Remember the time when Florida State Seminoles quarterback Thomas Castellanos landed in a deep soup after making the Nick Saban comment? He found the support of his head coach, Mike Norvell. “Tommy is a tremendous young competitor…ultimately confidence comes through the work and, as I’ve told him, I’ve watched the work.” And Castellanos ensured to make Norvell prouder. Against the Virginia Cavaliers, with just 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Castellanos delivered a laser-precise 11-yard touchdown pass to Randy Pittman Jr.

Jake Weinberg’s extra point made it official, capping off a thrilling drive with sheer precision and poise. The clock was winding down, but Castellanos and Pittman Jr. refused to let the moment slip, turning pressure into magic and electrifying the stadium with a finish that left everyone on the edge of their seats. Bringing more heat to the moment, Urban Meyer’s podcast spiced things up with a tweet. Sharing Castellanos’ highlight reel, the podcast wrote, “Is Tommy C building a Heisman campaign?” 

Castellanos is a one-man highlight reel. The dual-threat quarterback has been sensational, completing 27 of 38 passes for 594 yards and three scores, while also rushing 27 times for 139 yards and three more touchdowns. His Heisman chatter is now unavoidable. On the other hand, the timing has been in Norvell’s quarterback’s favor. He was barely on the Heisman radar when the season began. After leading Florida State past Alabama in Week 1, he earned multiple honors, including Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week, Davey O’Brien Great 8 recognition. What further propelled Castellanos on the Heisman track is John Mateer going on the back foot because of his injury.  

Thomas Casale said Norvell’s quarterback was his favorite longshot at +6000, and if you were watching, you’d know Week 1 against Alabama was make-or-break; he passed the test. Looking ahead, the analyst said to keep eyes on Miami, Clemson, and Florida: winning those, he will be a real Heisman contender. Even now, the analyst said Castellanos at +1600 is a better value than Fernando Mendoza or Josh Hoover. 

Norvell and co. might have undergone a little heart attack moment. Castellanos got hurt in the first half of FSU’s 66-10 rout of Kent State. Late in the second quarter, he was swallowed by a pile while throwing to Lawayne McCoy, then hopped to the sideline as trainers rushed to check him out. But after the game, Norvell’s squad could let out a sigh of relief as Castellanos confirmed, “All good. All good. Just got rolled up a little bit but all good.” And in the next game, he came off as indomitable. But that too did not save Norvell’s boys from undergoing a poor fate. Thanks to bad officiating.

Last moment heartbreak for Mike Norvell

Norvell’s Florida State drove hard into the red zone, only for Virginia’s Ja’son Prevard to swat a Castellanos pass into the air and snag the interception. Poor Seminoles had just survived a scare, too, as what looked like a Micahi Danzy fumble was overturned after a booth review.

Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris wasted no time, hitting Sage Ennis for a six-yard score. Norvell and co.’ woes continued. An unnecessary roughness penalty pushes UVA deep into scoring territory, and a fumble by Gavin Sawchuk just added insult to injury. That’s how the Seminoles started reeling early.

At the end came the hardest blow. Norvell’s boys forced OT with a gutsy 4th-and-11 touchdown with just 36 seconds left, erasing a 35-28 deficit. Early field-goal trading gave way to Virginia taking a second-quarter touchdown plus a 2-point conversion. The Seminoles seemed to strike back when  Castellanos connected with Duce Robinson on 3rd down. That’s when the tables turned. The replay ruled Robinson never had full possession before stepping out. As Barstool Sports’ 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.” What was the head coach’s post-game reaction?

“There are some big steps we need to take as a football team — in how we handle the environment, the emotions, and make sure our execution and discipline are what they need to be throughout a 60-plus minute game. I know our guys will respond, and we’ve got to put everything we have into this week that’s ahead,” assured Mike Norvell. It’s comeback time for Florida State and for Thomas Castellanos to live up to his Heisman hype.