THE CARDINAL STUN FLORIDA STATE IN A THRILLING FINISH (20–13)
Updated: Oct 31
STANFORD, Calif. — For the first time in history, Stanford and Florida State faced off — a clash between two football cultures: the cerebral precision of the West Coast against the raw power of the Southeast. Under the lights at Stanford Stadium, the Cardinal defied the odds, pulling off a dramatic 20–13 victory decided on the very last play of the game.
On a final sequence teetering on chaos, Florida State running back Gavin Sawchuk was stopped inches short of the goal line by a heroic defensive stand. Linebackers Matt Rose and Jahsiah Galvan sealed the Seminoles’ fate, igniting an explosion of joy on the field and in the stands. After an extended replay review, the verdict stood: no touchdown. Stanford had escaped — a win as improbable as it was unforgettable.
A FINISH FOR THE AGES
Trailing by a touchdown with less than a minute left, Florida State nearly pulled off the impossible. Backup quarterback Kevin Sperry, who entered after Tommy Castellanos was injured, connected with Micahi Danzy on a 49-yard strike on third-and-22, bringing the Seminoles down to the 9-yard line. On the next play, a pass-interference penalty in the end zone gave FSU one last untimed down from the 2.
Sperry then flipped a short shovel pass to Sawchuk, racing up the middle. The back stretched toward the pylon with everything he had, but Stanford’s defense held firm. Rose and Galvan brought him down just shy of the line, a collective effort that sealed the Cardinal’s victory amid a few seconds of suspended silence before the stadium erupted. It was a finish that summed up the entire night: physical, messy, and charged with emotion.
A SLOW START, THEN STANFORD STRIKES FIRST
Both offenses opened nervously. On the first drive, Florida State self-destructed with a delay-of-game penalty followed by an overthrown deep ball. The Seminoles quickly punted, never finding a rhythm early.
Stanford imposed its tempo. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson completed three of his first five passes for 38 yards, relying on running back Cole Tabb, who rushed for 28 yards on his first three carries. The Seminoles’ defense held in the red zone, but Emmet Kenney converted from 32 yards out to make it 3–0.
Florida State tried to answer with a 57-yard attempt by Jake Weinberg, but the kick fell just short. Moments later, Earl Little Jr. made a spectacular diving interception on a misfired throw from Gulbranson, giving the Seminoles the ball deep in Stanford territory. Yet once again, the drive ended empty, the first quarter summed up by wasted opportunities on both sides.
COSTLY MISTAKES FROM THE SEMINOLES
FSU finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a 39-yard field goal from Weinberg. But minutes later, a crucial mistake flipped momentum. After Kenney missed a field goal, Florida State’s Edwin Joseph was flagged offside, granting Stanford a new set of downs. The Cardinal didn’t waste the gift: Gulbranson found CJ Williams on a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 10–3.
The Seminoles unraveled mentally. Delay-of-game, false start, offside — the flags kept coming. A 26-yard punt return by Liam Thorpe put Stanford in scoring range again, and another pass-interference call handed them free yards. Kenney stayed perfect, adding a second field goal for a 13–3 lead.
Just before halftime, Florida State finally flashed its athleticism. Quarterback Tommy Castellanos, bottled up most of the half, scrambled right, eluded two tacklers, and dove acrobatically toward the pylon for a highlight-reel touchdown. His effort cut the deficit to 13–10 at the break, giving the Seminoles renewed hope despite a sloppy first half.
THIRD QUARTER: CALIFORNIA EFFICIENCY
Gulbranson exited late in the second quarter after a hit, replaced by freshman Elijah Brown. Under pressure, Brown played with poise, alternating quick passes and inside runs behind a composed offensive line.
Cole Tabb became the centerpiece of the offense, 28 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown, pounding the defense with consistency and patience. The defining moment came midway through the third quarter: a 13-play, 94-yard drive executed with surgical discipline. Brown hit CJ Williams for 28 yards, then handed off repeatedly to Tabb, who capped the march with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Stanford extended its lead to 20–10, aided by two defensive penalties, roughing the passer and pass interference, that prolonged the series.
Florida State appeared to respond with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Duce Robinson, but an illegal-forward-pass flag wiped it away. It was that kind of night for the Seminoles: every spark doused by self-inflicted wounds.
A DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS TO CLOSE IT OUT
The final quarter turned into a battle of willpower. Weinberg’s 33-yard field goal trimmed the gap to 20–13, but Stanford controlled the clock with its ground game. The Brown–Tabb tandem, protected by a disciplined offensive line, milked minutes off the board and forced FSU to burn its timeouts.
Stanford’s defense then delivered in crunch time. With just over five minutes remaining, on fourth-and-2, Castellanos tried a keeper but was stopped cold by Jahsiah Galvan. The play ended with Castellanos leaving the game after a targeting foul on Mitch Leigber, setting the stage for Sperry’s late heroics and the unforgettable final stop by Rose and Galvan that preserved the win.
GAME NUMBERS AND TAKEAWAYS
Statistically, Florida State dominated: 444 total yards to 293, including 311 passing yards to 161. Yet discipline or the lack thereof, told the story. The Seminoles committed 13 penalties for 79 yards, many of them on crucial third and fourth downs. Stanford, with just five flags for 47 yards, compensated for its offensive limits through clock control and tactical precision, holding possession for more than 32 minutes.
Tabb was the heart of Stanford’s offense, steady and relentless between the tackles. CJ Williams added 61 yards and a touchdown through the air, while Brown managed the second half flawlessly, no turnovers, no panic. On defense, Galvan and Rose embodied the Cardinal’s toughness, making key tackles all night and combining on the play that will be remembered for years to come.
SEMINOLES IN TURMOIL
For Florida State, this loss marked a ninth consecutive ACC defeat, a staggering slide for one of college football’s storied programs. Castellanos finished 14-of-28 for 242 yards and a rushing score, but his inconsistency through the air limited FSU’s balance. Danzy (106 yards) and Robinson (98 yards) provided vertical threats yet failed to capitalize in the red zone. Once again, Florida State produced the numbers but lost the mental battle — undone by flags, frustration, and missed execution.
A TURNING POINT FOR STANFORD
For Stanford, the win means far more than a number in the standings. After several stagnant seasons, Frank Reich’s squad is rediscovering identity and resilience. The Cardinal have now won three straight at home, matching their total from the previous four seasons combined. Behind the scenes, Andrew Luck’s influence on local recruiting and program structure is beginning to bear fruit.
In a contest where discipline and cohesion triumphed over raw talent, Stanford reminded everyone that it can still write its own stories. And as calm returned to the cool California night, the 26,470 fans in attendance knew they had witnessed one of those rare evenings where every inch mattered and one tackle changed the fate of a season.
WHAT’S NEXT
Stanford (3–4, 2–2 ACC) heads to Miami next week to face the Hurricanes, while Florida State (3–4, 0–4 ACC) will take a bye before hosting Wake Forest in a must-win game to salvage its season.
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