Game Preview: Florida State Seminoles at NC State Wolfpack

Florida State has yet to win a road game this season. At 5-5, they have to win one of the final two games, at NC State and at Florida, to make it to a bowl game, for whatever that is worth these days (they do need the extra practice).

It starts on a Friday night against NC State. It's a building that Florida State fans don't like. Between the 2012 and 2022 games, FSU always finds a way to shoot itself in the foot, and we've already seen this season how they play on a Friday night.

For those brave enough to watch, this game will be at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN from Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nov 15, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) during pregame warmups against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Seminole Headlines

Florida State's History at NC State

If I told you that Florida State had a winning record on the road against NC State, would you believe me? Because it's true; FSU holds an 11-9 advantage over the Wolfpack on the road in this series, but a lot of that is because of a 4-1 stretch in the 1990s. Since 2000, NC State holds a 7-5 edge. And there have been some disastrous losses.

In 2012, Florida State led 16-0 at halftime, but they were held scoreless in the second half en route to a 17-16 loss. In 2022, it was a similar theme; FSU led 17-3 at the half and were held scoreless in the second half, with Jordan Travis throwing an interception in the final minutes to end the game and lose 19-17.

It's been three straight losses on the road for FSU in this series, which is the longest losing streak for the Seminoles. This year's team hasn't inspired much confidence that they'll be able to change that.

Talk of Tommy Castellanos Returning

Tommy Castellanos is listed as a senior, but he only played in four games as a freshman at UCF, so he could get a waiver and get another season. If Mike Norvell is back for another season, and the signs are starting to point in that direction, it would likely make sense to bring Castellanos back.

He hasn't been a perfect quarterback this year, and I'd even lean toward him being more frustrating than anything, but Norvell needs a running quarterback. Castellanos is great at that. But he still has a long way to go as a passer.

People want to see Kevin Sperry in there, but the Seminoles seem more keen on keeping Sperry's redshirt alive. Which is the correct decision.

If Castellanos returns, they need to hope they can somehow talk Duce Robinson into returning (good luck with that) and add some better options out wide for him to throw to. Lawayne McCoy has talent and has been open a lot this season, but he and Castellanos have not been able to find a connection.

Horrific Road Offense

Florida State is averaging just 20.3 PPG, and a lot of that is due to the fact that they're often playing from behind. Playing from behind means more pass attempts, which is not a recipe for success for FSU.

Any chance of being successful in this game starts with establishing a running game while not letting NC State get out to an early lead. This can't be a game like Virginia, where the home team starts with all of the momentum. If that happens, go ahead and chalk it up as a loss for the 'Noles.

Nov 15, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) looks for a passing option against the Miami Hurricanes during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Three Burning Questions

Uhhh... How Badly Did NC State Lose Last Week?

NC State is coming off a 41-7 demotion at the hands of Miami last week. They had just 143 TOTAL yards, while allowing Miami to get 581. Pick your favorite statline from the game for NC State: 20 team carries for 23 yards, CJ Bailey (quarterback) with 1.0 adjusted yards per passing attempt, or allowing Miami to rush for 214 yards on 37 carries.

This game was never close. And if you look at most of the common opponents, FSU actually has a small advantage. Florida State was able to make the Miami score look respectable, they walloped Virginia Tech (NCSU lost to them at home), and FSU beat Wake Forest by a lot more than NC State did. Both teams lost to Pitt, but it was by one possession for FSU, while NC State lost by 19.

However, NC State has beaten Virginia AND handed Georgia Tech their only loss of the season so far. They've shown they can hang with the best in the ACC while losing to the worst. They can play to the level of their competition.

Does the Virginia Tech Win Mean Anything for Florida State?

Not really.

Florida State has played well at home against bad teams, and Virginia Tech is a bad team. Until they prove they can play on the road, it means nothing.

What Even is Florida State's Running Back Rotation?

I don't think that Florida State even knows what the game plan is at running back. Here are FSU's three main running backs (I think) carries by game.

Ousmane Kromah: 7, 5, 4, 12, 6, 7, 4, 4, 3, 11
Gavin Sawchuk: 6, 8, 11, 17, 11, 14, 20, 6, 1, 3
Samuel Singleton: 0, 4, 10, 0, 1, 0, 0, 14, 6, 14

That's not even counting the occasional carries for Micahi Danzy, Jaylin Lucas, Caziah Holmes, or Roydell Williams. Oh, and Tommy Castellanos likes to run as a quarterback, too. It seems like FSU wants to roll with Kromah and Singleton moving forward, which I'm okay with, but there's no guarantee that it stays that way.

Game Forecast

Florida State is favored by 4.5 points with an over/under of 61.5, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

FSU is on the road, on a Friday night, at NC State, and they're favored? Why??? This is the type of line that looks like Las Vegas is begging for people to take NC State straight up because they know something.

Florida State has been horrific on the road this year. NC State has sometimes played up to the competition. I don't see why I'm supposed to take FSU in this game.

NC State 23, Florida State 21

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