FSU vs. Virginia 2025 Recap: Seminoles Shocked in Overtime Loss, 46-38

The Florida State Seminoles went on the road for the first time, and you could tell from the beginning. A slow start put the Seminoles behind, and they never could grab the lead. FSU made too many mistakes, and led to a loss in the second overtime. With that in mind, let’s dive in to this FSU vs. Virginia 2025 recap from this Week 5 matchup.

FSU vs. Virginia 2025 Recap

Slow and Sloppy Start

Florida State started quickly in the last two games against lesser competition, but at Virginia, they spotted the Cavaliers 14 points. Two turnovers by the Seminoles would lead to two scores for Virginia. The past couple of weeks, FSU have been aggressive and taken early leads. This game, they struggled early on because of turnovers and penalties that caused longer third-down conversions.

Guz Malzahn Honeymoon Over?

The Seminoles’ offense produced over 500 yards and scored 38 points, so what did Gus do wrong? This game mirrors past games for Malzahn; where if the big plays do not come, the offense can bog down. There were some good play calls by Malzahn, especially the jump pass from Randy Pittman Jr., but there were also questionable fourth-down plays.

On a fourth-and-short situation, not running the ball and instead opting for a play-action misdirection play proved costly. For the first time, the game script was not in the Seminoles’ favor. In the first three games, Tommy Castellanos did not throw over 14 attempts in a game, but on Friday night, he threw the ball 32 times

The running back rotation can finally be questioned in this game. The explosive plays were lacking, and Jaylin Lucas only had one touch for nine yards. Honestly, it is getting to be the time when Ousmane Kromah needs to be getting the ball more than Gavin Sawchuk. It should still be a tandem, but Kromah shows more explosion and the ability to break through tacklers in the backfield.

Duce is Loose

Duce Robinson had a quiet game against Kent State, but carried the passing attack against Virginia. He would catch nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Robinson used his size to catch back shoulder throws as well as boxing out defenders for the tough conversions. It had not mattered before today, but Florida State needs to find a more consistent second option through the air next to Robinson. The next highest receiver was Micahi Danzy, who had three catches for 44 yards. Robinson had an excellent game, but a bobble in the end zone will be the story of the game.

Randy Pittman’s Big Return

Randy Pittman Jr. missed the last couple of games, but came back strong, scoring three touchdowns against Virginia. The tight end was used in the Wildcat to help him score a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown. Pittman also saved the day on a fourth down making a tough diving catch in the endzone to tie the game in the fourth quarter. A second receiver needs to emerge and Pittman might be the person for the job.

Defense Gets Pushed Around

The Seminoles had not seen a good running attack this season, and the Cavaliers took advantage of that on Friday night. Virginia ran the ball 48 times for 210 yards on over four yards per carry. Florida State’s front four struggled to get penetration in the running game and create pressure around the quarterback. The lack of up-front pressure caused more blitzing, leaving open zones for Chandler Morris to exploit in the passing game.

The defense was able to be opportunistic with turnovers, but they could not consistently cause stops. In the second half, Virginia had a 12-play and a 16-play drive that drained the clock and limited possessions for the Seminoles. Morris was able to scramble in the red zone scoring three rushing touchdowns. He had only scored 11 rushing touchdowns in four years before this game.

What’s next in Week 6?

This was a tough loss. With Florida State hosting the Miami Hurricanes in Week 6, the Seminoles will have to recover quickly. They cannot afford to lose back-to-back conference games. The loss to the Cavaliers showed some of the weaknesses that the Seminoles have, and need to correct, before next week.