What to Know About Florida State Before Stanford Matchup

This weekend, Stanford hosts Florida State for what could be an absolute thriller on The Farm. Coming in, the Cardinal are 2-4, going 1-2 in ACC play. They began the year with losses to Hawaii and BYU but followed up by going 2-2 over the last four weeks, with wins over Boston College and San José State, and losses to Virginia and SMU.

Florida State has been on a roller coaster of a season. The Seminoles sit at 3-3, but 0-3 in ACC play. They began the year with a victory over No. 6 Alabama to put them back on the map, and followed with a 77-3 victory over East Texas A&M and a 66-10 win over Kent State. Then it all went downhill.

The Seminoles dropped a heartbreaker in Charlottesville, losing to Virginia in overtime, followed by a rivalry loss to Miami. To put the nail in the coffin, Florida State lost to Pitt at home, while the Panthers used a backup quarterback.

Let’s get to know more about the Seminoles roster before Saturday’s matchup to see which struggling team may be able to turn around their season.

FSU Standouts to Watch

The Seminoles’ star quarterback is Tommy Castellanos, who has thrown 1,365 yards with nine touchdowns but five interceptions. He has had a solid start to the year, but he has had a knack for getting picked off, too. He is a star on the ground as well, getting 286 yards and four touchdowns, so the Stanford defense will have plenty of work to do to attempt to contain him.

At running back, the Noles have Gavin Sawchuk, who has 352 yards and six touchdowns to begin the year. The Oklahoma transfer has been solid for Florida State, and has been fed the ball at least 11 times on the ground in his last four games.

Their top receiver is Duce Robinson, who has led an elite receiver core. His 443 yards and three touchdowns shows that they aren’t just an option run team, but can throw the ball too.

Defensively, the top stars are defensive backs Earl Little and Ja’Bril Rawls. They have combined for 75 tackles and three interceptions, leading a strong defense despite a few recent poor games. Their linebacker core is great as well. They have let up some points over the last few weeks, but much like Stanford's, they have also shown the ablity to make big plays when needed.

It’s going to be a tough one on The Farm this weekend, with FSU favored. But the Cardinal could be in for a legit contest against a good team, if played right.