5 questions, 5 answers: Takeaways from FSU’s no-frills win over New Mexico State

Florida State opened their 2026 season with a 34-17 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday, starting the year with a 1-0 record. The Seminoles outgained the Aggies by 100 yards and led for most of the game, but secured the win in the fourth quarter with a 90-yard touchdown drive. This story analyzes the positives and negatives of FSU's season-opening win.

What the staff liked about Florida State's performance:

- Jordan: The skill positions, particularly Ousmane Kromah and Singleton Jr., stood out as the stars of the game. Duce also made important catches, and Danzy had the best passing play of the game in the first quarter.

- Jon: The impressive crowd turnout and enthusiasm.

- Matt: The fans' support was a highlight.

- Frank: The defensive line and linebackers held NMSU to fewer than 50 rushing yards, and Chris Jones had a strong performance.

- NoleThruandThru: FSU's kicker and kickoff specialist performed well.

- Jacob: The running game contributed 200+ yards, which was a positive.

- Tim: The running backs room showed promise, with Duce being a key player.

- Mikal Gbayor and Perry: Also praised the running backs and noted the encouraging lack of panic when facing pressure from NMSU.

Current biggest concerns:

- Jordan: The trenches were unimpressive, with the offensive line struggling to create openings and the running backs often needing help from their teammates.

- Jon: Concerns about the offensive line's ability to provide protection and create running lanes.

- Matt: The lack of pressure on the defensive line and poor situational football.

- Frank: The secondary and Rawls allowed New Mexico State to stay competitive.

- NoleThruandThru: The offensive line's inability to block effectively, along with defensive play improvements needed.

- Jacob: Criticized the offensive line's performance and the secondary's need to step up.

- Tim: Complained about procedural penalties, offensive line play, secondary issues, and questionable offensive play calling.

- Perry: Focused on the secondary's poor performance on third downs, particularly a missed easy touchdown opportunity.

Rating of Ashton Daniels' performance (1-10):

- Jordan: 5. He commanded the offense well but had a significant interception that could have negative implications in future games.

- Jon: 5. Made some bad decisions that will hurt the team against stronger opponents later on.

- Matt: 4. The interception was a poor decision, but he had a few good throws in the red zone.

- Frank: 6. While his interception was a mistake, he threw some nice passes and had an overall positive performance.

- NoleThruandThru: 6. Acknowledges his limited skills, but appreciates some good throws and the touchdown decision. However, his slow reads and poor ball placement are concerns.

- Jacob: 4. Not wowed by his performance; he lacks production given the strong receiving core.

- Tim: Maybe a 4. He was asked not to use his legs much and the playbooks were limited, but Daniels read the secondary poorly and hesitated when making decisions.

- Perry: 6. Generally followed Norvell's advice, but the interception was a major concern.