According to Florida State coach Mike Norvell. his team had a good week of practice and preparation for their game on Saturday vs Virginia. The Seminoles have 14 conference losses over the last two season, and are looking for their first ACC win this season against the Cavaliers.
After a good week of practice, according to coach Mike Norvell, the Florida State Seminoles (2-2, 0-1 in the ACC) feel good about their preparation for their game against the Virginia Cavaliers (3-1, 0-1 in the ACC) on Saturday.
That is a good thing, because the Seminoles are looking for their first ACC victory of the season. It will be Virginia’s first visit to Tallahassee in over a decade, and the Cavaliers have not won at Doak Campbell Stadium since 2011. Last season, Florida State dropped a 46-38 decision to the Cavaliers in Charlottesville.
Broadcast Information
Date: Oct. 3, 2026
Time: 2:30 PM CDT
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ESPN2
Betting Odds: Virginia -2.5-point favorite
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia, the 2025 ACC runner-up under head coach Tony Elliott, is led on the field by quarterback Beau Pribula. A transfer from Missouri and Penn State, Pribula has found early season success with the Cavaliers. Pribula ranks in the top 10 in the FBS in completion percentage (76.7) and touchdown passes (11) while leading Virginia to averaging 40.5 points per game.
Pribula will challenge a Florida State pass defense that allows 290 yards per game through the air. That is bad enough to rank No. 135 in the FBS. In addition, the Seminoles have intercepted three passes in their four games.
The Cavaliers average 192.75 yards per game rushing the football, and will face a Seminoles defense that has allowed 139.75 rushing yards per contest. Florida State defensive coordinator Tony White told the media, and by extension the Virginia coaching staff, that his team focused on stopping the run this week in practice. We will see if that focus pays off, because the Seminole defenders are executing defensive play calls with a success rate of around 60 percent, according to White.
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State offense will face off against a Virginia defense that ranks in the top 20 in total defense (247 yards per game), pass defense (130.3 yards per game), and scoring defense (13 points per game).
Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels has struggled with ball security through four games, and has thrown five interceptions. That is an issue that has plagued Daniels throughout his career. Virginia is tied for No. 5 in the FBS in interceptions with six, with multiple INTs in two of their four games this season. Daniels has thrown six touchdown passes this season.
An effective strategy against Virginia may be to feed running back Ousmane Kromah the football as much as possible. Florida State can attack the Cavaliers rushing defense, which has allowed opponents 116.75 yards per game this season. Kromah has averaged 6.20 yards per carry and can pound the Cavaliers into submission.
Against non-Power 4 opponents this season, Virginia allowed less than 100 yards rushing in three games. However, against West Virginia, the Mountaineers shredded the Cavaliers defense for 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns. So, Virginia is weak against the run at times.
Over the past two seasons, including a loss to SMU this season, Florida State has won just three ACC games, with 14 conference losses. Something has to click in the mindset of the Seminoles as they come out of the tunnel and onto Bobby Bowden Field.
All the good things that happened in practice this week, the execution and the focus, must translate into a victory for Florida State. The Seminoles must rise above their current station in their football life and make the war chant and the tomahawk chop relevant again. That relevancy begins with a win on Saturday.
