The Florida State Seminoles played their most complete game of the season Saturday night, overwhelming the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 42-7 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Behind a balanced offensive attack and a smothering defense, the Seminoles (4-4, 1-4 ACC) scored two touchdowns in each of the final three quarters while limiting Wake Forest (5-3, 2-3 ACC) to just one late score. FSU’s defense kept the Demon Deacons from crossing midfield for the first 50 minutes and forced two turnovers that directly led to 14 points.
Quarterback Tommy Castellanos was sharp and efficient, completing 12 of 16 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a rushing score. Running back Gavin Sawchuk found the end zone twice on the ground, and wide receiver Duce Robinson turned in a breakout performance with five catches for 148 yards and a touchdown.
Samuel Singleton Jr. led the rushing attack with 91 yards on 14 carries and added a 10-yard touchdown run late in the first half. Tight end Randy Pittman Jr. also contributed a rushing score in the fourth quarter.
Florida State racked up 421 yards of total offense — 271 through the air and 150 on the ground — while averaging an impressive 7.4 yards per play. The Seminoles committed only four penalties all night and controlled both the tempo and field position throughout.
After a scoreless first quarter, FSU struck early in the second when Castellanos capped an 80-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run on third-and-5. A 65-yard strike to Robinson set up the score and energized the home crowd.
The defense continued to clamp down, holding Wake Forest without a drive past its own 37-yard line on its next two possessions. That field position advantage set up another scoring opportunity late in the half. Singleton Jr. broke off a 27-yard run to start the drive, and Castellanos connected with Pittman Jr. for 30 yards on third-and-long before Singleton finished it off with a 10-yard touchdown.
Florida State entered halftime leading 14-0 and never looked back.
Wake Forest’s best drive came early in the second half, reaching the Seminoles’ 12-yard line before a false start and a fumbled snap gave FSU possession. The Seminoles capitalized on the short field, with Sawchuk punching it in from a yard out to make it 21-0 midway through the third quarter.
Moments later, another defensive stop set up a lightning-fast scoring drive. A 39-yard completion from Castellanos to Robinson set up Sawchuk’s second rushing touchdown, this one from the 1-yard line, stretching the lead to 28-0.
Earl Little Jr.’s interception early in the fourth quarter led to a 20-yard touchdown drive, finished by Pittman Jr.’s seven-yard run just six seconds into the period. Little Jr. led the defense with seven tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble, while Ja’Bril Rawls recovered a fumble earlier in the game.
FSU wasn’t done. On the next possession, Castellanos hit Micahi Danzy for 66 yards to set up a 13-yard touchdown pass to Robinson, pushing the lead to 42-0 with just under 12 minutes to play.
Wake Forest finally got on the board with a six-yard touchdown pass at the 6:49 mark, avoiding the shutout but doing little to dent the Seminoles’ dominance.
For Florida State, it was the kind of performance head coach Mike Norvell had been waiting for — efficient offense, physical defense, and clean execution from start to finish.
“This was about playing complementary football,” Norvell said after the game. “We responded, we executed, and we finished.”
The Seminoles will try to carry that momentum into a pivotal rivalry matchup next weekend when they travel to face Clemson at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 8. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
