Seminoles’ monster start pushes them into top 10 of AP Top 25

Florida State football wideout Duce Robinson made it clear the Seminoles aren’t treating these early games as routine tune-ups; they’re approaching each one like a championship. After the 77-3 demolition of Texas A&M-Commerce, Robinson told reporters that the team considers every outing part of a bigger title run.

”This was Championship Game No. 2,” he said, pointing to next week against Kent State as ”Championship Game No. 3.” His words captured the new standard set in Tallahassee under Mike Norvell.

Robinson’s statement followed a career night. The USC transfer caught five passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, including an 82-yard bomb from quarterback Tommy Castellanos. That early strike gave Florida State a 14-0 lead and set the tone for a rout that never slowed down. Castellanos, another transfer who has quickly become the centerpiece of Gus Malzahn’s revamped offense, added four total touchdowns as the Seminoles raced to 11 scores on the night.

The impact has been immediate: Florida State has piled up 108 points across two weeks while surrendering only 20. The opener in Tuscaloosa already turned heads, ending Alabama’s 23-game Week 1 streak. Now, with back-to-back wins, the Seminoles have climbed four spots in the AP Top 25, landing at No. 10; their highest ranking this season. The turnaround from last year’s 2-10 disaster has been nothing short of remarkable.

One stat captured just how absurd Saturday’s game was. As beat writer Brendan Sonnone noted, Florida State’s 11 touchdowns against East Texas A&M were more than half the total they scored during the entire 2024 season. It was the type of performance that highlights how fully Malzahn’s system has clicked with his new quarterback-wideout duo and a backfield that punched in five rushing scores.

The Florida State football team still has to prove it can sustain this level against ACC heavyweights, but with Clemson stumbling and the Seminoles surging, the door is wide open. At 2-0 and playing with a ”championship” mindset, FSU has gone afterthought to a Playoff dark horse almost overnight.