TALLAHASSEE — Earl Little Jr. knew what he wanted to say and delivered a statement instead of a response to a softball question about how the Seminoles’ defense played in a 42-7 rout of Wake Forest on Saturday night. FSU’s safety is known as a hitter, and Little Jr. hit back in defense of coach Mike Norvell.
“I want to give a big shout out to coach Norvell,” Little Jr. said. “I know a lot of people are against him right now. But that’s our coach. We’re going to continue to keep fighting for him, we’re going to continue to keep playing for him, we’re going to continue to keep pushing for him.”
One of the biggest questions going into FSU’s game against Wake: Was Norvell’s voice still being heard? Were leaders speaking up and holding teammates accountable? After a scoreless first quarter, those were met with a resounding yes to both questions.
FSU improved to 4-4 and picked up its first Atlantic Coast Conference win since September 2024, snapping a nine-game drought. Here are five things we learned:
The ACC is chaos each Saturday
Previously unbeaten Georgia Tech lost on the road to NC State. Miami fell in overtime at SMU. And while not a stunner, Duke edged Clemson. FSU dominated Wake a week after the Demon Deacons stunned SMU. Virginia was picked to finish 14th in the 17-team ACC and is the only unbeaten in league play.
Go figure. Chaos has taken over and given fans unpredictable Saturdays. FSU could make a run or stumble in November. But the Seminoles showed they can be dangerous when they limit mistakes especially in a weird, wild ACC.
“I don’t think nobody has beat us,” quarterback Tommy Castellanos said. “We just beat ourselves.”
Norvell should get remainder of season
In FSU’s first game since athletics director Michael Alford stated he was evaluating Norvell and the program after the season, the Seminoles produced a first-half shutout and were 6 of 6 on red-zone opportunities (all touchdowns). The Seminoles are still playing hard — for themselves and Norvell.
“When you come up short, it’s going to be sad,” Norvell said. “It’s going to hurt. You’re going to have those emotions. But it’s still about guiding individuals through those emotions.”
There’s a rivalry game coming up at Clemson on Saturday and another vs. Florida on Nov. 29. A rivalry win (or two) plus a 6-6 finish (or better), could prompt FSU’s administration to keep Norvell for 2026.
Sam Singleton shows FSU’s depth at tailback
A redshirt sophomore, Sam Singleton is the fifth or sixth running back on FSU’s depth chart. He had just one carry vs. a Power 4 team before Saturday. But in a stunning development, Singleton earned his first college start and ran 14 times for 91 yards.
Norvell and FSU’s staff have been critiqued for the lack of player development. But Singleton’s performance shows there are examples of high school signees developing, and he strengthens FSU’s ground attack.
The chunk-play offense was FSU’s best offense
FSU surpassed 400 offensive yards for a seventh straight game. Of the Seminoles’ 421 yards, 10 plays produced 313 yards.
Castellanos had passes for 66, 65, 39, 30 and 29 yards (as well as a 12-yard run). Singleton had runs of 27, 20 and a 10-yard touchdown. Backup quarterback Brock Glenn added a 15-yard run.
FSU needs more of an efficient offense, so the Seminoles don’t have to depend on the big play. But it’s tough to find fault with the Seminoles’ highest point total in a Power 4 game, especially given Wake had allowed 18.9 points per game coming into Saturday.
FSU’s defense played best game since opener
The Seminoles recorded a shutout in a half for the first time against a Power 4 opponent since Louisville in the ACC title game in 2023.
FSU produced six fumbles, although only one was recovered (by cornerback Ja’Bril Rawls). Little also had an interception. The Seminoles pressured Wake’s quarterbacks 15 times (Mandrell Desir and James Williams produced two apiece).
Wake quarterbacks Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie struggled, but the defensive effort was FSU’s best since the season opener against Alabama.
