player (78.5) on a season-high six catches for 135 yards, followed by Jayvan Boggs (72.3, a career-high 69 yards on two catches), Ashton Daniels (68.5 despite the three interceptions), Samuel Singleton Jr. (67.5 on just 15 snaps before his injury), and Ousmane Kromah (66.9).

Every offensive lineman except center Bradyn Welch-Joiner and left tackle Xavier Chaplin played all 67 snaps, with right guard Paul Bowling making his first start at the position since transferring in.

Chaplin went from FSU's highest-graded offensive player against SMU to its lowest against Alabama at 36.7, allowing three pressures and drawing two costly penalties late in the game. Tight end Desirrio Riles didn't record a catch and graded out at 46.6.

Daniels' 377 passing yards were the most by a Mike Norvell-coached quarterback since Travis threw for 396 against Georgia Tech in 2022, and Daniels' total offense (471 yards, five touchdowns) came against a defense that had allowed just two total touchdowns through its first two games. "I thought we did a better job in protection, trying to be able to give him some time to keep his eyes down the field," Norvell said.

Daniels was direct about the mistakes that kept it from being enough. "Can't throw three picks like that. End of story," he said. "My confidence was there... I thought I did that at moments, but not the whole game."

Beyond Robinson's breakout, Micahi Danzy added 89 yards and Kromah pushed his season total to 311 yards and three touchdowns through three games. Tomahawk Nation's Curt Weiler noted the skill-position group delivered almost across the board, even as he argued Daniels held the ball too long in key moments and that the loss ultimately overshadowed the individual performances.

Through three games, FSU is allowing an average of roughly 490 total yards and 31 points per game, including 340.7 passing yards and 149.7 rushing yards per game, numbers that would rank at or near the bottom of the ACC.

FSU held Alabama to just 13 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter, then allowed 124 yards on 14 carries in the fourth. The Desir twins, whom FSU paid to keep out of the transfer portal, combined for just 0.5 tackles for loss and no sacks, while Daniel Lyons has yet to take over games up front the way the staff hoped. Defensive coordinator Tony White's postgame comments after the SMU loss, that FSU had played well outside of nine chunk plays (the actual number was closer to 11), drew criticism from fans that only grew louder after Saturday's 19 explosive plays allowed.

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Top247 defensive line commit Sam LeJeune said Cal, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Washington have all reached out trying to get him on a visit, and he's not budging. "It's not like they got blown out," LeJeune said of Saturday's loss, pushing back on calls for Norvell's job. "They played Alabama tight on the road... If they can play like they did that first half throughout the rest of the season, I don't think they lose another game."

Four-star FSU safety commit Ta'Shawn Poole caught six touchdown passes in Howard High School's 49-43 win over Baldwin on Friday, the most in a single game in Georgia high school football history. He finished with nine catches for 245 yards and added seven tackles on defense.

Freshman Louise Landgraf shot the best round of her Florida State career, a bogey-free 3-under 67, to lead No. 21 FSU to a 10-under total through 36 holes at the Schooner Fall Classic, good for fourth place. Haruhi Nakatani, Sophia Fullbrook, and Alexandra Gazzoli each added 69s. The final round is Tuesday.

Senior Azariah Rusher, who led FSU with a 19-12 record last season, begins qualifying play Monday at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, one of the season's biggest events with 10 NCAA Singles Championship berths on the line.