The final stats paint a vivid picture of Florida State's season opening victory against New Mexico State. the 34-17 win didn't come without drama.Florida State only outgained New Mexico State 419-319 in total yards of offense, and compiled just two more first downs.In a game that the Seminoles paid the Aggies $1.4 million to play, there was still drama in the second half. New Mexico State cut the lead to 17-10 and 27-17 in the second half. It might have been even closer if AJ Williams III had caught the running back pass from TJ Washington Jr., which fooled Florida State's entire defense.READ MORE: The Good, Bad, and Ugly From FSU Football’s Win Over New Mexico StateThis was supposed to be a contest where the program could build much-needed confidence and establish winning habits. That's not exactly how things unfolded.A win is a win. With that being said, there are countless areas where Florida State needs to get better quickly. If not, the Seminoles are going to be in for it against SMU and Alabama over the next three weeks.Here are three thoughts on a season-opening win that provided more questions than answers about FSU.1. Ashton Daniels Was Inconsistent At BestFlorida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) runs the ball. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectI've already written a fair amount on Daniels since the conclusion of the game. He wasn't exactly bad, but he wasn't good either. I think we can call it an average day where his known inconsistencies and confidence struggles were fully on display.Florida State got Daniels going early with an easy completion to Duce Robinson, and he followed that up with an excellent throw to Micahi Danzy for 44 yards, the Seminoles' longest passing play of the night. His toss near the sideline to Robinson in the second quarter was another example of the arm talent.Then, something bad happened. With FSU leading 10-0 and driving into enemy territory, Daniels rolled out to his left and looked downfield. All of his receivers were covered, but Daniels still threw back across his body towards Chase Loftin, resulting in an easy interception for the Aggies.Following the turnover, Daniels completed 10/18 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown over the final two quarters and change. He struggled to bounce back from the miscue, displaying indecisiveness and ignoring some of his open reads.The Seminoles survived on the run game, but SMU is going to make Daniels prove that he can win with his arm. Can he do it? That remains to be seen.2. Disappointing Performances On Both Sides Of The BallFlorida State Seminoles defensive back Ja'bril Rawls (6) and Florida State Seminoles defensive back Ashlynd Barker (7) wag their fingers after [reventing a pass from being completed. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectThe defensive line and defensive backfield were lauded as two potential strengths for Florida State. Instead, both units were pretty disappointing.The defensive line combined for three tackles for loss and two sacks. Jalen Anderson had his awarded on an intentional grounding penalty, while Rylan Kennedy cleaned one up late in the game. That was one of Kennedy's 2 total tackles all night.Daniel Lyons and Deamontae Diggs didn't record a pressure or a tackle despite playing 24+ snaps. Kevin Wynn was only on the field for 8 plays, fewer than Jordan Sanders' 11. Darryll Desir graded out as the worst tackler and run defender on the entire defense. Mandrell Desir was fine but didn't make much of a splash.The Seminoles held the ground game in check and New Mexico State clearly had a plan to get the ball out as fast as possible. Either way, I want more out of the trenches. They need to set the tone.In the defensive backfield, Florida State is replacing three starters. The Seminoles were supposed to be able to lean on Ja'Bril Rawls. That was a bust in game one.Rawls struggled in coverage, and ended up being the player that the Aggies targeted the most. He gave up 5 receptions on 10 targets, surrendering 5 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Rawls was a liability on third down.CJ Richard Jr. and Ma'Khi Jones weren't much better, but at least they were playing their first game at Florida State in a new scheme. Rawls doesn't have much of an excuse for that poor of a performance. If he's going to play like that, the Seminoles won't go far.Overall, there were too many holes and miscommunications in the secondary. We heard a lot of good things in the preseason, but that didn't translate to the field against a lower-tier FBS program with a new starting quarterback.At least Quindarrius Jones was a bright spot.On the other side of the ball, the offensive line was shaky despite facing an undersized defensive front. The unit committed multiple procedural penalties, and didn't consistently open holes between the tackles. Florida State's running game was at its best when focusing on outside concepts.Chimdia Nwaiwu was the wild card at right tackle. He had a really tough time blocking 1-on-1. By the end of the game, the Seminoles were trying to help him out with a tight end or running back when possible.Bradyn Welch-Joiner was a touch slow to react in the middle and got beaten across his face a couple of times. Nate Pabst did his job as a pass-blocker, though he was the lowest-graded starting offensive lineman against the run. Andre Otto took a touchdown off the board with a penalty. He felt pretty up and down.I thought Xavier Chaplin did about what was expected, outside of his two penalties.The tight ends were also pretty poor run blockers, which isn't much of a surprise. Even with limited viewing opportunities in fall camp, it was clear the room wasn't up to par in that aspect.I might be beating a dead horse but a lot of stuff needs to get fixed in a little over a week.3. Florida State Should Be Able To Build On Its Running BacksFlorida State Seminoles running back Samuel Singleton Jr. (3) is tackled from behind. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectI had a good feeling that the addition of Kam Martin would pay off for Florida State's running back room. There's a long season ahead, but the early signs are positive. The Seminoles appear to have a trio of players they can lean on, with Ousmane Kromah leading the charge, along with Samuel Singleton Jr. and Quintrevion Wisner.Kromah showcased that he's ready for the next step, recording over 100 yards and a rushing touchdown, two things he never achieved last season. He forced 5 missed tackles and took New Mexico State's defense out for a dance in the fourth quarter. Kromah juked out at least three defenders and didn't even get tackled. The Aggies had to push him out of bounds.The monster sophomore wasn't the only one to make an impression. Samuel Singleton Jr. deserves applause for his start to the fall. Whenever the ball was in his hands, he did everything in his power to make something good happen.Singleton Jr. led the Seminoles with two total touchdowns, scoring once on the ground and once through the air. His 46-yard kick return in the third quarter was Florida State's longest since 2024, when Singleton Jr. brought one back for a 95-yard score against Duke.Going into his fourth season with the program, Singleton Jr. is as confident as ever. He's in great shape, and his speed is a real threat. The versatility is also pretty important. The Seminoles can ask him to do just about anything, and Singleton Jr. will answer the call.Wisner saw the least amount of playing time, but made the most of his opportunities. He led Florida State with 8.5 yards per carry. Three of Wisner's four carries came in the fourth quarter, and he put up 30 yards on those attempts, including a 16-yard run where he drew a facemask penalty for extra yardage on the Seminoles' final touchdown drive of the game.One thing we didn't really mention throughout the course of the contest was the rotation. It felt a lot more stable than last year. Florida State did exactly what Martin said, the Seminoles cut down the number of backs seeing the field and rode with the hot hand.The running backs need the offensive line to step up, but they are talented enough to make a few plays on their own.Quick Bonus: How About The Special Teams?Florida State Seminoles place kicker Gabe Panikowski (39) kicks for an extra point. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectNew punter, new kicker, new longsnapper, new holder, new punt returner, new special teams coordinator? No problem. Adam Scheier deserves credit for molding a completely revamped unit into something capable.Gabe Panikowski made both of his field goals and all of his extra points. Daniel Hughes' first punt wasn't great but his second went 53 yards and pinned New Mexico State inside its own 15.Singleton Jr. and Micahi Danzy have the potential to create a big play anytime they field a kickoff. The coverage units did their job.The thing that probably fired up fans the most was freshman wide receiver Jasen Lopez fielding punts. A detail that has been a nightmare for the Seminoles in recent years (see example, NC State 2025), Lopez not only didn't muff a punt, he caught every single kick that came his way outside of a shank.The punt return game killed Florida State last season. The turnovers were inexplicable, but the number of times the returners lost composure and didn't even fair catch punts led to a negative impact on field position.Lopez also had a dynamic return late in the game that was negated due to a penalty. At the very least, if he can just catch the punt, it would be an improvement for the Seminoles.Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow