Daniel Lyons’ resurgence and promising twins fuel Florida State’s victory over Alabama

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 4:30 PM ET

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off a pivotal win over No. 8 Alabama last weekend, stopping their momentum almost immediately and turning back the Tide with a resounding 31-17 statement victory.

As good as the offense played, the defense showed it was capable of holding its own and with all the new faces on that side of the ball, they were able to limit Alabama to 4.7 yards per play and stopped the Tide on three of their five fourth-down conversion attempts in key points of the game.

Daniel Lyons Makes Impactful Return From Injury

Lyons played mostly a reserve role in 2024, finishing the season with 25 tackles, five for a loss, and three sacks. He was expected to become a key part of the defensive line rotation in 2025. He missed most of spring with an injury, but returned to full form ahead of the matchup. He finished with two tackles, a sack, five quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble on Alabama's Ty Simpson.

Head coach Mike Norvell met with the media on Monday to recap the win over Alabama, saying he was excited for his return and that he continues to see growth in the guy he knows he can be.

"Daniel Lyons is a guy that I kind of bet on this offseason. He was coming off injury, as I mentioned last week. I was excited because you started to see, 'hey, this is the guy that I know he can be.' I thought he played a really good game and made some impactful plays," Norvell said. "Obviously, there's going to be some areas for growth, but he really was impactful in the game. He played with a great motor. I'm excited for the next step that he can take."

Two Freshmen Making an Impact Early

The Desir twins came as a package deal as three-star prospects in the class of 2025. Both Darryll and Mandrell made an immediate impact as true freshmen, providing pressure on the quarterback and helping stop Alabama's run game. Mandrell had a run defense grade of 75.6 per PFF, and their ability to move linemen to open up pass rush lanes for other defenders on what was supposed to be a superior offensive line was impressive.

"The Desir brothers, they're built different. I say that in the best possible way. They've got great desire, want to, you know, they bring physicality and edge to each play. Still got a lot of areas of growth there in front of them," Norvell said.

"That was their first college game. Going into it, we heard plenty about the offensive line we were going to face and what that was going to look like. And those guys didn't play like freshmen," Norvell added. "They played like guys that wanted to go out there and show who they are and what this team can be and the depth of our defensive line."

Saturday’s performance was about more than individual stats. From veterans like Lyons making timely plays to freshmen like the Desir twins holding their own against one of the nation’s most physical offensive lines, the Seminoles’ depth and collective effort set the tone.

Norvell's full interview can be seen below.