It was supposed to be a bounce-back night in Tallahassee for the Seminoles, a statement game to show that Florida State was still the team that had defeated Alabama back in Week 1. But the Seminoles lost once more, this time against their bitter rivals. FSU’s ground game and offense struggled in front of the Doak Campbell crowd, and Miami won the game with a 28–22 victory, leaving the ‘Noles with a 3-2 record and a 0–2 score in ACC play. Now, analyst Josh Pate has further raised eyebrows by calling the Seminoles a ‘townhouse’ team.

On Sunday’s episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, as Josh Pate warned when he called the Seminoles a “townhouse team,” pointing out that they appear totally lost one week and showcase their playoff potential in the next. He said, “They’re really tall. There’s a high ceiling, there’s a low floor. And that is kind of how Florida State profiles.” That ceiling was pretty evident when they defeated Alabama in Week 1, and then against Virginia and now Miami, the floor fell down. It was too late by the time FSU’s offense woke up after the Hurricanes gave them an early blow. Over the last three seasons, Norvell has rebuilt this team using the transfer portal; this strategy was successful during FSU’s 12-0 run in 2023, but backfired during their 2-10 collapse in 2024.

And Pate’s argument on uncertainty suited quarterback Tommy Castellanos perfectly. “You saw Tommy Castellanos’ total wild card. It’s either 10 or it’s trash,” Pate said,  and the Miami game went exactly that way. After three quarters of struggling to cope with Miami’s pressure, Castellanos led a furious fourth-quarter recovery after making two clumsy interceptions and missing on easy plays.

His final stats, with 57 running yards, 272 yards, and two touchdowns, are acceptable unless you consider the three turnovers that flipped the game. After the game, he didn’t shy from owning the slips. Castellanos told reporters, “I apologize to this team, this community, the alumni. I have to play better.”

Norvell held that same sense of responsibility, admitting the Seminoles have been hurting themselves with the “little things.” FSU ran 24 more plays and outscored Miami 404–338, but the Hurricanes scored 14 points off slips due to three turnovers and careless penalties. “With emphasis, there has to be application,” Norvell said. “We can’t lose the turnover margin.” Pate keeps returning to the same story that FSU is capable of competing with any team, but their lack of consistency and over-reliance on Castellanos make them an example of a townhouse team: dominant one minute, terrible the next.

Norvell, Castellanos own FSU’s loss before the Pitt showdown

Pitt’s visit to Florida State on October 11 means the Seminoles are facing a game they simply cannot afford to lose. Following consecutive ACC defeats, including Saturday’s devastating 28–22 loss to Miami, Mike Norvell’s team must make quick decisions. Although a late comeback made the score appear acceptable, the Seminoles appeared lost for three quarters, trailing 28-3. Even though FSU dominated Miami 404–338 and went 4-for-4 in the red zone, they once again surpassed themselves in terms of missed chances and turnovers. As Norvell said it bluntly, “We just had too many mistakes… Miami did what they needed to do to win. We fell behind early, and it was too much to overcome.”

Tommy Castellanos, the QB who has been both a source of hope and a source of trouble for this offense, took full responsibility for the defeat. After passing for 272 yards, two touchdowns, and two expensive interceptions, he said, “This one is on me.” The entire game was turned around by the fourth-and-eight pick near midfield in the first half; Miami used a 44-yard flea flicker to take a 14-3 lead one play later. Although he admitted that it “didn’t go how anybody wants it to,” Norvell justified his choice to go for it, stating that he “wanted to be aggressive.” It was just another instance of FSU’s growing difficulties with aggressive play-calling that backfired due to poor execution.

Florida State must quickly recover after Pitt handed the reins to freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel following a 48-7 defeat of Boston College. The Seminoles dropped to 3-2 and only managed to hold onto a position in the AP Top 25, falling to No. 25. What follows next wasn’t sugarcoated by Norvell: “It’s a locker room that is hurting… As a coach, I have to be better in helping continue to assist our guys, eliminate some of the mistakes.” The task now is to show that the late Miami surge wasn’t only pointless fireworks and that this “townhouse team” can at last find some middle ground before the season ends.