The Florida State Seminoles traveled to Pittsburgh, PA, to face the Pitt Panthers in FSU’s final road game of the season. It was a close matchup. The ‘Noles continued on their journey for bowl eligibility with a 16-10 win over Pitt in a gritty defensive battle against the No. 2 rushing defense in the country.
The victory marks interim head coach Rick Stockstill’s second win and the Seminoles’ second road win, ending a losing drought dating back to the end of 2023.
The Good: FSU Defense and Jasen Lopez
Wide receiver Jasen Lopez led the team in receiving yards with 72 on five receptions, and again was a go-to wideout when the offense needed him.
Although Pitt managed 306 yards of total offense, Florida State’s defense under interim DC Ernie Sims did what it needed to do to put the game away. Linebacker Chris Jones led the team in tackles with seven, but after being disqualified for a questionable targeting penalty, Omar Graham, Jr. stepped up to the plate, helping the Seminoles end the game in a victory formation.
Safety Ashlynd Barker tied with linebacker Caleb LaVallee and defensive back CJ Richard with six tackles and kept pressure on freshman Pitt quarterback Corey Dailey for most of the night. While Dailey showed promise with his arm strength and accuracy, his receivers consistently dropped the ball in more ways than one.
Kicker Gabe Panikowski continued his streak, was good from 37, 27, and 47 yards in the bout, and helped the Seminoles deal a death by a thousand cuts in the close contest.
The Bad: Let’s Talk About The Turnovers
Ashton Daniels didn’t throw an interception but managed to turn the ball over at a critical moment in the game. He fumbled after a 12-yard run inside Panther territory, giving Pitt an opportunity to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
He managed to carry the offense for 16 points on 24 attempts, totaling 163 yards, but he leads the country in interceptions with 12 and had another turnover on Friday night.
Daniels was overall accurate, completing close to 70 percent of his passes (67%), and his late-game turnover didn’t turn into a liability this time around. His decision-making through the air was much more responsible than in previous weeks, but the offense also failed to put the game away when given an opportunity.
Thomas also nearly gave the ball away twice; if not for a heads-up play by offensive lineman Xavier Chaplin, we could be writing a different story.
The Ugly: Florida State’s Punting
Aside from a late fourth-quarter punt that pinned the Panthers inside the two-yard line, Daniel Hughes averaged 41 yards per punt.
It is not really fair to take away from a team that just went on the road and won as an underdog. But the Seminoles have a lot to clean up before they can get back into national contention.
Florida State is one game away from reaching bowl eligibility and has NC State and the Florida Gators on its remaining home stretch. FSU will kick off against the Wolfpack at home on Saturday, November 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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