A look at who has the edge in Friday’s ACC tilt between No. 8 Florida State and Virginia.
Quarterbacks
Both Virginia and Florida State acquired veteran transfer signal-callers this past offseason, and so far, Chandler Morris and Tommy Castellanos have delivered for the Hoos and the Seminoles, respectively. Morris’ 70.8% completion rate is tied for the 17th best in the FBS. He’s also 18th in the country for passing yards, 20th for passing efficiency and tied for 24th for passing touchdowns. He accounted for five TDs in UVa’s rout of Stanford last Saturday, and is becoming increasingly comfortable in the Cavaliers’ system. Castellanos reunited with his former coach and now FSU offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who originally recruited Castellanos to Central Florida. Since then, Castellanos had a two-year stint with Boston College before heading to Tallahassee. Malzahn’s high-volume, quarterback-run offense is ideal for Castellanos’ speed and quickness. He’s rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns. As a passer, his completion rate is up, too. Morris is the more polished player, though. Edge: Virginia
Running backs
The Cavaliers and the Seminoles each have deep groups of running backs, and they are running the ball extremely well this fall. Florida State is averaging 363 rushing yards per game through its first three contests, and the Seminoles have been able to distribute carries across the position group. Gavin Sawchuk averages 6.4 yards per carry and has five rushing TDs. Samuel Singleton Jr. has three touchdowns, and Ousmane Kromah is averaging 6.9 yards per run. UVa’s J’Mari Taylor is probably the most talented RB in this contest. He has six rushing TDs and had a 150-yard, three-touchdown game earlier this month against NC State. Xavier Brown and Harrison Waylee are used off the bench to back up Taylor. Edge: Push
Receivers/tight ends
UVa needs to identify where Seminoles freshman wide receiver Micahi Danzy is lined up. Florida State has shown it’ll throw the deep ball to Danzy and also use him in the running game on reverses. This season, he’s scored on rushes of 32 yards against Alabama, 53 yards against FCS East Texas A&M and 64 yards against Kent State. The Seminoles can also throw the ball reliably to Duce Robinson and Squirrel White. But the Cavaliers have an excellent hoard of pass-catchers also. Trell Harris had three touchdowns receptions in the first quarter last Saturday against Stanford. Harris and Cam Ross have the speed to race past opposing secondaries, while 6-foot-3 Jahmal Edrine can make tough catches, particularly in third-down spots to move the chains. UVa has also thrown TD passes to a tight end in each of the last three games. Edge: Virginia
Offensive line
The Cavaliers have some adjustments to make if top-notch center Brady Wilson (calf) cannot play. Wilson is day-to-day, according to Hoos coach Tony Elliott. If Wilson is out, right guard Drake Metcalf will shift to center and UVa will be forced to play a combination of Kevin Wigenton II and Tyshawn Wyatt at right guard. Overall, the group has been steady, though, and left tackle McKale Boley was last week’s ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Florida State’s front is paving the way for a dominant rushing attack while also protecting Castellanos. Wake Forest transfer center Luke Petitbon is the anchor for OL coach Herb Hand’s unit, which is also getting steady play from veteran right guard Richie Leonard IV and Vanderbilt transfer left tackle Gunnar Hansen. Edge: Florida State
Defensive line
Led by Florida State’s defensive front, the Seminoles are giving up only 78.3 rushing yards per game, which is second best in the ACC and 15th best in the country. Their interior players are hard to move, too. Nose tackle Darrell Jackson checks in at 6-foot-5, 337 pounds and defensive tackle Daniel Lyons stands at 6-foot-4, 302 pounds. Jackson has eight tackles including a sack and two tackles for loss. The Cavaliers finally got their pass rushing going last week, and defensive end Daniel Rickert, a transfer from FCS Tennessee Tech, had a pair of sacks against the Cardinal to give him three sacks this season. He’s come off the bench through the first four games, and he’s deserving of more playing time. Ohio State transfer Mitchell Melton looks like he’s adjusting well to UVa, too, with 12 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss this season. Florida native Jason Hammond, who was overlooked by Florida State in recruiting, said he’ll be extra motivated for kickoff on Friday night. Edge: Florida State
Linebackers
Ahead of the Dec. 2023 signing date, Florida State made a late push to try to flip UVa pledge Kam Robinson. That attempt was unsuccessful, and Robinson stuck with the Hoos. He’ll get his chance to finally play against the Seminoles on Friday night. Robinson made his season debut last Saturday and had seven tackles to go along with a fumble recovery, showing his instant impact on the Cavaliers’ defense. James Jackson has played well, too, and has 17 tackles. Seminoles LB Justin Cryer had seven tackles in FSU’s win over Alabama in Week 1, and has registered a tackle for loss in each of the Seminoles’ last two games. Edge: Virginia
Secondary
There have been some missteps in the Cavaliers’ secondary the last few weeks. The Hoos gave up a 79-yard touchdown pass to William & Mary after a miscommunication in the back end two weeks ago, and last Saturday, Stanford scored on a 68-yard TD and also had a 60-yard pass completion in the game. So, that’s been an issue and certainly an area in which UVa needs to figure out by Friday. Florida State’s defensive backfield is led by safety Earl Little Jr., who has 15 tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception and a pass breakup. Cornerback Jerry Wilson has two interceptions. Edge: Florida State
Special teams
The Seminoles do a good job on their kick- and punt-return coverage units. They’re tied for first in the country in kick-return defense and tied for eighth in punt-return defense. Florida State kicker Jake Weinberg has 21 touchbacks in 21 kick-off attempts, neutralizing whatever threat its opponent has in the return game. That’s a bummer for the Cavaliers and return man Cam Ross, who had a 100-yard kickoff-return for a TD earlier this fall against Coastal Carolina. He probably won’t get a chance to return any kickoffs on Friday night. Add in that the Hoos still might be without Daniel Sparks (hip flexor) as a punter and kickoff specialist, and that special teams advantage goes to the Seminoles. Edge: Florida State
Greg Madia
gmadia@dailyprogress.com
@GregMadia on X
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Greg Madia
UVa Sports Reporter
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