First half TV viewers of Florida State’s 77-3 win on Saturday saw the program on ACC Network listed as "East Texas A&M vs Florida State.” A more apt title for the opening quarter would have been "The Duce Robinson Show."
The 6-foot-6 sophomore receiver was the star of the game for the Seminoles as they raced out to a 21-0 lead in just over 12 minutes of play. Robinson totaled five catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns before he was pulled out of the game in the second quarter.
In that limited action, Robinson was a human highlight reel. It started on the first drive with an impressive leaping catch for a ball that was a touch high and behind, resulting in a first down. It continued to build on the second drive when quarterback Tommy Castellanos hit him in stride as he streaked 82 yards down the right sideline for his first touchdown as a Seminole.
Robinson’s performance then hit a crescendo on the third drive when he made a one-handed and contested catch in the endzone for a 42-yard score. It was the type of play that will make any highlight reel featuring FSU this year.
Each catch was more impressive than the last. Even his final reception turned heads as he caught a slant well short of the first down line on 3rd and 15 in the second quarter. Robinson bullied his way through would-be tacklers to cross the line and keep the drive alive.
“I thought Duce was remarkable,” FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after the game. “He showcased what we get to see in practice: his speed, length, playmaking ability. [The one-handed catch] was an incredible touchdown catch. Great ball by Tommy to keep it on the outside where it was Duce or nobody. That was a thing of beauty. Obviously, the long 80-yard touchdown - that was just speed, and Tommy put the ball out there for Duce to go get it, and he did.”
Castellanos shared his coach’s sentiments, adding that the performance was no surprise to him. The senior quarterback said Robinson makes plays like that in practice every day.
“I tell this guy every day that every time I don’t get him the ball, I let him down,” Castellanos said after the win. “This week, I was going to make an emphasis on getting him the ball and letting him show the world who he is and what he can be. I think he did that today. He showed you guys how talented and how good he is.”
The performance on the home field at Doak Campbell Stadium had more than a bit of a Prodigal Son feel. Robinson’s father, Dominic Robinson, played football at Florida State from 2001-2004 under legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.
Duce Robinson was a highly-recruited player out of high school in Arizona, considered a key target for Mike Norvell in the 2024 class. It was a disappointment for Seminoles fans when he spurned his father’s alma mater and signed with the University of Southern California, instead.
After a year in Los Angeles, the son decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, after all. Duce Robinson transferred to FSU in the 2025 offseason, part of a raft of new players Norvell brought in after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Saturday against East Texas A&M was the first time Duce Robinson scored on the same field where his father once played.
“It’s a feeling like no other,” he said. “I used to dream about that as a kid – being able to run out of that tunnel, being able to score a touchdown as a Seminole, watching Chief Osceola throw the spear down. Those are all memories that I have as a kid watching on my TV that now I get to live out on a daily basis. All I know is, five-year-old me would be very proud of myself right now.”
Castellanos said Saturday afternoon showed the world what Duce Robinson can do. Quarterback and receiver alike expressed confidence that this won’t be the only episode of The Duce Robinson Show.
“God willing,” Duce Robinson said, “there’s a lot more of those on the way.”
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