Florida State has struggled mightily in ACC play since the 2023 season. They have a record of 3-14 within the conference since then, and this Saturday, they play one of the toughest opponents they'll have in the ACC all year, the Virginia Cavaliers.
In 2026, Virginia is 1-0 in conference play with a win over the NC State Wolfpack, and that's after having the best record in the ACC last season at 7-1. Also, the Cavaliers have a current four-game winning streak in road games within the conference, and this game is at Doak Campbell Stadium.
FSU will need to be clicking on all cylinders to pull off this win. Now, let's dive into five things to know about Virginia.
They have tremendous depth at running back
Virginia is extremely balanced in their rushing attack. Jekail Middlebrook, Xay Davis,
Xavier Brown, and Noah Vaughn have all rushed for at least 135 yards from the running back spot, and they're averaging between 4.4 to 6.1 yards per carry. Also, quarterback Beau Pribula has 125 yards on the ground. It will be a challenge for Florida State to neutralize this part of Virginia's offense.
They have a high-scoring offense
So far in 2026, Virginia is averaging 40.5 points per game. In the four games they've played, they haven't scored less than 34 points in any of them. So, FSU's defense, which is allowing 25.3 points per game, which isn't too bad, will have its work cut out for it in this one.
Their defense is stingy
Virginia's defense is only giving up 13 points per game, which is good for fourth in the ACC and tied for 12th nationally. That's due to holding three of their four opponents to eight points or less, and if they hadn't given up 38 in their only loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers, those numbers would be even better. With Florida State averaging 32 points a game, something will have to give in this matchup.
They don't turn the ball over
Protecting the football is an essential part of having a successful offense. This season, Virginia has only committed two turnovers (one interception, one fumble lost), which is incredible ball security. If FSU was looking to create some turnovers in this game, that will be tough to do. So, their defense will need to get off the field as quickly as possible.
Not good on 3rd down, excellent on 4th down offensively
Virginia has only converted 20 of their 53 attempts on third down this season, which is only 37.7%. However, they're 11 for 13 on fourth down, which is good for a conversion rate of 84.6%. Florida State's defense needs to keep them behind the chains as much as possible to ensure that they can get off the field.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Five things about Virginia Cavaliers before matchup vs FSU
