TALLAHASSEE — Florida State’s coaches won’t entertain the thoughts about emptying the bench against an FCS opponent. — they’re too competitive and don’t want to be disrespectful.

This is also a difficult discussion, considering the Seminoles lost to then-FCS program Jacksonville State in September 2021 on a last-play touchdown. Jacksonville State was on the rise and has since made the jump to FBS, but FSU’s opponent on Saturday is quite different.

East Texas A&M just made the jump to Division I, and the FCS level, in June. The Lions’ welcome was a 42-13 loss at SMU and now a matchup with the No. 14 Seminoles (1-0) on Saturday at noon (ACC Network). Respect is important, but FSU’s coaches and administrators map out the schedule years in advance and will pay East Texas A&M a guarantee of $

See Full Page