After recording a 2-2 record to start the 2026 season, the pressure is truly on for Florida State against the Virginia Cavaliers in Week 5. The Seminoles already expected the game to be a difficult one heading into the season, and the slow start adds to the growing attention surrounding coach Mike Norvell. The walls have closed in a bit tighter with each mistake, leaving Norvell with little room for error moving forward.
The Florida State fanbase and Norvell can both really use a convincing win at this moment, but a win over a strong team will additionally give everyone some time to breathe. One team already figured out how to beat Virginia earlier this season, and the Seminoles need to learn from West Virginia to avoid a third loss this season.
Lesson #1: QB Beau Pribula fuels the offense with his dual-threat capabilities
A season ago, Florida State and Virginia met under much different circumstances and delivered a thrilling double overtime game. The result was far from what the Seminoles wanted, with a loss in hand, and afterwards the team quickly fell into a losing streak. Florida State needs to avoid the same situation from occurring, and that starts with finding a way to slow down Cavaliers' quarterback Beau Pribula.
Virginia looked far different on offense the last time Florida State played them, with quarterback Chandler Morris leading a much more balanced approach. Enter Pribula, and Virginia has put many of the air raid pass concepts in a spot behind the quick runs. The Cavaliers had speed in the backfield in 2025, but Pribula adds a new layer of danger that keeps opposing defenses on their toes.
Pribula finished the game against West Virginia with -1 rushing yards thanks to multiple blown-up plays. Virginia is still dangerous without the legs of Pribula, but without his help on the ground, the play-action attack of the Cavaliers is not quite as daunting. West Virginia appeared to have a much easier time reading Pribula when his ability to run was eliminated.
Lesson #2: Virginia loves to run the football, and struggles to defend against it
If there is one thing on offense that has defined Virginia football this season, it is the powerful capabilities the team has on the ground. Running the football is the bread and butter of Virginia, and when the Cavaliers are forced to pass, issues can present themselves.
Often, when a team is very good at something on one end, the team also struggles with that same thing on the other end. The Florida State offense can break off big plays at times, but the defense struggles to prevent them from happening. For Virginia, the offense runs the football exceptionally, but defending against the run can be a different story, especially with a mobile quarterback.
West Virginia ran the football 51 times for 247 yards and three touchdowns, which is drastic, but when something continues to work, there is no point in abandoning it. The Cavaliers had a difficult time identifying the quarterback runs, and Michael Hawkins Jr. was able to collect an average of 6.8 yards per rush in the win. Fully utilizing the options in the backfield and getting creative is going to be key for Florida State offensively against Virginia.
Lesson #3: The chunk plays will come with patience
Through four games this season, the Cavaliers have allowed a gain of 20 or more yards each game and a gain of 30 or more yards in three games. Despite being extremely efficient in defending against the pass, with a conference-low 130.3 passing yards allowed per game, a team cannot be perfect all of the time.
West Virginia found success against the Cavaliers' defense early in the game with long, run-filled drives that broke down the strength of the unit. The Mountaineers' first two scoring drives went for a combined 17 plays and 150 yards. Out of the 17 plays, West Virginia ran the football 14 times with consistent success.
The real breakthrough plays for West Virginia came at the end of the run-heavy drives, with five completions of 20 or more yards after establishing the run in the first scoring drive. Florida State needs to get the likes of Ousmane Kromah, Tre Wisner, and Ashton Daniels going on the ground to properly open up the limited chances through the air that Virginia allows.
Lesson #4: Do not collapse on defense under any circumstance
Everyone knows Virginia is going to run the football, and at this point, it would be pretty surprising if the Cavaliers unleashed an aerial attack on Florida State. Virginia is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to running through the A-gap, and the Seminoles are coincidentally one of the worst teams at defending the A-gap.
Florida State and Virginia both know what the other team is going to want to do during the game, and the key for the Seminoles will be to improve upon small mistakes. The Cavaliers scored two rushing touchdowns against West Virginia on runs right up the middle. The first touchdown by Jekail Middlebrook was a tough one to defend as the defense was backed up, but the second touchdown was certainly avoidable.
Virginia takes the lead over WVU on a 47-yard touchdown by Xavier Brown ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/xn7vKukShk
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) September 20, 2026
The West Virginia defense sent everyone towards the middle, and once Brown slipped through the gap, he was free to score the 47-yard touchdown. Florida State needs to strike a balance between being aggressive enough to limit the run while avoiding leaving behind no help. Brown, Middlebrook, and Pribula all have impressive speed, which means catching them from behind after being caught in a bad position is unlikely.
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