Florida State Faces Mixed Fortunes on Rivalry Weekend
The weekend of November 28-29, 2025, brought a flurry of high-stakes action for Florida State athletics, featuring a dominant basketball performance by Texas A&M against the Seminoles and an intense football rivalry clash against the Florida Gators. While the basketball team suffered a significant defeat, the football team battled for bowl eligibility in a fiercely contested matchup.
Football: Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles
The 69th meeting for the Florida Cup saw the Florida Gators (3-8, 2-6 SEC) host the Florida State Seminoles (5-6, 2-6 ACC) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, November 29, 2025. Kickoff was set for 4:30 p.m. ET, with the game broadcast on ESPN2. The stakes were particularly high for Florida State, needing a victory to achieve bowl eligibility and avoid a second consecutive season without a postseason appearance, and their fourth in six years. For the Gators, whose season concludes regardless of the outcome, the motivation was to play spoiler for their in-state rival and send off 20 seniors with a win on Senior Day.
First Half Highlights
- Early Lead for Florida: The Gators started strong, with kicker Trey Smack converting a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter, followed by a touchdown pass from quarterback DJ Lagway to J. Michael Sturdivant, giving Florida a 10-0 lead. Sturdivant’s 58 receiving yards in the opening 15 minutes marked his second-highest as a Gator.
- FSU Responds: Florida State fought back in the second quarter. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos connected with Micahi Danzy for a 13-yard touchdown, narrowing the gap to 10-7.
- Gators Extend Lead: Florida responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive culminating in a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lagway to Tony Livingston, making it 17-7. During this drive, running back Jadan Baugh achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first Florida runner since Kelvin Taylor in 2015 to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
- Seminoles Close the Gap Again: Castellanos then powered into the end zone with a 4-yard touchdown run, bringing the score to 17-14 in favor of Florida with 1:11 left in the second quarter. The play was followed by two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against FSU.
- Turnovers: The first half also saw turnovers from both sides, with Lagway throwing an interception that was tipped and picked off by Edwin Joseph, and Castellanos fumbling, which was recovered by Caleb Banks for Florida.
Team and Player Context
Florida entered the game on a four-game losing streak, while Florida State had gone 3-6 since starting the 2025 season with three consecutive victories, including an upset win over nationally-ranked Alabama, as reported by digitaltrendstoday.com. FSU’s road performance has been a concern, with an 0-4 record this season and no road wins since November 25, 2023, against Florida. Florida’s interim coach Billy Gonzales, who took over after Billy Napier was fired, sought his first win. Quarterback DJ Lagway, despite showing flashes of potential, had previously thrown five interceptions in a loss to LSU, as noted by digitaltrendstoday.com.
Historically, Florida holds a 38-28-2 advantage in the series, including a 22-13-1 record in Gainesville. The Gators snapped a two-game losing streak to FSU last year with a 31-11 win in Tallahassee, but FSU had won the last matchup in Gainesville in 2023 (24-15).
Men’s College Basketball: Texas A&M Dominates Florida State
In men’s college basketball, the Florida State Seminoles (5-2) faced a formidable Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) squad on Friday, November 28, 2025, at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. The Aggies delivered a commanding performance, routing Florida State 95-59.
Game Highlights
- Aggies’ Strong Start: Texas A&M opened the game with a decisive 19-3 run and maintained a significant lead, heading into halftime up 52-24. They shot 46% from the field in the first half, including nine 3-pointers.
- Key Performers for Texas A&M: Ruben Dominguez led the Aggies with 21 points, sinking seven 3-pointers. Rashaun Agee contributed a double-double with 17 points and a career-best 17 rebounds. Pop Isaacs added 15 points, and Mackenzie Mgbako chipped in 10. The Aggies have been on a scoring spree, averaging 102.5 points during their current four-game win streak.
- Florida State’s Struggles: The Seminoles struggled offensively, shooting just 26% in the first half and finishing 21-of-73 from the field for the game. They also committed 16 turnovers. Kobe MaGee was a bright spot for Florida State, leading the team with 21 points, including four 3-pointers.
Florida State holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series against Texas A&M, with the Aggies’ previous win dating back to 1956. The teams last met in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, which Florida State won 57-50.
Looking Ahead
Following the weekend’s events, both Florida State teams prepare for the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Florida State Seminoles football team will await the final outcome of their rivalry game to determine their bowl fate, while the basketball team will host Georgia on Tuesday. Texas A&M’s basketball team will travel to Pittsburgh for their challenge matchup.
