Alabama Florida State Rematch: What’s Changed Since 2025
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Alabama’s Florida State rematch comes at a time when head coach Kalen DeBoer and his team are still trying to figure out what they trust. Last year, the Seminoles defeated Alabama 31-17 by controlling the line of scrimmage and making the Crimson Tide chase the game. Now Alabama is 2-0, is ranked No.10, and is carrying two weeks of evidence that several old problems may have changed.
DeBoer has tried to keep the revenge label outside the building. He told reporters Monday, “In our minds, this is the 2026 team.” Fair enough. But last season still left Alabama a very convenient checklist for Saturday.
Florida State rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns in Tallahassee, while Alabama managed just 87 rushing yards and scored on the ground. The Seminoles also sacked Ty Simpson three times and answered Alabama’s fourth-quarter touchdown with a 75-yard scoring drive. The final score was 31-17, but the main concern was how often Florida State dictated the terms.
Alabama Florida State Rematch: What’s Changed Since 2025
Alabama’s Run Game Finally Looks Capable of Answering
Alabama’s first problem last year was no mystery. It could not run the ball when Florida State saw the run coming. That weakness followed the offense for much of last year and made the offensive line rebuild the core of Alabama’s offseason fix.
After two games into the new season, the early return looks to be making some progress. Alabama rushed for 382 yards, including 227 against East Carolina and 155 at Kentucky. Daniel Hill has 151 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries, with a career-high 104 yards coming in Lexington.
The Kentucky performance felt especially relevant because the first half was messy. Alabama trailed 17-13 after three Keelon Russell turnovers, then leaned harder on the run once the game settled. Hill became the steady option as Alabama stopped helping Kentucky.
The Wildcats’ head coach Will Stein even noticed the improvement. “They did a nice job against our duo schemes later in the second half,” Stein said after the game. Alabama finished that half with 32 unanswered points.
Come weekend, Florida State will put that improvement to the test (and we’ll see how far it travels). Alabama does not need cartoon rushing numbers, but it cannot return to the 2025 version of itself. If the line creates normal down-and-distance situations, the entire offense becomes easier.
Keelon Russell Has Shown One Important Difference
The quarterback comparison is not perfect because the name has changed. Alabama’s quarterback transition now belongs to second-year quarterback Keelon Russell, whose first two starts have been far less tidy than the record suggests.
Russell has thrown for 444 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He has also added 77 rushing yards and a score, which is why defense can no longer see him as a stationary problem. However, the more useful evidence came after his rough first half at Kroger Field.
Russell committed three first-half turnovers, including a pick-six, and the Crimson Tide went to halftime down four. The game had every ingredient for another ugly road situation. But things turned around, and Alabama scored 32 straight points, with Russell playing the second half without another turnover.
Florida State head coachMike Norvell has noticed the mobility and arm talent. “He’s a scary football player,” Norvell said Monday. Florida State also has evidence that Russell can be pushed into mistakes.
The Seminoles forced four turnovers against SMU despite losing 27-24. Their defense also surrendered 585 yards, so opportunities should exist if Russell protects the football. His job is actually simple to describe and harder to execute (take the available yards without crediting gifts).
Alabama’s Defensive Front Gets the Most Honest Test
The biggest upset of last season might still be connected to the defense. Florida State ran 49 times for 230 yards, and the Crimson Tide never found a reliable way to make the Seminoles one-dimensional. A year later, defensive coordinator Kane Womack has a different front around him.
Alabama has allowed 65 net rushing yards after two games. East Carolina finished with two, while Kentucky managed 63. The defensive transfer class has supplied the necessary fix, especially from Caleb Woodson and Devan Thompkins.
Woodson had 12 tackles and two sacks at Kentucky. Thompkins added two more sacks, while Alabama held Kentucky scoreless and to 62 total yards after halftime. Alabama’s defense has become the unit DeBoer can rely on when a match turns uncomfortable.
Florida State has enough on the ground to challenge that progress, though. Ousmane Kromah has 231 rushing yards after two games, including 116 against SMU. Quarterback Aston Daniels added 71 rushing yards in that loss and brings another problem as a designed runner.
Wommack knows too well the type from facing Daniels at Auburn last season. “He is a big, strong, physical runner,” Wommack said to reporters Monday. That description could double as Saturday’s assignment.
The Florida State rematch is important because the Seminoles can attack the same areas they exposed last August, only this time with different personnel.
Florida State Rematch Tests How Much Alabama Has Changed
Florida State enters1-1 after an open week, and its loss to SMU shows there is still room for adjustments. The Seminoles allowed 585 yards and converted only two of 14 third downs. Still, they forced four turnovers and lost by only three points to a ranked team.
This is a real test for Alabama. Florida State has a productive running back, a mobile quarterback, and a defense that can create extra possessions. It also knows what worked against Alabama last year.
Alabama seems to be better prepared for those concerns this time around. The running game has improved, Russell responded well after mistakes at Kentucky, and the defensive front has two controlled opponents. Now those early fixes have to hold up against the team that exposed them last season.
Saturday should give Alabama a much clearer answer. If it can run the ball, protect Russell and slow Florida State’s rushing attack, the progress becomes harder to question. From what we’ve seen, Alabama looks different. Florida State gets the first real chance to show how much has really improved.
Main Photo: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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