By Tiffany Bobadilla
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –– On Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State stunned college football fans with a season-opening upset against the University of Alabama. Leading up to the game, most expected Alabama to dominate, but FSU had other plans.
“As an FSU fan, I wanted the Seminoles to win,” said Nolan Rodriguez, a student at the University of Tampa. “I wasn’t completely sure that they were going to win against a team like Alabama, so this game was a complete shock to me.”
To the Crimson Tide, this was a great upset, as this was Alabama’s first non-conference loss since 2001. Alabama’s men’s football head coach, Kalen DeBoer, had big shoes to fill following the end of the Nick Saban era as soon as he arrived in Tuscaloosa.
Before this game, FSU was unranked and Alabama was ranked as No. 8 in the nation.
“Honestly, that game was a hard watch,” said Hector Gutierrez, a student at the University of Alabama. “Alabama, being known as a football powerhouse, raised high expectations that they did not meet during this game. Hopefully, they will come back for our next game after this sweep.”
FSU’s quarterback, Tommy Castellanos, a Boston College transfer, finished the game with 230 yards, 78 of which were rushing yards, as well as a rushing touchdown. But Castellanos wasn’t the only star in this game. FSU running back Micahi Danzy also had a 32-yard touchdown run in the game and 56 total rushing yards.
FSU finished the game with a total of 382 yards of offense, 230 on the ground and the other 152 in the air. On the other side of the field, Alabama finished the game with a total of 341 yards of offense, 254 of them passing, and the other 87 rushing. The 87 rushing yards were the fewest in a season opener game since 1975.
Both teams scored touchdowns on their first possession of the game. Just three minutes later, the Seminoles responded with a 40-yard completion. Danzy ran the ball in for his first touchdown of the season, giving FSU the lead. Kicker Jake Weinberg hit a career-long field goal of 45 yards to extend FSU’s lead, 17-7.
Alabama kicked a field goal with 5:59 left in the third quarter following an FSU touchdown to bring the score to 24-10. With 11 minutes left in regulation, Alabama scored a touchdown to make the score 24-17.
FSU had to step up. They led a 10-play, 75-yard drive that extended their lead to 31-17, capped by a 14-yard scoring run by FSU running back Gavin Sawchuk. After a failed drive by Alabama, a fourth-and-one conversion sealed the victory for the Seminoles. FSU forced critical turnovers in the fourth quarter, putting FSU in control of the game.
“FSU had something to prove, and beating Bama was definitely the way to do it,” said Valeria Gomez, a student at UTampa.
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Cover Image: Osceola, the Florida State Seminoles’ mascot, riding Renegade, a horse, on the football field.
Photo courtesy of Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, Public Domain Dedication, via dvidshub.net.