DALLAS (FWAA) – Florida State scored 24 consecutive points in the middle quarters and pointed its fortunes forward in a statement win Saturday over No. 8 Alabama, 31-17, at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles notched their ninth non-conference win of the last 10 seasons against an SEC team, second-most in the country, and earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Aug. 30, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the third time Florida State has been honored by the FWAA and the first time since Oct. 17, 2020, following a win over then-No. 5 North Carolina, 31-28.
FSU snapped Alabama’s 23-game win streak in season openers behind quarterback Tommy Castellanos, who made his Seminole debut with an efficient 9-of-14 passing performance for 152 yards and rushed for a touchdown among a team-high 78 yards. Four different players ran for scores overall, including wide receiver Micahi Danzy.
Alabama scored first on its opening drive, but Florida State got the next 24 points, including answering the Crimson Tide’s opening touchdown. Alabama got to within seven at 24-17 with 11 minutes left, but FSU answered again with a 10-play, 75-yard drive highlighted by a fourth-and-one conversion at its own 34, and later a 14-yard touchdown run by Gavin Sawchuk.
Florida State registered 382 total yards of offense, 230 on the ground and 152 through the air, while holding Alabama to just 87 rushing yards, its lowest ground total in an opener since 1975. The Seminole defense posted seven tackles-for-loss and three sacks led by defensive back Earl Little Jr.’s nine tackles, four of them solo.
This was Alabama’s first non-conference regular-season road loss since 2003, as they opened the year with a true road game for the first time since 2000.
Florida State hosts East Texas A&M (0-1) at noon ET Saturday, an ACC Network broadcast and the middle game of a three-game home set to open FSU’s season.
The Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week celebrates the squads whose performances captivated the country. Whether it’s a statement win, a Cinderella upset or just an all-around dominant showing, this national team of the week honor — an FWAA tradition for 24 seasons — shines a spotlight on the best overall performances in college football.
Coming into the 2025 season, 286 teams have been honored, including 103 different Division I programs. This season, with Pop-Tarts as the title sponsor, each honored team will receive a custom Pop-Tarts "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Aug. 30 were:
- South Florida (1-0): The Bulls rode an aggressive defense to claim their first win over a Top 25 opponent since 2016 with a 34-7 win over No. 25 Boise State. The 27-point margin of victory was the second highest in program history over a ranked opponent. Led by a career-high 14 tackles from graduate linebacker Jhalyn Shuler, who had one of USF’s three fumble takeaways, the Bulls held the Broncos well below their 37.7 points per game from a year ago and held Boise State to under 10 points for the first time since 2019.
- Tarleton (2-0): The Texans posted an historic win late Friday, beating Army at West Point on a Brad Larson 37-yard field goal on the second overtime possession, 30-27. It’s Tarleton’s first road victory against an FBS program in its fourth try and its second-ever over an FBS foe. The Texans fell behind by 14 midway through the third quarter, but three takeaways by Kasyus Kurns, touchdowns by Caleb Lewis and Dawson Hearne, and two Larson field goals in the extra period provided the winning points.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.