2020 Florida State Seminoles football team

The 2020 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Seminoles played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, and competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Mike Norvell, in his first season.

The Seminoles finished the season with a losing record for the third consecutive season for the first time since the 1974–1976 seasons and their worst record since 1975.

Schedule
Florida State had games scheduled against Boise State, Florida, Samford, and West Virginia, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the ACC playing a ten-game conference schedule with one non-conference opponent and reduced stadium capacity. Florida State ended up playing nine games as the result of further cancelations of games against Clemson and Wake Forest. This was the first season since 1957 that the Seminoles did not play Florida.

The Seminoles were picked to finish in seventh place in the ACC, while Marvin Wilson, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Tamorrion Terry and Asante Samuel, Jr. were selected to the preseason All-ACC team.


 * undefinedThe game between Florida State and Duke was originally scheduled to take place on December 5 at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. However, due to COVID-19 management requirements in response to positive tests and subsequent quarantine of individuals within the Florida State program which led to the cancelation of the two prior games, the game was rescheduled for December 12 in Tallahassee.

Georgia Tech
In Mike Norvell's debut, the Seminoles fell 16–13 to the Yellow Jackets in their fourth-straight season opening loss and the first win for the Yellow Jackets against the Seminoles in Tallahassee since 2009.

Miami (FL)
On September 19, it was announced that head coach Mike Norvell had tested positive for COVID-19 and would be quarantining as a result. Chris Thomsen, the deputy head coach, handled on-field coaching duties for the game.

The Seminoles fell 52–10 to the Hurricanes to mark their fourth-straight loss in the series and suffering their second largest loss to their rival.

Jacksonville State
The Seminoles overcame an early fourteen-point deficit to defeat the Gamecocks, 41–24, in their lone non-conference game to secure the team's first victory of the season as well as Norvell's first win as head coach.

Notre Dame
Prior to the game, Jordan Travis was named the starter at quarterback, making him the third player to start at the position throughout the first four games of the season.

The Seminoles were beaten by the Irish, 42–26, in their first and only meeting as conference foes.

North Carolina
Entering the game as a double-digit underdog, Florida State built up a twenty-four point halftime lead and survived a second-half rally to defeat the Tar Heels, and alum Mack Brown, by a score of 31–28, giving Mike Norvell his first win over a ranked team as head coach of the Seminoles.

Louisville
The Seminoles were beaten by Louisville, the former school of quarterback Jordan Travis, by a score of 48–16.

Pittsburgh
In only their second meeting since Pittsburgh joined the conference, the Seminoles lost to the Panthers by a score of 41–17, in a game that featured three turnovers by the Florida State offense and seven sacks by the Pitt defense.

NC State
Starting their fourth quarterback of the season due to injury, the Seminoles fell to the Wolfpack, led by former Florida State quarterback Bailey Hockman, by a score of 38–22.

Duke
Playing their first game in nearly a month due to issues pertaining to the pandemic, the Seminoles built up an early lead and survived a comeback attempt to defeat the Blue Devils 56–35 on Senior Day. Jordan Travis broke the school record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.