Florida State and Virginia square off in a Friday night ACC contest in Charlottesville, VA. The eighth-ranked Seminoles are on the road for the first time this season, opening ACC play vs. a Cavaliers team they have not played since 2019. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN .
FSU QB Tommy Castellanos, a transfer from Boston College, continues to impress with his arm and legs, a two-way threat who has accounted for 6 total TDs in three games.
Virginia QB Chandler Morris, a transfer from North Texas, looks to match Castellanos after throwing for 380 yards and 4 TDs in a win over Stanford last week.
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Florida State vs. Virginia Prediction, Preview, CFB Picks for Week 5
Florida State and Virginia have split the last six meetings in the series after FSU won 12 of the first 13 after joining the ACC in 1991.
The Seminoles enter averaging the second-most yards in the country at 578.5 yards per game, while Virginia is right behind them with 519.3 yards per game, 11th-best in the nation.
The teams have combined for one loss this season, with Virginia falling to NC State by 4 after leading most of the game.
Florida State Seminoles Preview
This preseason, the unranked Seminoles served notice that their 2-12 season of 2024 was a distant memory with a resounding 14-point win over eighth-ranked Alabama to start the season. They followed it up with 74-point and 56-point wins to rise to No.8 in the nation.
The Florida State offense leads the nation in rushing yards averaging 364 rush yards per game, led by a single-game record 498 yards on the ground last week against Kent State. Oh, and they also scored 8 TDs on the ground.
QB Tommy Castellanos has been a dual threat in the air and the ground, averaging 198 yards passing yards per game with 3 passing TDs and 46.3 yards rush yards per game with 3 rushing TDs.
Florida State’s top rushing offense will go up against a Virginia defense that is 33rd in the nation, allowing 114.0 yards per game.
Virginia Cavaliers Preview
After blowing a 10-point halftime lead at NC State, the Cavaliers rebounded with blowout wins over William & Mary and Stanford. They enter the home game vs. Florida State at 3-1 for the second straight year. The Cavaliers haven't been 4-1 in back-to-back seasons in more than two decades (2003-04).
The Cavs have scored at least 31 points in every game and enter averaging 42.3 points per game, good for 13th in the nation.
QB Chandler Morris has thrown for 1,050 yards (262.5 yards per game), ranking him 18th in the country.
On the ground, RBs J’Mari Taylor (6 TDs) and Harrison Waylee (4 TDs) have combined to score 10 of the Cavaliers’ 13 rushing TDs. They go up against a Seminoles defense ranked ninth in the country in stopping the run, holding teams to 65 rush yards per game.
Florida State vs. Virginia Picks – Week 5
Here are the player picks to target in PrizePicks' real money college football game and in CFB DFS, including Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos and Virginia QB Chandler Morris.
Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos: 172.5 passing yards
- Castellanos has thrown just 38 passes through three games, averaging 198 yards per game.
- In addition to tossing for 3 TDs this season, he has added 3 rushing TDs
- Even though FSU hasn’t faced Virginia since 2019, Castellanos did during his tenure at Boston College.
- Castellanos passed for 254 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs last year vs. Virginia, and 183 passing yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs with 78 rushing yards in 2023 against the Cavaliers.
Virginia QB Chandler Morris Projection: 238.5 passing Yards
- Morris has thrown for 250-plus yards in three of four games this season.
- He hit 250-plus yards in eight of 12 games last year while with North Texas.
- Virginia ranks 18th in passing offense at 310.3 yards per game.
Virginia RB J’Mari Taylor Projection: 1.5 rush+rec TDs
- Taylor leads the Cavaliers with 6 rushing TDs — 2 more than teammate Harrison Waylee — which ties him for fifth among all RBs in the country.
- He had 2 TDs in the season opener vs. CCSU and 3 more the next week at NC State.
- In his last two games, Taylor has 1 rushing TD on 21 carries.
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Florida State vs. Virginia pits two ACC teams with winning records in a Week 5 matchup. Florida State remains undefeated, following up its upset of Alabama with two blowout dubs to rise to No. 9 in the country. The Cavaliers rebounded from a 4-point loss to NC State to start 3-1 for the second straight season.
No matter what your take on this Friday night matchup is, you can win real money with your Florida State vs. Virginia predictions on PrizePicks while you watch.
Simply pick your players — from Tommy Castellanos to Chandler Morris — predict More or Less on their projected stats, and win cash when you're right. It's that easy.
Check out the Playbook throughout the 2025 college season for more college football picks and predictions from our team of experts
