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 1974âÂÂ1976 seasons and their worst record since 1975.
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.
In Mike Norvell's debut, the Seminoles fell 16âÂÂ13 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.
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 52âÂÂ10 to the Hurricanes to mark their fourth-straight loss in the series and suffering their second largest loss to their rival.
The Seminoles overcame an early fourteen-point deficit to defeat the Gamecocks, 41âÂÂ24, 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.
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, 42âÂÂ26, in their first and only meeting as conference foes.
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 31âÂÂ28, giving Mike Norvell his first win over a ranked team as head coach of the Seminoles.
The Seminoles were beaten by Louisville, the former school of quarterback Jordan Travis, by a score of 48âÂÂ16.
In only their second meeting since Pittsburgh joined the conference, the Seminoles lost to the Panthers by a score of 41âÂÂ17, in a game that featured three turnovers by the Florida State offense and seven sacks by the Pitt defense.
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 38âÂÂ22.
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 56âÂÂ35 on Senior Day. Jordan Travis broke the school record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.