Pitt Facing Revived Florida State Team

The Pitt Panthers continue their 6-3 season coming off a bye week by hosting the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 13. The Panthers' most recent game was a dominant win over Georgia Tech, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Pitt has lost just one game at home this season, and they look to defend the home field for the final time this year against Florida State. The Seminoles are having an even rougher season than Pitt, being 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the ACC.

New Head Coach

A third rough season in a row was enough for Florida State to make a midseason move, firing their Head Coach Mike Norvell after six years. Norvell got the Seminoles an undefeated season and some impressive wins, but the team hasn't been anywhere close to contender status since the 2023 season.

Florida State's interim head coach is Rick Stockstill, a former player for FSU and head coach of Middle Tennessee for 18 years. In his first game after the shakeup, Stockstill did what Pitt couldn't and beat Boston College on the road for Florida State's second ACC win.

"Coach Stockstill has been around football for a long time," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "He did an outstanding job [against Boston College]. It's keeping things simple, maybe changing some things that maybe the [players] didn't like. They certainly did that last week, because the kids played with a lot of energy."

Narduzzi did also mention he didn't see much changes on offense for Florida State.

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Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi — Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell (left) and Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (right) meet at mid-field before their teams play at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Recent History against Florida State

The Panthers have played Florida State four times in the last 15 years, winning both games in Tallahassee but losing both games in Pittsburgh. The most recent win was last season, when Pitt got their first ranked win of that year by defeating the No. 25 Seminoles.

The last time Florida State visited Pitt was during their undefeated season in 2023, when they won 24-7.

Pitt DB Woods — Nov 4, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Darion Williamson (21) attempts a one-handed catch against Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back A.J. Woods (9) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Williamson was ruled out of bounds on the play, Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Both of these teams are hard to get a full understanding of; Florida State looks rejuvenated under a new coach, but still has some of the problems they had prior to the shakeup. Pitt's offense has struggled mightily since losing Mason Heintschel, but there have been moments of competence in every game since then.

With three ACC losses, Pitt's race for the ACC Championship is likely over, but not completely impossible. The Panthers are definitely not in control of their own destiny, but it takes winning the remaining ACC games and getting lucky in other areas to have a shot. Winning against Florida State would guarantee Pitt another above .500 season, as they would be 7-6 at worst if they lost out.

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