Florida State's all-purpose munition, Sam Singleton Jr., had a breakout game against New Mexico State on Saturday night, accounting for 164 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the Seminoles 34-17 victory. Coach Mike Norvell must keep the ball in Singleton's hands as much as possible this season.
Florida State running back Sam Singleton Jr. proved to be a dangerous weapon on the gridiron for the Seminoles in Saturday night’s 34-17 victory over the New Mexico State Aggies.
Whether the ubiquitous Singleton was carving up the Aggies’ rushing defense or shredding their kickoff coverage, he was the proverbial Swiss army knife for Florida State. He is an all-purpose weapon of destruction that coach Mike Norvell must keep locked, loaded and ready to deploy at all times.
The bewildered New Mexico State defense could not stop Singleton, who ignited the Seminoles offense for 164 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. It was a prime example of what Norvell envisioned for his explosive playmaker.
“Sam is a guy that's a really talented football player,” said Norvell at his post-game press conference. “He’s growing and just in all areas. And I was so proud of him to see his impact in all three phases of it…had a big kickoff return. Obviously, had some good runs, but then also catching the ball out of the back field was great to see, and to see his confidence growing, and Sam is a wonderful example of that.”
Norvell is not a creative genius when it comes to calling plays. So, whether he is drawing the plays in the dirt on the sideline with twigs and bottle caps, or using some other crude means of diagramming plays, he must figure out ways to get the ball in Singleton’s hands so he can create big yardage plays in space.
“I envisioned, him and the explosiveness he has in the different areas that he could impact,” said Norvell. “I think he saw the same thing. And so, it was a great start for him to this season, and we're expecting big things as we continue to move forward.”
As they prepare for their next opponent, the SMU Mustangs, Singleton will put stress on the SMU defense as the Mustangs must now include him in their game plan.
On Saturday night, Singleton was unconquered as he bobbed and weaved his way through traffic and gained 68 yards on two kickoff returns for a 34-yard average, tops among all players in week zero. Singleton was one of the highest-graded offensive players for Florida State on Saturday night. He earned a grade of 70.2 from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Singleton has stuck around Tallahassee, resisting the urge to enter the transfer portal, and has worked hard to improve his overall game. As a result, Singleton was voted as the most improved offensive player last season by his teammates.
In 2024, Singleton’s teammates voted him as the Special Teams Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, and was he named a freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
It was not a surprise that Singleton performed the way he did against New Mexico State, but a breakout game to start the season off with a victory is exactly what was needed to liberate the Seminoles from the funk of the past two losing campaigns. This season will not be easy, and Florida State owns the most daunting schedule of any ACC team.
Do the Seminoles have things to clean up this week as they prepare for SMU? Absolutely. The offensive line had issues with pass blocking, giving up three sacks to the Aggies. The Florida State defensive secondary had coverage issues, and their communication skills were lacking most of the night.
However, Singleton was a radiant beacon that allowed the Seminoles to bask in the thrill of victory for the first time in their last four games, and secured their second consecutive season-opening win. A win is a win, and Florida State will take as many as they get.
This is an important week of preparation for the Seminoles. The nationally-ranked Mustangs of SMU are a formidable opponent, considered to be the No. 2 team in the ACC, behind Miami. They will display continuity at the quarterback position, as Kevin Jennings returns for his third year at the controls of coach Rhett Lashlee’s venerable offense.
If Singleton can turn in another outstanding all-purpose performance against a superior opponent, Florida State might steal a win on Labor Day. That would be the catalyst to somehow silence the critics and extinguish the flames on Norvell’s hot seat, at least for this game week.
