2026 FSU Schedule Preview: New Mexico State Aggies

2026 FSU Schedule Preview: New Mexico State Aggies

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2026 FSU Schedule Preview: New Mexico State Aggies
Nov 15, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; New Mexico State Aggies quarterback Adam Damante (14) looks to pass the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Mike Norvell’s seat may be piping hot, but it should be cool for a Week Zero matchup against the New Mexico State Aggies, one of the worst teams in college football over the last two seasons.

Needing to fill in a game for the canceled home-and-home with Notre Dame, FSU scheduled NMSU, looking for an early boost to the season before jumping right into conference play the next week.

While it is hard to feel confident about anything under Norvell, taking care of business against New Mexico State should be as simple as it gets in 2026.

Florida State vs. New Mexico State Aggies

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 29, 7:00 p.m. ET (The CW)
  • Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
  • Previous matchup: 36-0, Florida State (10/3/1964)
  • All-time series: Florida State leads 1-0

New Mexico State Aggies: 2026 Team Preview

2025 record: 4-8 (2-6) CUSA

Two things to know:

  • New Mexico State will hold a quarterback competition to determine its QB1, with the possibility that multiple players could see action under center in the season opener. The frontrunner would seem to be Adam Damante, who started the final two games of the season for NMSU, and combined to fire five touchdown passes in those two contests against UTEP and Middle Tennessee State. However, the Aggies also brought in Trey Hedden from Furman and Kalani McLeod from the JUCO ranks.
  • Since Jerry Kill led New Mexico State to a 10-win season in 2023, including a shocking win over Auburn, the program has not been the same since he stepped down. The Aggies are a combined 7-17 over the last two years, and although that is the same record as FSU over the same span, the competition has obviously not been equal. NMSU begins year three of the Tony Sanchez era, looking for something to jump-start the program after two difficult years.

Three key players

  • WR Myles Libman: Libman, who is one of only three incoming P4 transfers on the NMSU roster, spent three years at Stanford before transferring to Las Cruces. The redshirt junior appeared in 12 games last season with the Cardinal, starting four. Considering the Aggies lost two of their top three receivers from a year ago, Libman will be expected to step in and make an impact from day one.
  • WR TK King: One of the few returning members of the NMSU offense, King was New Mexico State’s second-leading receiver last year and averaged 14.3 yards per reception. At just 5’9”, he is not the biggest player on the field, but the Aggies utilize his speed and quickness all over the grass, including giving him eight carries last season. King spent a year at Texas Tech and a season at Wyoming before coming to NMSU in 2025.
  • LB Tory Gethers: Gethers ranked second on the Aggies in tackles a season ago and is expected to be the defense’s quarterback in 2026. He boasts a power-4 frame, standing 6’1” and weighing 215 pounds, while entering his senior season. Gethers began his career in the JUCO ranks before making the jump to D-1 in 2025, when he joined NMSU.

Florida State vs. New Mexico State Aggies: Game preview, predictions

Best Case

  • Florida State puts on a Kent State-like performance from a season ago. The offense breaks all sorts of records and convinces the general public that the Ashton Daniels experience can work. The Seminoles can rest most of their starters after halftime, giving the team a tune-up ahead of a massive game against the Mustangs the following week.

Realistic Case

  • Considering this is FSU football in 2026, they will not have the horses to blow anybody out, even the lower levels of D-1, but Norvell’s team takes care of business. Daniels throws for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, calming the Kevin Sperry/Malachi Marshall talk for one week, as the Seminoles benefit from playing a game while SMU continues to practice against themselves. Florida State wins 35-10 in a convincing showing in week zero.

Worst Case

  • Florida State wins, but boy, does it look ugly. The Seminoles fall behind, as they sometimes do against poor competition under Norvell, and slog to a 24-13 win. Norvell’s seat continues to warm as nobody thinks FSU can beat SMU the following week, and the fan base grows more toxic before the calendar flips to September. Also, since FSU looked bad against NMSU, the Seminoles are unable to create a hostile atmosphere for SMU, a marquee game on the home schedule.

2026 FSU football schedule

  • Saturday, Aug. 29: New Mexico State Aggies (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:00 p.m. (The CW)
  • Monday, Sep. 7: SMU Mustangs (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
  • BYE
  • Saturday, Sep. 19: Alabama Crimson Tide (Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)
  • Saturday, Sep. 26: Central Arkansas Bears (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
  • Saturday, Oct. 3: Virginia Cavaliers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
  • Friday, Oct. 9: Louisville Cardinals (Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Ky.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
  • Saturday, Oct. 17: Miami Hurricanes (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.)
  • BYE
  • Saturday, Oct. 31: Clemson Tigers (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
  • Saturday, Nov. 7: Boston College Eagles (Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
  • Friday, Nov. 13: Pitt Panthers (Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.) | 7:00 p.m. (ESPN)
  • Saturday, Nov. 21: NC State Wolfpack (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee)
  • Friday, Nov. 27: Florida Gators (Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee) | 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

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