Florida State’s first road win of the post-Mike Norvell era gave the Seminoles a little breathing room. Now comes the harder part: proving it wasn’t a one-night fix.
After beating Boston College 31-24 last Saturday to snap a road drought that stretched back to Nov. 25, 2023, Florida State heads to Pitt on Friday night trying to stack another away victory in the same week. Interim coach Rick Stockstill is already bracing for the kind of game Pitt likes to make people play.
“You go on the road, you got to pack your toughness. We got to do that again this week,” Stockstill said Monday.
“Get ready for a very physical, tough football game. That’s how we’re approaching it.”
Pitt enters at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the ACC after a 34-11 win over Georgia Tech on Oct. 31.
That result ended a three-game skid and clinched bowl eligibility for the Panthers. It also came with a sharp defensive rebound after Miami blasted Pitt for 52 points and 506 yards of offense on Oct. 24, both season highs for the Panthers’ defense to absorb.
This matchup puts Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels right in the middle of the spotlight again. Daniels is tied for seventh nationally with 13 rushing touchdowns this season, which is a program record for a Florida State quarterback, and he’ll be running into a Pitt defense that is giving up just 68.3 rushing yards per game, second-fewest in the country.
Narduzzi made clear what he expects from Daniels and the Seminoles’ ground game.
“It’s a 225-pound big runner that can run you over. He’s a linebacker playing quarterback.
He runs really well, and they’ll have designed runs for him,” Narduzzi said. “I think they’re going to wear him out, get every ounce of what he’s got.
So we got to lay some hits, we’ve got to gang tackle, and we got to get him on the ground. He’s a big fella, and he’s instrumental to the run game.”
Pitt’s own rushing attack is also coming off a strong showing. Freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns against Georgia Tech, giving the Panthers a boost on the ground heading into Friday.
That momentum will be tested by a Florida State defense that has given up 11 rushing touchdowns over its last four games.
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Florida State Gets Its First Real Test Against No. 1 Florida
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For the Seminoles, this is the kind of matchup that can validate the early returns on a new-look group, especially with multiple players already scoring in double figures. It also gives Florida State a chance to see how its depth and balance hold up against the top-ranked team in the country, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. [Read more 🡒]