Florida State is going nowhere fast after a ho-hum Week 0 win against a lower-tier Group of Six opponent. The addition of Auburn transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels isn't about to change that narrative. It's not enough to fix what's broken.
The Seminoles defeated New Mexico State 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium, but the red flags flew all night. Not so much under center, but because the flags were so red everywhere else, even Daniels' play becomes one.
Because it may not be enough to change an inevitably dreary outcome.
Daniels had a solid, if unspectacular, debut in Tallahassee: 17/27 passing, 202 passing yards, two all-purpose touchdowns, a pick, and two first downs created from his legs during a broken play. Daniels made big plays in the second half, but there shouldn't even have been the opportunities for "big" plays against the Aggies. Yet there FSU was, up just 17-10 in the third quarter.
Short of a Heisman campaign, Daniels cannot pull this team out of its now-three-year rut on the other side of the ball.
Tony White's defense will make Ashton Daniels' efforts obsolete
New Mexico State's offense was 10/17 on third-down conversions. Aggies receiver Brodie Malone-Bradford absolutely burned promising Noles DB Ja'Bril Rawls for a 33-yard receiving touchdown in the first half. This was not a sloppy effort destroying the cause, though. Mike Norvell's program was simply soft on defense and lost individual matchups.
There were only two penalties called on the Seminoles. FSU may even have preferred a sloppy day to explain the defensive letdown. But nope, the defense simply gave up two touchdowns and 272 passing yards to Furman transfer Trey Hedden.
Tony White will undo any positive momentum Daniels establishes this season. Against SMU and Alabama over the Noles' next two matchups, things could get bowling shoe ugly at Florida State. It might be a blessing in disguise to face elite quarterbacks like Kevin Jennings and Keelon Russell. The Tony White band-aid might be ripped off sooner.
Ashton Daniels looked exactly like he did at Auburn in Week 0
The Seminoles got exactly what they paid for with Daniels. When there is no defensive progression from a team that went 5-7 last season and 2-6 against the ACC, that isn't a very good seven-figure investment.
It was tough for the Tigers to let Daniels go after how he performed last November. Daniels looked like he could do damage with DJ Durkin's defense, if only he had a better play-caller than a one-foot-out-the-door Derrick Nix.
One came with Alex Golesh's hiring in Joel Gordon, but Byrum Brown was always part of the USF-imported package. Daniels found a good next stop, since being a backup wasn't in his plans. It just isn't a good stop for any team success.
Daniels' first game with Auburn this season, in an alternate universe, probably would've gone the same way as his FSU debut. The Tigers could've masked Daniels' turnover-proneness with great defense, though.
There's nothing that will save the 2026 Seminoles as long as White is the defensive coordinator. We know for certain it won't be Daniels after how Week 0 just went.
Good thing Gus Malzahn got the hell out of dodge. He already knew he couldn't save the Seminoles from White.
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