New coach, new road winning streak.
Just a week after Florida State fired head coach Mike Norvell, the Seminoles defeated Boston College 31-24 Saturday, getting back in the win column after a three-game losing streak. The victory also served as an unlikely milestone for the Seminoles in the program's quest to break out of its malaise.
It was Florida State's first win on the road in almost three years.
The last time the Seminoles had won a road game was Nov. 25, 2023, when Norvell's squad capped an undefeated regular season with a 24-15 win over rival Florida. Needless to say, a lot has changed since that November night in Gainesville.
Here are some of the top numbers and tidbits from Florida State's now-snapped losing streak.
Where are they now?
The Seminoles' last road victory came with some solid professional talent on the field, not surprising for a team that finished the regular season 12-0. Florida State leaned on the ground game, with starting quarterback Jordan Travis having been lost for the season due to injury, and was rewarded with a trio of touchdowns by Trey Benson. Benson would be picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2024 draft, but he was waived this summer after two injury-plagued seasons.
Other Seminoles went on to have more success in the NFL. Star edge rushers Braden Fiske and Jared Verse have totaled 11.5 and 12 sacks, respectively. Wide receiver Keon Coleman could be headed for his most productive campaign as a pro, and defensive backs Renardo Green and Azareye'h Thomas have emerged as starters for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, respectively.
Florida had future NFL talent on the field in the game as well. Ricky Pearsall posted 528 receiving yards in 10 games for the 49ers last season. Defenders Jason Marshall Jr. and Princely Umanmielen (who spent his final collegiate season at Ole Miss) play for the Dolphins and Panthers, respectively.
It's not that the Seminoles never came close
Florida State had its chances previously to halt the losing streak. Though many of the losses were by multiple-score margins, the Seminoles came maddeningly close at times.
The most infamous close call came when the team visited Charlottesville to face Virginia in September 2025. Boasting a 3-0 record complete with a season-opening win over Alabama, Florida State entered with not just momentum but also a top-10 ranking. A dramatic game saw the Seminoles score in the final minute to force overtime, but Norvell & Co. eventually came up short in double OT.
In its next road game, Florida State faced Stanford at night, with the Cardinal sitting at 2-4 with just one ACC win on the season. Trailing by seven late, the Seminoles drove to the 2-yard line with seconds to play but were stopped short of a tying score as time expired.
That Stanford squad was led by interim head coach Frank Reich, and it wasn't the only time an interim coach would cause Florida State trouble. In their final game of the regular season, the Seminoles faced Florida's Billy Gonzales and lost to him as well. Gonzales' win was his only one in five games leading the Gators.
In the final road game of Norvell's Florida State tenure, it took two overtimes for it to lose to No. 3 Miami after a late touchdown sent it to the extra frame. The Seminoles and Hurricanes traded touchdowns in the first overtime before Miami scored in the second, then picked off quarterback Ashton Daniels to win 43-35.
Despite the close calls, the losses usually were more heavy-handed
The more dramatic defeats were the most painful for Florida State and its fans, but generally the losses were more mundane.
Across the Seminoles' 12 straight road losses, the average margin of defeat was 17.3 points, according to ESPN Research. Six were by 14 or more points, with the team's disastrous 2024 being particularly unfriendly. Three of Florida State's four true road losses that season were by at least 22 points.
Notre Dame dealt the most brutal beatdown of the lot, demolishing the Seminoles 52-3 in South Bend that November.
The home success has been there ... to an extent
As calamitous as Florida State's recent road record has been, and as tumultuous as Norvell's run has been, the Seminoles have posted notable wins at home.
Florida State is 10-8 at Doak Campbell Stadium since the road losing streak started. That includes five wins against mid-major or FCS opposition, though there have been some solid wins at home as well.
The most famous came in Week 1 of 2025, when the Seminoles upset an eighth-ranked Alabama team that would go on to make the College Football Playoff. Florida State also dominated an eventual nine-win Wake Forest squad 42-7. Though it falls more under the category of "fun trivia" than "impressive result," the Seminoles' lone FBS win in 2024 came at home against future Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and his Cal squad.
