Notes on performances, starters, and career stats for the Seminoles.
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The Florida State Seminoles had just enough in the tank to take down the Pittsburgh Panthers on the road. Despite trailing 7-6 at the half, the Seminoles held the Panthers to three points over the final two quarters in the 16-10 victory.
Rick Stockstill, Ernie Sims, and Tim Harris Jr. have done it again. The offense made timely plays, and the defense rose to the occasion in the final quarter.
Here are 30 notes surrounding various data points from the victory.
- Florida State evened its 2026 record at 5-5 with a 16-10 win at Pitt Friday night.
- FSU is now 3-0 at Pitt since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2013. The road team has won all five match-ups in that span.
- FSU is 53-25 when playing in NFL stadiums, including a 3-0 mark at Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium.
- The win pushed FSU’s all-time record on Friday’s to 23-18. It was FSU’s first win on a Friday since 2022 and snapped Pitt’s 5-game winning streak on Friday’s.
- Interim head coach Rick Stockstill became the third FSU coach to win his first two games. Larry Jones began his career 5-0 in 1971 and interim head coach Odell Haggins won his first four games over two stints in 2017 and 2019.
- Stockstill’s 115 career FBS wins rank 13th among active FBS coaches.
- FSU’s defense allowed just three points in the second half, a third quarter field goal. The Panthers went 1-for-4 on 4th down and threw an interception.
- Pittsburgh-area native Deamontae Diggs had three tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a pass breakup that turned into an interception. A game captain, Diggs made his second start as a Seminole.
- After Friday, 6.0 of Diggs’ 13 tackles at Florida State have been behind the line of scrimmage.
- Diggs’ pass breakup was his third of the season and eighth of career.
- Rylan Kennedy earned his first career interception. He is the fifth Nole and first defensive lineman with an interception this season.
- Linebacker Caleb LaVallee had a 6-yard sack on 4th down. His six tackles were a season high and the sack was his second of the season.
- Sophomore twins Mandrell & Darryll Desir combined on a sack in the first quarter. The Desir’s have 12.5 career sacks, but today’s sack was the first they have shared.
- FSU had six pass breakups, including a career-high two by Charles Lester III. Nehemiah Chandler’s pass breakup was his team-high 6th of the season and 19th of his career.
- Ma’Khi Jones had a 1-yard tackle for loss in the first quarter. It was his first TFL of the year and he has 2.5 career TFLs.
- Linebacker Chris Jones led FSU with seven tackles. He now has 251 career tackles, most on the team.
- Luke Francis Jr. made his Florida State debut in the third quarter. Listed as an offensive lineman, he took his first snaps as a Seminole on the defensive line, a position he played in the prep ranks. Francis is the 80th Seminole to play this season; 40 of those were making their FSU debut.
- Quarterback Ashton Daniels was 16-for-24 for 163 yards and added 27 rushing yards. He now has 7,092 passing yards in his career; his 2,309 passing yards this year are a career best.
- Freshman running back Amari Thomas made his first career start and scored FSU’s only touchdown of the game. His 16-yard catch was a career-long.
- Thomas and sophomore center Chavez Thompson both made their first career start. They are the fourth and fifth Seminoles to make their first career start this season, and Thomas is the second freshman (Jasen Lopez at Boston College last week).
- Lopez caught a 46-yard pass on 3rd-and-3 in the second quarter, the longest catch of his career. He finished with a career-high 5 catches and 72 yards, his fourth straight game with a career-high receiving yards and the first time he has led FSU in receiving.
- Running back Zay Parks rushed nine times for 27 yards, with a long of 11 yards. He also caught a 6-yard pass (the first of his career) and returned a kickoff 20 yards. Prior to Friday, Parks did not have a rush on the season.
- Freshman Devin Carter caught a 9-yard pass for his first career reception.
- Gabe Panikowski made a season-high three field goals, from 27, 37 and a season-long 47 yards. Panikowski is now 11-for-11 on the season and 26-for-26 in his FBS career. He remains the only qualified (min. 15) active kicker in any NCAA division perfect in career.
- Panikowski’s 26 consecutive made field goals at the NCAA level is the longest active streak in FBS.
- FSU has made 195 consecutive PAT, including perfect marks each of the past four seasons.
- FSU has now won 139 consecutive games when allowing 10 points or fewer and has a 157- game unbeaten streak when allowing 10 or less.
- On offense, FSU’s starters were QB Ashton Daniels, RB Amari Thomas, TE Landen Thomas, WR Micahi Danzy, WR Jasen Lopez, WR Jayvan Boggs, LT Xavier Chaplin, LG Andre Otto, C Chavez Thompson, RG Paul Bowling, and RT Nate Pabst.
- On defense, FSU’s starters were DL Deamontae Diggs, DL Darryll Desir, DL Daniel Lyons, JACK Rylan Kennedy, LB Chris Jones, LB Omar Graham Jr., CB Ja’Bril Rawls, CB Nehemiah Chandler, S Ashlynd Barker, S Ma’Khi Jones, and ROVER CJ Richard Jr.
- FSU’s captains for the game were LB Omar Graham Jr., DL Deamontae Diggs, LB AJ Cottrill, and LT Xavier Chaplin
*Notes courtesy of FSU Athletics
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