Scott Stadium erupted in jubilation Friday night as Virginia delivered one of its biggest wins in nearly two decades, outlasting No. 8 Florida State 46-38 in double overtime before a raucous crowd of 50,107 — the Cavaliers’ largest home turnout since 2023.
Chandler Morris proved to be the difference-maker for Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC), accounting for five total touchdowns. The senior quarterback ran for three scores, including the decisive 4-yard burst in the second overtime, and threw for two more. He then sealed the victory with a two-point conversion toss to Trell Harris, putting the Cavaliers up eight.
Florida State (3-1, 0-1) still had life, but its bid to force a third overtime unraveled. Duce Robinson, who had been brilliant all night with nine catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, bobbled a potential tying pass in the back of the end zone. On fourth-and-12 from the 27, quarterback Tommy Castellanos launched a desperate heave, only to see it intercepted by Ja’Son Prevard. Cavalier fans poured onto the field, celebrating UVA’s first home win over a Top 10 opponent since — fittingly — beating Florida State in 2005.
“This program needed a night like this,” Virginia head coach Tony Elliott said. “The crowd, the resilience, the belief — it all came together.”
Virginia stormed out of the gates, capitalizing on two first-quarter turnovers to build a 14-0 lead. Florida State answered in the second quarter behind its defense, forcing a pair of interceptions that fueled a 21-14 turnaround. The teams went into halftime tied at 21 and remained deadlocked at 28 through three quarters.
With just 32 seconds left in regulation, Castellanos kept the Seminoles alive, threading an 11-yard touchdown pass to Randy Pittman Jr. on fourth down to send the game to overtime. Both sides traded field goals in the first extra period, setting the stage for Virginia’s decisive strike in the second.
Castellanos finished with 254 yards passing, a touchdown, and 78 rushing yards with another score. Robinson was his top target all night, while Virginia countered with balance. J’Mari Taylor rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown, part of a second-half surge that saw the Cavaliers pound the ball 30 times for 130 yards despite a patchwork offensive line. Xavier Brown chipped in 43 yards on six carries, helping Virginia control the tempo.
For Florida State, the loss was a sobering reality check after a dazzling season-opening upset of Alabama and two subsequent blowout wins. The Seminoles enter October still looking for their first ACC win.
For Virginia, it marked the program’s most significant victory since the 2019 win over rival Virginia Tech that sent the Cavaliers to the ACC Championship Game.
“This was about toughness and belief,” Morris said. “We showed that when it mattered most.”
Florida State: Hosts archrival Miami next Saturday night in Tallahassee. Virginia: Travels to Louisville for a key road test.
