September 26th had a nightmarish ending for Mike Norvell’s Florida State. The Seminoles were going full throttle with a three-game winning streak.  But Friday night delivered chaos as Virginia shocked No. 8 Florida State, 46-38, in a double-overtime thriller. And the next visual, what Norvell and co. witnessed was Scott Stadium turning into a frenzy as Cavalier fans flooded the field. The celebration turned fiery, with one fan even flashing a middle finger at Norvell’s quarterback Thomas Castellanos as the Cavaliers reveled in their stunning victory. This rage made journalists concerned about the Florida State players. That’s when Norvell broke his silence.

Minutes after the game, Nole247 posted a clip of the post-game press conference. “Do you have an idea? Is your team okay? It seemed like that field storm happened pretty fast. It was pretty reckless. A lot happening at once. Do you know anybody is hurt?” asked the reporter. Norvell, still lost in his thoughts after the costly loss, said, “No, I’m not sure of any issues. I mean, we got everybody in the locker room, and so not sure of any issues.” How fast the tables turned.

A few days back, after handing Alabama a season-opening 31-17 loss, Norvell’s boys were in a similar spot. They became the first school fined under ACC’s new event security rules, receiving $50K after fans stormed the field vs. Alabama. Doak Campbell Stadium witnessed history as Norvell’s squad, a two-touchdown underdog, toppled Alabama in one of the program’s greatest upsets. When the final seconds ticked away, a tidal wave of fans stormed Bobby Bowden Field, dodging security and the Tide to celebrate on the turf.

Just a month later, here they are. Unranked Virginia, who were ignored in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll, stunned Florida State 46-38 in double OT, handing the Seminoles their first loss of the season and an 0-1 ACC start. So, it indeed was worth celebrating, and Norvell’s players got caught up in the centre of the storm.

As per the reports, Seminoles wide receiver Squirrel White had an all-too-up-close view of the field storming. On fourth-and-12 in double overtime, Norvell’s wide receiver was the intended target of Castellanos’ last-ditch heave. But Virginia’s Ja’Son Prevard stepped in front for the interception, sending White crashing to the turf in the end zone. Before either player could catch their breath, the stampede of fans storming the field was already upon them.

In the end zone, White sat helpless as Virginia fans came charging from the hill in celebration of the 46-38 upset. The wave engulfed him instantly, and he vanished in the chaos. If the fan chaos wasn’t in the playbook, neither were the curveballs that kept hitting Norvell’s Florida State.

A tough day for Mike Norvell’s fans

Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris came out firing, zipping a six-yard strike to Sage Ennis to light the fuse. From there, the Seminoles unraveled. An unnecessary roughness flag shoved Virginia deeper into striking distance, and Gavin Sawchuk’s fumble poured salt into the wound. With this, Norvell’s program was staggering before they even had time to catch their breath. However, hardly did the Seminoles expect what was awaiting them at the end. 

The knockout punch came at the very end. Norvell’s squad clawed its way into overtime with a fearless 4th-and-11 touchdown in the final 36 seconds, erasing what looked like a fatal 35-28 deficit. After the opening field-goal trade, Virginia snatched momentum with a touchdown and a gutsy 2-point try. Florida State thought they had their counterpunch when Castellanos found Duce Robinson on 3rd down.

But Norvell’s heart was soon shattered into a million pieces. The replay flipped the script, ruling Robinson never secured the ball before stepping out. Now, what’s the hoopla all about that left Norvell upset with the officiating? As Jack Mac tweeted, “Mike Norvell is 100% right. UVA should’ve been penalized with a delay of game there for not knowing how OT works.” 

Given the NCAA’s latest rule, the Seminoles’ head coach’s frustration is justified since once the game hits double overtime, teams can’t kick field goals after a touchdown. It’s two-point attempts or nothing. Virginia’s first instinct was a field goal try, violating the two-point conversion rule. The play clock should have run and a delay-of-game penalty enforced, yet officials let them reset and swap players with zero consequences, a freebie timeout in practice. Swept up by fan chaos and questionable calls, it was indeed a rough day for Mike Norvell’s Seminoles.