The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: FSU Football vs. Virginia Cavaliers

The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Virginia Cavaliers for Cancer Awareness Weekend inside Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday.

While the home crowd trickled in with the Florida weather, the Seminoles came to play, toppling the Cavaliers 38-7. FSU finally snapped its conference losing streak dating back to last season.

However, it still felt like the Seminoles were giving the game away as they entered the fourth quarter, with a 31-7 lead, as costly penalties extended drives for another week in a row.

The Good: Daniels and Florida State's Pass Rush

Oct 3, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) warms up as Malachi Marshall (1) watches on before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FSU quarterback Ashton Daniels rushed for five touchdowns, keeping Virginia on its heels for most of the afternoon. Overall, he finished with 136 yards on 17 carries and had 183 through the air. Daniels broke the record for most rushing TDs by an FSU quarterback in program history, surpassing Kelly Lowery's mark of three against LSU in 1983.

Tre Wisner’s big gain sets up an Ashton Daniels TD 😤

📺 ESPN2 x @FSUFootball pic.twitter.com/I5MPUC6FeI
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) October 3, 2026

Wide receiver Micahi Danzy led the team in receiving yards and became a factor in the run game late in the third quarter. Running back Ousmane Kromah finished with 80 yards, while Quintrevion Wisner had 46 yards on the night.

Florida State also finally put a pass rush together after a relatively quiet start to the season. They finished with 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, led by linebackers Chris Jones and Mikai Gbayor.

The Bad: Penalties - Again

Oct 3, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Back-to-back penalties to start the game didn't help FSU, and they repeatedly shot themselves in the foot on critical downs. A late-first-half false start led to an 11-yard sack and a 2nd-and-30. On the next play, a holding penalty would’ve moved the Seminoles to 3rd-and-30, but Virginia declined.

If it hadn’t been for Kromah, the Seminoles would’ve ended the drive without points. Gabe Panikowski's 44-yard field goal gave FSU their second score of the game. A facemask penalty and a subsequent false start later on in the game continued Florida State's woes in keeping the offense off the field.

Although it was an improvement from the week prior, when they committed 10 penalties for over 100 yards, the discipline issues continue to surface week in and week out.

Overall, they committed seven penalties for 85 yards.

The Ugly: Virginia Through the Air

Oct 3, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Beau Pribula (7) throws the ball during the first quarter of the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through the first half, Florida State held UVA to seven first downs, and the Cavaliers were 1-for-6 on third-down conversions.

FSU defensive coordinator Tony White said during his weekly media availability that his main focus would be to shut down Virginia's run game and force Beau Pribula into obvious passing situations. Pribula finished the night with 168 through the air and a score, but his 44 percent accuracy was a huge detriment to the offense.

The Seminoles will have a short turnaround as they head on the road for a Friday night game against the Louisville Cardinals on October 9. The game will air on ESPN, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

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