3 things to watch in FSU football’s season opener vs. New Mexico State

Florida State footballreturns to Doak Campbell Stadiumfor the first time in 2026, with the program’s season opener against New Mexico State set for Saturday, Aug. 29.

It marks the start of the seventh season for head coach Mike Norvell,who enters the most important season of his coaching career. The Seminoles have redefined underwhelming in the last two seasons, with a combined 7-17 record and no road wins since 2023.

The 2026 season starts against New Mexico State, and the Seminolesopen up as 31.5-point favorites over the Aggies an eyewatering margin

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Check out the Seminoles during football practice

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So, with that, here are three things to look for in the Seminoles’ home opener:

Who gets the first nod at QB2?

Ashton Daniels is the starter; that’s set in stone,but the quarterback depth chart is still intriguing heading into the game against New Mexico State. If the game goes as expected, there is a high chance one of Malachi Marshall or Kevin Sperry,potentially both, will see the field against the Aggies.

Which quarterback takes the field first will be interesting to monitor. Marshall arrived in the summer, but he’s blown the coaching staff away since he enrolled, and even added 18 pounds of muscle to his frame. He’s in a spot where he could be the Seminoles’ QB2 and serve as the primary backup as Sperry continues to search for consistency at the collegiate level.

Norvell hasn’t outright named a backup, and with no depth chart until game day, there is no official QB2. But Norvell has been extremely complimentary of Marshall since his arrival, and it seems like the JUCO transfer is going to be doing a bit more than sitting for a year and learning the playbook.

If the Seminoles take care of business, the battle between Marshall and Sperry could be one of the biggest things to monitor against the Aggies.

Which freshman show upin their first collegiate game?

There has been no hesitation from Norvell to play freshmenif he feels they are ready to compete, and his class of 2025 features a handful of players who will be immediate contributors.

Against New Mexico State, players like wide receiver Jasen Lopez and linebacker Izayia Williams could, and likely will, see some play time. Both Lopez and Williams were standouts during preseason camp, with Lopez a potential starter as a receiver.

The dual-sport freshman is a smooth route runner and elusive, something that carries over from his basketball skill set. While he’s lit up practice, how does Lopez look against collegiate competition with 70,000 fans in the stands? That should be an exciting prospect for Seminole fans to watch.

Williams and his 6-foot-2, 226-pound frame fit perfectly into the linebacker room, and if he’s fully healthy, he’ll be an instant contributor. An appearance against the Aggies would be his first game in over a year after a knee injury kept him out of his senior year at Tavares High School.

The return of Mike Norvell in the play-calling chair

Norvell is back in the play-calling seat ahead of the most critical season of his tenure in Tallahassee. He last called plays in 2024, before handing duties to Gus Malzahn for his lone season with the program.

His offense will feature two-running back sets, and the likes of Ousmane Kromah, Tre Wisnor and Samuel Singleton Jr. could see a high usage rate. As for the receivers, Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy will likely work over the middle of the field more than they did last season, where they primarily were used as deep ball threats or in screens.

A good performance against New Mexico State won’t say much about how Norvell’s offense will stack up against SMU or Alabama. But how Daniels operates and how comfortable the offense looks moving the ball is, at the least, worth monitoring.

Florida State football schedule 2026

vs. New Mexico State | Aug. 29

vs. Central Arkansas | Sept. 26

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat:3 things to watch in FSU football’s season opener vs. New Mexico State

Source: sports.yahoo.com