Onto the next. That is the mentality for the Stanford Cardinal (2-4, 1-2 ACC) this week as they return to action for a tough test against the Florida State Seminoles at home. Coming off of a brutal loss to the SMU Mustangs last week, the Cardinal are focused on delivering a win and saving a season that is hanging by a thread.
The second game of a very tough three-game stretch, the Cardinal need to play their best brand of football if they want any chance of pulling off the upset. Hindered by numerous penalties last week that took away scoring plays and spoiled promising drives, the Cardinal will look to fix that this time around.
Finishing 3-9 for four straight seasons, this week is the chance for the Cardinal to not only pull off a big win, but match their win total from the previous four seasons and set themselves up for a much more successful future.
Listed as massive underdogs, the Cardinal are ready to surprise people and pull off the upset over a team that had national title aspirations heading into the season. FSU is currently on a three game skid and in a very vulnerable state, making this Stanford’s chance to make the most out of that opportunity.
Here is a preview of Stanford’s matchup against the Florida State Seminoles.
When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m. (PT)
Where: Stanford Stadium
How to Watch: ESPN
Spread: Florida State (-17.5)
Moneyline: Florida State (-980), Stanford (+643)
Total: O/U 54.5
*Betting odds provided by Fox Sports and are used here as a reference point, not betting advice.*
Sep 27, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver CJ Williams (3) gets tackled by San Jose State Spartans linebacker Noah McNeal-Franklin (9) and linebacker Jordan Pollard (1) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
/ Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
WR CJ Williams
Losing pretty much every single wide receiver from last season’s team, the Cardinal were in desperate need of more pass catchers and quickly turned to the portal, landing former the former Wisconsin standout Williams in the process.
Playing a limited role at Wisconsin, Williams hoped that coming to The Farm would mean a breakout season. And despite a slow start, Williams is finally finding his footing.
Catching seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown against SMU, Williams put together his third straight 100-yard game, evolving into the Cardinal’s top pass catcher. With Caden High playing well also, he and Williams have formed a formidable duo that has greatly benefitted Ben Gulbranson.
With guys like JonAnthony Hall still out, Williams has had to step up and has delivered immensely. And playing well against a good team like SMU, Williams will have a lot of confidence going into the Florida State game and figures to have a huge role in the offensive game plan.
LB Jahsiah Galvan
A targeting penalty forced the Cardinal to play the first half of the SMU game without star linebacker Matt Rose, forcing Galvan to have to step up.
Playing in only one game this season up to that point, the 23-20 loss to Hawaii, nobody knew what to expect out of the junior from West Liberty, Iowa. But Galvan came out firing and dominated against SMU.
Recording 10 tackles, eight of which were solo, Galvan was flying all over the field for the Cardinal and proved why the program invested so much to get him from the portal when he transferred from Northern Iowa. Rose will be back in full this week, but after his strong performance last week, it would not be surprising to see the Cardinal have a role for Galvan in this week’s game.
CB Brandon Nicholson
A highly touted recruit coming out of high school, Nicholson has been a key rotational piece for Stanford since joining the program prior to last season. Finishing with 31 tackles and an interception last season, Nicholson showed a lot of promise as a true freshman. And this week against FSU, with Collin Wright questionable, Nicholson could be in for a big opportunity.
Florida State throws the ball a lot and given how Wright normally guards the best receiver on each team, Nicholson could do the same if he ends up playing over Wright. Even if Wright does start, expect Nicholson to be rotated in and out and get plenty of chances to show what he’s got. So far this season, the Memphis, Tennessee native has made eight tackles and has eight passes defended.
Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) warms up before a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images / Robert Myers-Imagn Images
QB Tommy Castellanos
A two year starter at Boston College, Castellanos lost his job with the Eagles midway through last season, leading to him entering the transfer portal. In desperate need of a new and improved quarterback, Florida State was quick to grab the rising superstar.
In eight games last season for Boston College, Castellanos completed 61.5% of his passes for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. A dual threat quarterback, Castellanos is known for his running ability as well.
In his first season at Florida State, Castellanos started the season off hot and helped the Seminoles begin 3-0, but a tough three game stretch where he has thrown six touchdowns and four interceptions has caused the Seminoles to cool off.
But last week against Pittsburgh, Castellanos played his best game of the season despite a 34-31 loss, completing 69.6% of his passes for 245 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Castellanos may not be having his best season overall, but given his talent, he could go off at any point in time and against a team like Stanford, look for him to be on a mission. Over the last few games the Cardinal have struggled on defense and with a guy like Castellanos, stopping him will be key to a win.
DB Earl Little Jr.
Little is already enjoying a breakout season after limited action during the first two seasons of his college career. But with Florida State set to be down starting defensive back Ja’Bril Rawls, this is the type of game where Little Jr. will have a much bigger role.
So far this season, Little Jr. has 40 tackles, a pass defended, a forced fumble and two interceptions, all career highs, but will look to prove just how good he is when he takes the field without Rawls. Dealing with shoulder injuries early on in his career, Little Jr. is finally healthy and ready to make up for lost time.
Stanford will need to throw the ball well this week, but will also need to figure out how to navigate Little Jr. Set to go up against Stanford’s top receiver, most likely C.J. Williams or Caden High. Gulbranson’s deep ball and accuracy will need to be at its best, or else it will be a long night on The Farm.
WR Duce Robinson
A former standout at USC, Robinson returns to his home state of Florida for the 2025 season, joining a revamped Florida State offense in its attempt to rebound from a 2-10 season from a year ago. And so far, Robinson has lived up to expectations and has even surpassed them, proving himself to be one of the program’s most important players.
So far this season, Robinson has 25 catches for 443 yards and three touchdowns, and has career highs in both catches and receiving yards through six games.
His best game of this season so far came in a double overtime loss to Virginia, where he caught nine passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. Injured in the first half of FSU’s loss to Pittsburgh last week, Robinson is hoping to be available to play this week and continue his strong season.
Robinson is listed as questionable for the game, but the hope is that he will play. If Robinson does play, he will have a big role in the game and Stanford will need to stop him in order to keep FSU’s offense at bay.
5 – Number of Times Stanford Will Have Played a Team for the First Time Since Joining ACC
Playing Florida State for the first time ever this weekend, this will be the fifth time since joining the ACC that Stanford will play a team for the first time in school history. In 2025, Stanford has three first-time matchups with games against Virginia, Florida State and Miami.
1-1 – Stanford’s record against teams from Florida
The game against Florida State is not the first time that Stanford has played a team from Florida, however. Facing UCF twice, in 2015 and 2019, Stanford beat UCF 31-7 at Stanford Stadium in week two of that season before losing to them in Orlando in 2019 in week three by a score of 45-27.
21 – Number of FSU Rushing Touchdowns
Stanford’s defense has struggled in recent weeks, but this week especially it will need to tighten up—particularly against the run. Having 21 rushing touchdowns so far this season, Florida State is tied for third in the nation in that category. Luckily, run defense is one area that Stanford has excelled at, allowing only five rushing scores so far this year, tied for 22nd in the entire nation.
Stanford 31, Florida State 23
If this was a few weeks ago, Florida State would undoubtedly be the team that everyone picks. After all, they were sitting at 3-0 and looking like a team that was ready to make a run at both a conference title and the college football playoff.
But after losing three straight and dropping down to 3-3, Florida State’s postseason hopes have all but vanished, giving them essentially nothing to play for and putting them in a very vulnerable state. Stanford should take full advantage and have this be the big win of the season.
But a win will not come easy. The Seminoles are still very talented with an offense that is capable of causing their opponents a lot of issues. If the Cardinal are not careful and come unprepared, it could be a long night.
However, even through the tough losses, the Cardinal have showed a lot of promise this season and with an offense that has looked much improved from the start of the season, this game could go Stanford’s way if it plays its cards right. Stanford goes home with a big upset win to keep its season afloat heading into its road tilt against Miami.