First look: Florida State looks to explosive offense for road win at NC State
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- N.C. State has two regular-season games left and hosts Florida State Friday.
- Florida State ranks top five in ACC offense and averages 227.7 rushing yards.
- Wolfpack defense must pressure QB Tommy Castellanos to limit explosive passing.
The road is getting shorter for the 2025 N.C. State football team. It has two guaranteed opportunities left in the regular season, with one coming a day earlier than usual.
The Wolfpack hosts Florida State at 8 p.m. Friday in its second-to-last matchup of a very difficult year. Both teams are still seeking bowl eligibility.
Florida State comes to Raleigh having won two of its past three games, with very similar opponents on the schedule. Both the Seminoles and Wolfpack both played Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Pitt, Miami and Virginia.
Saturday, the Seminoles defeated Virginia Tech, 34-14, at home. It lost at Clemson by 14 on Nov. 8. A week prior, FSU put together a 42-7 blowout win over Wake Forest. It lost to UVA, Miami and Pitt.
N.C. State also beat Wake Forest, 34-24, in its ACC opener, but lost to Virginia Tech, Pitt and Miami. The Pack pulled off a 48-36 home win over then-No. 8 Georgia Tech on Nov. 1 before following it up with a 41-7 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“Everything’s about right now, getting back to Raleigh, getting our guys healthy, getting them refocused, and playing Florida State,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said. “You got two teams that are both fighting as hard as they can to resolve their seasons. It’ll all be about them. Then after that, it’ll be about the next one.”
Despite its four-game losing streak midway through the season, including a seven-point loss at Stanford, the Seminoles have an explosive offense on the ground and through the air. They rank among the top 5 in the ACC in 10 offensive statistical categories.
Florida State leads the conference and ranks No. 9 in the country for rushing offense, averaging 227.7 yards per game. It’s No. 2 in the ACC and No. 7 in FBS for total offense, racking up 487.5 yards. The Seminoles score 36.4 points per game and hold their opponents to 20.3 points.
All four of FSU’s losses were by one possession, with its largest margin of defeat coming in a 46-38 double-overtime heartbreaker at Virginia. The Cavaliers scored a touchdown and converted the two-point try.
N.C. State has lost three of its past four games by 82 combined points. Its average margin of defeat during that stretch is 27.3 points.
“They’ll be together. I’m not worried about that,” Doeren said, referencing the team’s bond. “Will we be good enough? We’ve got to go work on executing. We’ve had spurts of that all season. We just had a great game against Georgia Tech, so this team won’t quit. I promise you that.”
Players to watch: Key receivers, top rushers
N.C. State and Florida State enter the game with two of the ACC’s top offensive players. While the Pack features running back Hollywood Smothers (823 yards), the Seminoles boast wide receiver Duce Robinson.
Robinson has contributed 947 receiving yards, ranking No. 5 in FBS, and scored five touchdowns. He holds the same rankings for receiving yards per game, hauling in 94.7 yards on five catches per outing.
The Seminoles’ receiving corps also features freshman Micahi Danzy. Danzy contributed 522 yards for two touchdowns in 10 games. He leads the ACC and is No. 2 nationally for yards per reception (22.7). Robinson ranks behind his teammate with 19.3 yards per catch (No. 2 ACC, No. 11 FBS).
FSU’s backfield is led by Tommy Castellanos, who transferred from Boston College. He’s racked up 2,317 yards, but he’s one of the least efficient passers in the league. Castellanos is completing 59% of his passes this season and 57% in conference play.
If N.C. State’s defense can disrupt Castellanos’ progression and provide pressure, it has a shot at limiting the receivers’ efficiency.
The Florida State offense, however, is running for nearly 230 yards per game. It features four players averaging more than 30 rushing yards per game, led by Oklahoma transfer Gavin Sawchuk. Sawchuk has run for 444 yards and eight touchdowns.
Castellanos relies on his arm, but he’s shown mobility on the ground, running for 404 yards and finding the end zone eight times. He and Sawchuk average more than 40 yards per game. Ousmane Kromah and Samuel Singleton have both surpassed 300 rushing yards.
The Wolfpack has a huge task in front of it, but it’s pulled off the unexpected before. Whether it can do it again remains to be seen.
Vegas betting line
Florida State opened as a 2.5-point favorite, according to Vegas Insider, but the spread has shifted to FSU being a 3.5- or 4.5-point favorite. ESPN Bet lists the over/under at 61.5 points. The Seminoles received a 69.9% win probability, according to ESPN analytics.
NC State vs Florida State game info
Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (5-5, 2-4 ACC) vs. Florida State Seminoles (5-5, 2-5)
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh
Date: Nov. 21
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, Sling TV
Series history: N.C. State trails the all-time series, 27-16, and is 10-11 at home. The Wolfpack, however, has won three in a row and five of the past six meetings. The most-recent game took place on Oct. 8, 2022, at Carter-Finley Stadium. N.C. State won, 19-17, after trailing 17-3 at halftime. Christopher Dunn, the eventual Lou Groza award winner, went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, including a 53-yard kick to pull within one point. He kicked another from 27-yards out with 6:33 remaining in the game, and the defense recorded two interceptions on FSU’s final two drives to seal the win.
