The Florida State Seminoles are hitting the road, traveling cross-country to face the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday in what will be a very late night for any true Nole fan willing to stay up to watch the game. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, from Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, and will be the final game broadcast on ESPN’s Saturday slate. This will be the first time Stanford and Florida State have met on the gridiron.

The Seminoles (3-3, 0-3 ACC) will attempt to win their first ACC Conference football matchup since beating California in September 2024 at Doak. Another Seminole loss on Saturday against the Tree would result in Mike Norvell’s third career 4-game losing streak as FSU’s head coach.

Stanford (2–4, 1–2 ACC) lost to SMU last week, falling 34-10 to the Mustangs. The game was within reach until the 4th quarter when Cardinal QB Ben Gulbranson threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, snapping his 122 consecutive passes thrown without an interception.

Frank Reich was named Stanford’s interim head football coach for the 2025 season in March by Stanford Football General Manager Andrew Luck. Reich is a well-respected coach with over 30 years in professional football, combining a 14-year playing career as an NFL quarterback with 18 seasons in various coaching roles, including a six-year head coaching gig with the Indianapolis Colts before his final stop with the Carolina Panthers in 2023.

The Cardinal ranks 106th in total offense (333), T-59th in passing (241), 116th in scoring offense (18.8), and 126th in rushing, averaging just 93 yards per game on the ground.

FSU’s defense is ranked 45th in total defense (333), 38th in rushing defense (116), 62nd in scoring defense (23), and 63rd in passing yards allowed (217).

The Tree defense, ranked 37th in rushing defense (115), 113th in scoring defense (30.2), 113th in total defense (418), and 132nd in passing yards allowed (304), will face a Seminole offense which ranks 5th nationally in rushing offense (275), 3rd in total offense (536), 39th in passing offense (262), and 5th in scoring offense (44.2 ppg).

TRIVIA: The Seminoles are playing a regular-season game in California for the first time since a 14-7 win at USC to open the 1997 season.

According to FanDuel, FSU is a 17.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 53.5 points.

Read what your TOMAHAWK NATION PROGNOSTICATORS think about this Saturday’s showdown.Then look over and digest all the FREE PRE-GAME CONTENT we’ve posted leading up to this game.We would love to hear your thoughts about how you feel about this game and your final score prediction in the comments.Frank DeNõle (season record: 3-3)

As we begin the second half of the season, I would give their first half performance a grade of D. Not because of the 3-3 record, but because of the way the Noles collapsed, were manhandled, and I hope I am wrong, appeared to almost give up on defense in the second half of two of those three losses (excluding Miami).

I still believe this season can be salvaged, FSU will get a bowl invite, and they will finish 9-3 or 8-4, which I believe is better than what even the most optimistic FSU fans predicted at the start of the season. The Alabama win, which I think was fool’s gold, followed by the spanking of two scrubs, was probably the worst thing that could have happened to a Seminole fan base so desperate to move on from last season’s 2-10 record.

The Seminoles will take care of business out west, and next week’s bye before Wake comes to Tally will give the Noles some extra time to get healed up and hopefully work out the defensive issues that have plagued them all season long, and not just for the last three games.

FSU Seminoles 54, Trees (especially Christmas) should be respected and not abused 17

NoleThruandThru (season record: 2—4)

Not much to say this week. Just hoping a California school gets FSU in the win column for the second straight year.

Curt Weiler (season record: 2-4)

It’s safe to say that the Seminoles have burnt through all the goodwill the Alabama win afforded them. Those who entered the season with serious doubts about Mike Norvell’s future have them all over again. At this point, this game feels like a must-win to avoid entering the danger zone of a total collapse.

It doesn’t help that FSU has to travel all the way across the country to play it or that there are questions about the availability of the team’s top skill-position talent. Consider this the last time I give this team the benefit of the doubt until they prove it once again.

Matt Minnick (season record: 2-4; 3-3 ATs)

At this point, I’m not sure I care. Nothing says Atlantic Coast Conference like flying to the Pacific Coast to play a game at 1030pm Eastern. Our offense will probably score in bunches again, because that seems to be their MO. Our defense will probably win a lot of early downs and lose a hefty portion of late downs, because that seems to be their MO. I’d like to think we can outscore Stanford but can we outscore our own mistakes?

Jordan Silversmith (season record: 3-3)

Going off of what was listed above, multiple factors are working against the Seminoles this weekend: a cross-country trip, a 10:30 ET start and a season rapidly slipping away. Mike Norvell’s team comes into this weekend losers of three in a row and without answers to stop the bleeding. Lucky for them, they find the perfect “get-right” game heading into the bye. Stanford does basically nothing well and is already below .500 with two of those losses to Hawaii and San Jose St. The Cardinal are one of five teams that have allowed over 300 yards passing per game with only one interception through six weeks. Vegas sees Saturday’s matchup as a clear mismatch with Florida State sitting as an 17.5-point favorite. Florida State may be average, but the Cardinal are bad. Win, but no cover.

Tim Scribble (season record: 3—3)

Whose ready for an all-nighter??? What’s worse than staying up on a Saturday deep into Sunday morning watching a struggling team that you love? Watching a struggling team that you love lose! If Norvell and company lay an egg on the West Coast, it could be an ugly trip home. I think FSU responds because Stanford is well… not good. Maybe this helps right the course and give the Seminoles confidence? Maybe it puts a nail in the Norvell coffin? Personally, I think the offense continues rolling with the defense getting enough stops for the win.

Perry Kostidakis (season record: 2-4, 3-3 ATS)

While the last few weeks have been sobering, we’re not at the point where I’m anticipating true, Penn State-losing-to-UCLA-and-Northwestern-level of a collapse here. Florida State has shown its more than capable of taking care of bad teams and Stanford, despite the best efforts of Gen. Andrew Luck, is a bad team.

Use this as a nice bounce-back game before the bye, get out healthy and enjoy some In-N-Out on the flight home.

Florida State Seminoles vs. Stanford Cardinal

Pre-Game Coverage from Tomahawk Nation

Florida State Seminoles vs. Stanford Cardinal: How to watch

Saturday, October 18, 2025FSU Broadcast: Ch. 137 or 194/SXM App