Saturday’s rematch between Virginia and Florida State could come down to the same kind of shootout that defined last season’s meeting. In that one, the Cavaliers survived 46-38 in double overtime after a lengthy review wiped out what would have been a Duce Robinson touchdown for the Seminoles. If this game turns into another offensive track meet in Tallahassee, Florida State has plenty of weapons ready to stress Virginia’s defense.
The most important one starts at quarterback with Tommy Castellanos Daniels, a transfer who has followed the now-familiar Florida State path of leaning on outside help under center. Daniels came to the Seminoles after stops at Stanford and Auburn, and his profile is hard to miss: 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, fast, and dangerous both throwing and running the ball.
His numbers show exactly why he matters. Daniels threw for 2,247 yards at Stanford in 2023 and added 669 rushing yards that season.
In four games this year, he has already thrown for 928 yards and run for 142 more, with a career-high four rushing touchdowns. The flip side is the turnover issue: Daniels has nearly as many career interceptions, 27, as touchdown passes, 30, and this season he has five picks against six scoring throws.
Virginia’s pass rush has not piled up many sacks, but if it can get consistent pressure, it may be able to push Daniels into the kind of mistakes that change games.
Florida State’s backfield has another problem for the Cavaliers in Kromah. He flashed against Virginia last season as a reserve, picking up 63 yards on 12 carries, and this year he has taken off in a starting role.
Kromah has 397 yards on 64 carries, a 6.2-yard average, and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-1 and 216 pounds, he brings size and speed together in a way that makes him difficult to corral, especially for Kam Robinson and the rest of the Virginia defense.
He has already gone over 100 yards against both New Mexico State and SMU and has scored in every game this season.
Then there is Robinson, who was a headache for Virginia a year ago and should be again. Virginia defensive coordinator John Rudzinski has had a full year to think about how difficult Robinson was to contain, when he caught nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, plus the final play that replay overturned.
Florida State’s 6-foot-6, 230-pound receiver leads the Seminoles with 13 catches for 262 yards and two touchdowns this season. Virginia went into the portal looking for big, experienced cornerbacks who could handle a player like him, and Omillio Agard figures to draw the main assignment, with safeties Brandyn Hillman and Ethan Minter likely helping out often.
In Other News...
Virginia Heads Into An ACC Test Florida State May Be Vulnerable For
Floridas first month has left the Seminoles looking like a classic uneven ACC team, dangerous on one side of the ball and vulnerable on the other. The offense has enough firepower to keep games uncomfortable, with quarterback Ashton Daniels working behind a group that includes running back Ousmane Kromah and receiver Duce Robinson, but the broader profile still reads as a .500 squad trying to find balance before the schedule tightens up.
For Virginia, that makes this a test worth paying attention to because the Cavaliers can lean into a rushing attack against a defense that has not consistently held up. Tim Scribble of Tomahawk Nation pointed to that split while breaking down Florida States early tape, and it leaves Virginia in position to ask whether the Seminoles can clean up their issues before an ACC opponent turns them into a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A Road Test That Could Change The Whole Conversation
Virginia heads into a road matchup at Florida State with more than just a conference test on its hands. The Cavaliers already know the Seminoles have reason to circle this one after Virginia pulled the upset in 2025, and now the rematch arrives with the kind of early-season stakes that can shape how both programs are viewed for weeks to come.
Florida State brings plenty of talent and a roster built to make life difficult, but Virginia is still being viewed as the favorite away from home. That alone makes the game stand out, because if the Cavaliers can back up the projection in a hostile setting, it would say a great deal about where this team is headed and how far the conversation around its season might be able to go. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces Mounting Pressure In A Home Game That Could Turn Fast
Florida State goes into its home matchup with Virginia carrying plenty of noise around the program, and not all of it is coming from the opposing sideline. The Seminoles have dealt with uneven play and growing scrutiny, while the Cavaliers arrive as the kind of opponent that can make a tense afternoon feel even tighter if things dont go smoothly early in Tallahassee.
The availability report adds another layer to watch before kickoff, with a few names already working their way through the weeks injury uncertainty. Florida State has also been dealing with a restless home crowd, and the atmosphere could turn quickly if Virginia keeps the game within reach and forces the Seminoles to answer pressure they have been feeling for a while. [Read more 🡒]