CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia went to Tallahassee and turned in a performance disturbingly similar to its flop against West Virginia in Charlotte. The Cavaliers’ defense had no answer for Florida State’s quarterback and running back rushing assault. 

UVA’s offense could not protect quarterback Beau Pribula or create space for its own running game. 

What went wrong?

“It’s everything,” Pribula said. “At the end of the day, it’s everybody. Everybody has a hand in it.”

The Seminoles seemed to physically dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball on their way to a convincing 38-7 home win over Virginia.

FSU quarterback Ashton Daniels ran for five touchdowns and 136 yards, running back Ousmane Kromah added 80 rushing yards, and the Seminoles sacked Pribula 10 times. 

Virginia (3-2, 1-1 ACC) averaged less than a yard per rush attempt and Pribula went 14 for 32 for 168 yards. 

UVA started the game well, holding FSU to punts on its first three possessions. The Cavaliers took a 7-0 lead when Pribula connected with wide receiver Da’Shawn Martin for a 13-yard touchdown with 6:04 left in the first quarter. 

But FSU (3-2, 1-1) outscored Virginia 17-0 in the second quarter, with Daniels running for the first two of his five scores. That started a string of 38 unanswered points for the Seminoles.

UVA had no answers.

“They’re a great team,” defensive end Fisher Camac said. “We just didn’t play our best game today. Offense, defense, special teams. We just didn’t play our best game.”

Against WVU, on Sept. 19 in Charlotte, N.C., the Cavaliers suffered a 38-27 loss – in large part – because they could not contain Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. or running back Cam Cook. That duo combined for 246 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Saturday, it was more of the same against Daniels – a Stanford transfer – and Kromah. FSU’s line opened holes and Virginia’s defenders missed tackles.

Daniels scored on runs of four and three yards in the second quarter, six and 81 yards in the third and from 1-yard out in the fourth.

His fourth touchdown was an 81-yard burst through the middle of UVA’s defense that put the Seminoles up 31-7 with 3:16 left in the third quarter, a big play where the Cavaliers’ misfit their run defense. 

But three of his shorter scoring runs came as the culmination of eight-play scoring drives, including a 98-yard march that produced FSU’s first touchdown of the day. The Cavaliers have allowed nine rushing touchdowns this season. Eight of those have been scored by opposing quarterbacks.

Virginia punted on five of its six first half possessions, then punted twice more and failed on fourth down four more times after the break.

Florida State out-gained UVA 464-205.

The Cavaliers’ offense couldn’t stay on the field and Virginia’s defense could not get off it.

“Everybody’s got ownership in it, starting with me,” coach Tony Elliott said after his program’s most lopsided defeat since a 55-17 thrashing by Virginia Tech in 2023. “I have to do a better job of making sure they’re prepared and ready to play, make sure they fully understand the plan.”

After the loss, Elliott expressed his confidence in his team’s leadership and its ability to bounce back. Virginia hosts Syracuse on Saturday at Scott Stadium.

Elliott said it would be up to himself and the coaching staff to use Sunday to dissect what went wrong and break that down for the players when they return to practice Monday. 

“They’ll be looking for answers,” Elliott said.

That’s because Saturday in Tallahassee raised a lot of questions.