The Florida State football team's long off-season with reminders of a 2-10 season the previous year are now a thing of the past. On Saturday, the Seminoles welcomed No. 8 Alabama to Tallahassee at the newly renovated Doak Campbell Stadium. Many fans of FSU had pessimistic hopes of a victory over the Tide, but they would soon be pleasantly surprised.
The Seminoles dominated the Tide 31-17. Fans rushed the field after the victory in what was a truly special moment to remember for the Garnet and Gold faithful.
Like Doak, Florida State looked new and improved. With so many new transfers and freshmen scattered on both sides of the ball, there are a plethora of position groups that look night and day better than in 2024. The wide receivers, defensive line and linebackers showed improvement.
But the way the offensive line pushed around a very talented Crimson Tide defensive line was shocking. This could be a scary development for any opponent on the Seminoles schedule this year.
“I thought they were great,” FSU coach Mike Norvell said of the offensive line. “For the first time those guys were playing together and we’ve talked a lot through this offseason. A lot of those guys were out at different points of spring so really this fall camp was a push to try and get as much as we could for those guys to be together.
“Communication, I thought they did an outstanding job in the summer for the time they spent away.”
FSU plucked most of their new offensive line out of the transfer portal in the offseason, with two coming from (SEC) schools with a ton of experience, size and tenacity. Luke Petitbon (Wake Forest), Gunnar Hansen (Vanderbilt), Adrian Medley (UCF) and Micah Pettus (Ole Miss) joined the Seminoles in January to try and be as cohesive as possible before the Tide rolled into town.
Last year's offensive line had trouble blocking most of their opponents on the schedule, with some being a tad bit undersized at certain positions and had trouble holding their blocks. What was displayed for the college football world to see on Saturday was an FSU offensive line that was bigger, stronger and had an angry attitude. They cleared running lanes and opened up holes for Seminoles running backs, as well as quarterback Tommy Castellanos and receiver Micahi Danzy, and wound up running for a staggering 230 yards compared to Alabama’s 87 yards.
The Seminoles’ rushing total is the 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, according to research by FSU athletics.
Castellanos was FSU’s leading rusher with 78 yards on 16 carries.
“Our guys up front, they fought their tails off,” Castellanos said. “They blocked and they fought all night long. Those guys picked me up at times through this game and picked me up along the way when it wasn’t going our way. Tonight, they did an unbelievable job against one of the best defenses in the country. Props to them. And I’m thankful to have those guys.”
The size and strength of the offensive line looked like a physical SEC-type group. Pettus is an imposing 6-foot-7 and weighs in at 349 pounds, while Hansen and Medley stand at 6-5 and both weigh in at over 309 pounds, with Hansen being the heavier weighing in at 325 pounds. Petitbon, as the center, who was remarkable all night against the Tide, isn't small for offensive linemen by any means.
Usually, centers aren’t the heaviest amongst the group but Petitbon stands at 6-2 and weighs 310 pounds. Petitbon’s feet and movement were surprising for someone of his size, but he is a heady and smart football player with great technique that will be of great use as the Seminoles press forward. Petitbon’s leadership is also a great thing for the offensive line group that will be counted on this offseason.
Redshirt senior linemen Jacob Rizy did not play in the game against Alabama but he can be a valuable backup to either guard position and in an emergency he can play center were something to happen to Petitbon.
“We’ve got a really good group,” Norvell said. “Great nucleus of guys on that offensive line, some young players were really excited about, but seeing them merge together and the job Herb did with them was remarkable.”
FSU looks to keep imposing their will on defensive lines next week when they welcome East Texas A&M on Saturday at noon.
(Photo at top of Gavin Sawchuk by Mike Olivella)
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