Florida State Dominates East Texas A&M in Historic 77-3 Victory

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — No. 14 Florida State showed no signs of a post-upset letdown as the Seminoles overpowered East Texas A&M in a 77-3 blowout on Saturday. The Seminoles scored on their first ten drives, recording their highest point total under head coach Mike Norvell and continuing a red-hot start to the 2025 season. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos, a transfer from Boston College, completed 237 yards through the air and tossed three touchdown passes, two of them to USC transfer Duce Robinson. Robinson set a program record for receiving yards in a single quarter, posting 160 yards in the opening 15 minutes. He finished the day with five receptions for 173 yards and two scores, including an acrobatic one-handed grab. Florida State’s offense looked unstoppable, piling up 361 rushing yards and averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Running back Gavin Sawchuk, a transfer from Oklahoma, scored three touchdowns—two on the ground and one on a 53-yard catch-and-run on fourth down.

“I thought they truly came with a purpose and a passion to get better,” said Norvell in the postgame press conference. “I wanted to see their response and to go compete as a team that’s passionate to get better.”

The Seminoles’ aerial attack included six total passing touchdowns, the most by the team in a game since 2011. Freshman quarterback Kevin Sperry threw two touchdowns in relief, one of which went to Amaree Williams, who later recorded his first collegiate sack in a standout two-way performance. Defensively, Florida State shut down the Lions' offense, forcing seven punts and limiting East Texas A&M to just 2.9 yards per carry. Interceptions by Earl Little Jr. and Jerry Wilson in the first half directly led to Florida State touchdowns. Beyond the scoreboard, the Seminoles played with heavy hearts. Freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard remains in critical but stable condition after being shot earlier in the week. Players wore wristbands with his No. 35 and honored him during the pregame coin toss. “We played for him today,” Castellanos said. “His dad was with us on the sideline and in the locker room. We’re praying for Ethan.”

The victory improves Florida State to 2-0 following their Week 1 upset over then-No. 14 Alabama. Though currently ranked No. 14, the Seminoles’ dominant performances are building a strong case for a rise in the national polls. After a bye week, FSU will return to action on September 20, hosting Kent State.