Before Saturday’s 31-17 Week 1 loss to Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium, Alabama had not faced the Seminoles since 2017. Still, the Crimson Tide faced a familiar foe in Tallahassee, FSU’s first-year offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
After a four-year stint as the head coach at UCF, Malzahn was fired last offseason and joined Mike Norvell’s staff at FSU to help revive a program that went 2-10 in 2024. In Week 1, Malzahn, who reunited with former UCF quarterback Thomas Castellanos, unveiled his familiar run-heavy option-based attack and gave Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack fits.
FSU rushed for 230 yards, including 78 and a touchdown on 16 carries from Castellanos, and the offense averaged 4.7 yards per carry. It wasn’t the first time that an Alabama coaching staff struggled to slow down a Malzahn-led unit.
Leading Auburn from 2013 until 2020, Malzahn knocked off the Crimson Tide three times (2013, 2017, and 2019). He’s had just as much success as an offensive coordinator. Saturday was his third win over Alabama as an offensive coordinator, totalling six victories against college football’s preeminent program of the 21st century, and cementing his place as a true Bama killer.
Gus Malzahn sends Alabama a message after FSU’s Week 1 victory
After pulling off the win with a creative offensive game plan, Malzahn took to social media to remind everyone of his past victories.
Felt like old times tonight!! 🍢
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) August 30, 2025
Malzahn, along with another crop of transfers that Norvell brought to Tallahassee this offseason, appears to have quickly turned around the FSU offense. Last season, the Noles ranked 93rd in the country in rushing success rate and 116th in expected points added per carry. In Week 1, they were remarkably efficient on the ground, with a variety of running backs getting in the mix. Aside from Castellanos, six Florida State players carried the ball at least twice.
Alabama was dealing with injuries on the interior of its defensive line, with second-team preseason All-American Tim Keenan III missing the game as he recovers from tightrope surgery on his ankle. Regardless, the performance has plenty of Alabama fans calling for Kalen DeBoer’s job in his second season as the Alabama head coach.
When Malzahn knocked off Saban’s Tide, it often derailed national championship runs or kept Alabama out of the SEC Championship Game, but this loss could be the most significant, if it eventually leads Alabama to move on from Saban’s replacement.