Ashton Daniels turned Saturday into a record book day for Florida State, and the Seminoles made sure Virginia never found a foothold in a 38-7 blowout in Tallahassee.
Daniels powered in five rushing touchdowns, a new standard for a Florida State quarterback, while FSU’s defense suffocated the Cavaliers with 10 sacks. The Seminoles improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, picking up their first win over a Power Four opponent in 2026.
Daniels was everywhere for Florida State. He carried 17 times for 136 yards and also went 12 of 19 through the air for 183 yards, though he did throw one interception. Ousmane Kromah added 17 rushes for 80 yards, extending a season-long streak of 80-plus rushing yards in every game for Florida State so far.
The Seminoles didn’t just pile up points; they controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish. Florida State held Virginia to 37 rushing yards on 40 carries, a 0.9-yard average, a stunning drop for a Cavaliers offense that had been averaging 192.8 rushing yards per game. Virginia finished with only 205 total yards and punted seven times, going 0-for-4 on fourth down in what was easily its worst offensive outing of 2026.
The pressure on Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula never really let up. He completed 14 of 32 passes for 168 yards while dealing with constant heat from the Seminoles. Defensive end Rylan Kennedy led the charge with two sacks, and linebacker Chris Jones added 1 ½ sacks as Florida State’s pass rush reached a level it hadn’t shown earlier this season, after totaling seven sacks in its first four games.
Virginia did strike first on the scoreboard. Da’Shawn Martin caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Pribula in the first quarter, but that was as good as it got for the Cavaliers.
Florida State opened with three straight punts before settling in and rolling up 464 offensive yards. The Seminoles have now scored at least 30 points in four of their five games.
In Other News...
FSU Just Got The ACC Boost It Desperately Needed
Florida State finally got the ACC result it had been chasing, edging Clemson 2-1 in conference soccer to pick up its first league win of the season. Sam Erbach and Wrianna Hudson supplied the goals for the Seminoles, who needed a breakthrough like this to start climbing after an uneven opening stretch in ACC play.
The match had the kind of pressure and back-and-forth sequence Florida State has been looking for, with both goalkeepers called on for multiple saves and Clemson finding one answer in the game. Florida State was able to protect its lead to the end, and now the bigger question is whether this can serve as the kind of turning point the Seminoles have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Running Back Depth Just Took Another Hit At The Worst Time
Florida States backfield was already thinned out by injuries when another unexpected change landed on the roster update. Gemari Sands has been removed from the team and is no longer part of the Seminoles, a development that comes as the program is trying to sort through a running back group that has already taken damage.
Samuel Singleton Jr. is expected to miss a significant portion of the season because of a lower-body injury, and the Seminoles have already adjusted by moving sophomore tight end Gavin Markey over to running back on the updated roster. It leaves Florida State scrambling for answers at a position where depth was supposed to be a strength, and the timing could hardly be worse with the season moving along. [Read more 🡒]
Former FSU Kicker Could Help Miami Reach A Goal Fans Hate
Jake Weinbergs move from Florida State to Miami has turned into one of those small roster twists that can linger on both sides of the rivalry. The former Seminoles kicker has settled in well with the Hurricanes, hitting 5 of 6 field goals and making every extra point so far as Miami has surged through conference play with an unbeaten ACC mark and a roster that is humming on both sides of the ball.
For Florida State, the timing makes the subplot even more noticeable. The Seminoles moved on to Gabe Panikowski, and he has been perfect on field goals and extra points this season, so the position itself has not become a problem in Tallahassee. Still, Weinbergs success in Miami adds a little extra edge to a rivalry outcome Seminoles fans would rather not follow too closely if the Hurricanes keep pushing toward their goal. [Read more 🡒]