Florida State will be taking on the Virginia Cavaliers at 3:30 PM EST on ESPN2 inside the friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles are fresh off a 34-7 win over Central Arkansas, which some fans classify as a “loss.”
As it stands, the matchup against Virginia is important as Florida State looks to have a competitive 2026 season, with Louisville, Miami, and Clemson on deck. The path doesn’t get any easier.
Virginia is currently a 2.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers did have an impressive 34-8 victory over North Carolina State in their opener, but the shine has come off Virginia after they wet the bed against West Virginia at home by a score of 38-27.
This is Tony Elliott’s squad’s first true road game of the season, and it marks the first time that Virginia has come to Tallahassee for a contest since 2014, when Florida State won by a score of 34-20.
Florida State will need all the help that it can get against Virginia
Fans know that Florida State got the pivotal season-opening victory over Alabama last year, and there were many outsiders who figured the Seminoles would be serious College Football Playoff contenders. Unfortunately, the road game against Virginia in Charlottesville happened after easier matchups versus East Texas A&M and Kent State.
The odds weren’t in the Seminoles’ favor, as they have not won a road game since November 2023 against Florida. That is a discussion for another day, but Florida State fell to Virginia last year by a score of 46-38 in double overtime.
The Seminoles had to worry about defending Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris, who ended up with 5 total touchdowns. However, Florida State will have to face former Missouri transfer Beau Pribula this time around.
The defense could be in trouble, as Florida State ranks 126th in total defense (429.8 yards per game). This needs to be a game where the Seminoles establish the running game and limit possessions, especially when there is a 30% chance of rain at kickoff.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels was asked to utilize his legs in the primetime matchup against SMU, where he recorded 16 carries for 71 yards and 1 touchdown. However, the Cavaliers rank 49th in the FBS in rush defense, allowing 116.8 rushing yards per game.
It is encouraging that in their lone loss of the season against West Virginia, they didn’t do a good enough job of limiting the quarterback run, where Michael Hawkins Jr. had 18 carries for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground.
If Daniels can get the running game going, it could open up the passing attack for players such as Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy, and Jayvan Boggs, who could change the score in a hurry.