FSU football’s upset victory over Alabama headlined by insane stats

Here are 26 notes surrounding various data-points from the game.

Wild Stats And Historical Info After FSU Takes Down Alabama

• In the first meeting against Alabama in Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State beat the No. 8 Crimson Tide 31-17 in front of a sold-out crowd and improved to 2-0 against Alabama in the state of Florida.

• Florida State improved to 56-23 all-time in season openers and 60-19 all-time in home openers.

• Head coach Mike Norvell is now 7-3 to begin a season and 7-3 in home openers.

• Norvell is 29-13 in his career with at least one week of preparation for an opponent, including 12-8 at Florida State.

• The Seminoles are now 5-2 all-time in season openers against the SEC. Norvell is 3-0 against the league to begin a season, beating Ole Miss while with Memphis in 2019 and leading Florida State to a 45- 24 victory over No. 5 LSU in 2023.

• Florida State’s win over Alabama was its ninth against the SEC since 2015, the 2nd-most nonconference wins against the SEC in that span.

• Norvell’s six non-conference wins vs. the SEC since 2016 are also 2nd-most among head coaches in that span.

• FSU handed Alabama its first loss in a season opener since 2001. The streak of 23 straight season opening wins was the 2nd-longest active streak in the country.

• Since 2004, Florida State is responsible for both of Alabama’s regular season non-conference losses away from Tuscaloosa. The Seminoles also defeated No. 22 Alabama 21-14 in Jacksonville in 2007.

• Florida State ended Alabama’s nine-game winning streak against the ACC in regular season matchups, handing the Crimson Tide their first regular-season loss since FSU’s 2007 win.

• The 14-point margin of victory was the largest loss for Alabama in a season opener since 1970 and their largest in any regular-season non-conference game since 2000.

• This was Alabama’s first loss in the month of August in program history. Alabama entered the game 11-0 all-time in August.

• Quarterback Tommy Castellanos passed for 152 yards and rushed for a game-high 78 yards with one touchdown. It was his 7th game since 2023 with at least 75 rushing yards and at least one touchdown, tied for the most in the ACC in that span.

• As a team, Florida State ran 230 yards, the Seminoles most against a ranked opponent since 2021. FSU’s four rushing touchdowns were Alabama’s most allowed in a loss against an unranked opponent since 1998.

• Florida State held Alabama to 87 rushing yards, the Crimson Tide’s fewest in a season opener since 1975. After Alabama gained 55 rushing yards on its first drive of the game, FSU’s defense held the Crimson Tide to 32 rushing yards on 17 carries (1.88 ypc) the rest of the game.

• Florida State led 17-7 at halftime, the Crimson Tide’s largest halftime deficit since trailing No. 17 Tennessee 20-7 in 2023. Alabama came back to win that game, 34-20.

• Florida State’s defense had 3.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss, the Noles 12th straight game with at least 5.0 tackles for loss. That 12-game streak matches FSU’s longest streak since 2013.

• Defensive back Earl Little Jr. recorded a career- and game-high nine tackles. Entering the game, Little had 17 career tackles.

• Wide receiver Micahi Danzy scored a 32-yard touchdown rush on his first touch of the season, giving Florida State a 14-7 lead the Seminoles would not relinquish.

• Running back Jaylin Lucas made a career-long 64-yard reception in the 3rd quarter. On the next play, FSU scored a touchdown to take a 24-7 lead.

• Redshirt freshman kicker Jake Weinberg was 4-for-4 on PATs and 1-for-1 on field goals. FSU has made 118 consecutive PATs and eight straight field goals.

• True freshman wide receiver Jayvan Boggs started for the Seminoles, FSU’s first true freshman receiver to start a season opener since Tamarick Vanover in 1992.

• Florida State started 11 different offensive players compared to the 2024 season finale. On defense, only NT Darrell Jackson Jr. and LB Omar Graham Jr. started the final game of last season.

• The following players made their Florida State debut: WR Duce Robinson, QB Tommy Castellanos, WR Squirrel White, LB Stefon Thompson, DL Deante McCray, DL James Williams, DL Deamontae Diggs, TE Randy Pittman Jr, WR Jayvan Boggs, DB Jerry Wilson, RB Zay Parks, RB Gavin Sawchuk, LB Elijah Herring, RB Ousmane Kromah, OL Luke Petitbon, OL Gunnar Hansen, OL Micah Pettus, OL Adrian Medley, OL Jayden Todd, DL Darryll Desir, DL Mandrell Desir and DL Jayson Jenkins.

• The players that made their first collegiate start were: WR Jayvan Boggs, DE James Williams, CB Ja’Bril Rawls, S Ashlynd Barker, ROV Earl Little Jr and S Edwin Joseph.

• The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Alabama conducted the pre-game flyover in conjunction with the national anthem. The flyover consisted of two helicopters—an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and a CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter.

READ MORE: What Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer believes it’ll take to beat FSU at Doak Campbell Stadium

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