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Grading Florida State football: How do Seminoles grade following win over Virginia Tech?

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Grading Florida State football: How do Seminoles grade following win over Virginia Tech?


Florida State football is off to a 5-0 start for the first time since the 2015 season following Saturday’s 39-17 victory over Virginia Tech at Doak Campbell Stadium.

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The No. 5 Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) dominated the first quarter by scoring the first 22 points against the Hokies (2-4, 1-1). But Virginia Tech stormed back with 17 unanswered points. FSU responded with the final 17 points to put the game away and remain unbeaten.

FSU head coach Mike Norvell and FSU have won 11 straight games dating back to last season.

Here are our grades for FSU against Virginia Tech.

Johnny Wilson update: FSU football wide receiver Johnny Wilson exits game versus Virginia Tech in third quarter

Offense: B+

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For the first time this season, the passing game took a backseat to the running game for the Seminoles.

Jordan Travis completed 18 of 24 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 25 rushing yards on 10 carries.

But the focus on the the run game during the bye week was successful.

Against Clemson two weeks ago, FSU finished with 22 rushing yards on 20 attempts. The Seminoles totaled 282 rushing yards against the Hokies on Saturday.

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Trey Benson led the way with 11 rushes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He broke runs of 62 yards and 85 yards – both career highs – and became the first Seminole to rush for 200 yards since Dalvin Cook in 2016.

Lawrance Toafili added six rushes for 50 yards, including a 28-yard score in the first quarter.

For the second straight week, the Seminoles did not turn the ball over.

“It was good. We talked about wanting to be able to establish the ground game,” Norvell said.

“We take what teams give us, and there were some opportunities that were created. I thought our backs ran really hard. I thought the O-line created some good seams for them to run through.”

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Defense: B

Of the 313 total offensive by the Hokies, 126 came in the second quarter. Another 31 came from running back Bryce Duke in the fourth quarter.

In the first and third quarters, Virginia Tech mustered just 52 yards of offense.

The Hokies were 2 for 13 on third down but 3 for 4 on fourth down. An emphasis on third downs was something the Seminoles worked on during the bye week.

The woes in the second quarter prevented the team from playing a complete game, dinging the grade slightly.

FSU forced three turnovers, recovering one. Freshman safety Conrad Hussey forced and recovered a fumble on the final Virginia Tech drive.

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Jared Verse recorded his first two sacks of the season, while Patrick Payton added 1.5 tackles for loss.

“I feel like we had a pretty solid day, we gave up a touchdown. But we had a pretty solid day,” Payton said.

“I felt like we got to come out and we got to finish faster and finish better. Because we tend to get up on people and we kind of take the foot off the gas. But we got to get better at that.”

Special teams: C+

Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald connected from 26 yards on his lone field goal of the game in the third quarter and made all four of his extra point attempts. He is 5-for-5 on kicks and perfect on all 23 extra point tries this season.

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Punter Alex Mastramanno finished with four punts for 206 yards for an average of 51.5 yards and a long of 59.

The lone miscue on special teams was costly, however.

The Seminoles allowed Bhayshul Tuten to return the opening kickoff of the second half for a 99-yard touchdown to cut the lead down to five points.

“Obviously some mistakes on our end,” Norvell said of the return.

“We had bad leverage, didn’t set the edge where we wanted to. They’re on it and ran a field return. It’s something that we practice for and actually expected, but [a] couple [of] guys took wrong leverage angles and got pinned and just created too much space.”

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Coaching: B

FSU opened with a strong plan, showcasing the team’s talents in the first quarter by jumping to a 22-point lead.

After a slow second quarter, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller adjusted in the second half.

On five second-half possessions, the Hokies punted three times, turned it over on downs and fumbled as the Seminoles earned a shutout.

But part of the second quarter woes falls on the coaching staff, along with the defense.

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One thing Norvell self-critiqued himself for on the sideline was showing some of his frustrations on the sidelines with the calls from the referees.

“I’ve got to do a better job in some of those situations. I was frustrated and there is some — obviously we’ll go back and watch film and learn and teach,” Norvell said of him showing his frustrations visibly on the sidelines.

“Some of the things that showed up, I mean, I want an explanation, and so I voiced an opinion. I got to do a better job of making sure even in voicing that opinion that as a leader of this football team, I have to make sure our guys are staying focused on things they can control.”

‘Built by Storms’: How the strength and conditioning coach has transformed FSU football

Overall: B

FSU hasn’t played what it calls its “best game” yet. The Seminoles have three convincing wins and two close victories to start the season.

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The first quarter of this one was their best starts to a game. But the second quarter – where the offense gained just one yard – was a sign the team still has growth left to make.

FSU continues to sit in the driver’s seat of the ACC and its College Football Playoffs aspirations.

The Seminoles play the second game of a three-game homestand next week against Syracuse. Kickoff will be announced Sunday, with ESPN putting it on a six-day hold.

“When you’re winning football games, everyone’s happy,” Travis said of the 5-0 start.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to go 1-0 every single week, take everything day by day, and just win the day. And we’ve been doing that as a football team.”

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Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

No one covers the ‘Noles like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe using the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.



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VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

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VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game


With the game of year looming this weekend, members of the Virginia football team were made available to to the media after practice on Tuesday morning to talk about the regular season finale against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday night in Blacksburg. Watch the video below to hear what UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker, graduate tight ends Tyler Neville and Sackett Wood Jr., and graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter had to say ahead of the Virginia Tech game:

Sanker is the team’s leader in tackles with 89 total tackles and also leads the ACC in solo stops with 60 unassisted tackles. He has racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as part of a strong senior campaign that should earn Sanker some serious consideration for a First-Team All-ACC selection.

A transfer from Harvard, Tyler Neville is Virginia’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Sackett Wood Jr., meanwhile, has recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown this season. Between the two of them, Neville and Wood have combined to appear in 83 college football games and make 48 starts.

Saturday will be the 55th game in the five-year career of Jahmeer Carter, who has started nearly every game for the last four seasons at Virginia. This season, Carter has 30 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defender. For his career, Carter is up to 131 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.

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Saturday night will be the first time Virginia plays at Lane Stadium in front of fans since the 2018 season, as the 2020 edition of the Commonwealth Clash was played in front of only 250 fans due to COVID-19 restrictions and then the 2022 Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game was canceled due to the shooting tragedy at UVA.

Virginia is seeking its first road victory at Virginia Tech since 1998, as the Hokies have won the last 11 Commonwealth Clash games played at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech has won 17 of the last 18 overall games against Virginia and leads UVA 61-38-5 in the all-time series that dates back to 1895.

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech bring a 5-6 overall record into the regular season finale and both need to win the game in order to reach the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility. There is only one other game this weekend between FBS teams who are battling for bowl eligibility (Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan). Virginia and Virginia Tech played each other for bowl eligibility at the end of the 2014 season.

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Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for Nov. 26, 2024

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Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for Nov. 26, 2024


The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 26, 2024, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

05-22-24-39-42, Mega Ball: 03, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Pick 3

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 7-3-0, FB: 2

Day: 7-2-1, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

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Night: 1-6-6-8, FB: 5

Day: 7-4-5-8, FB: 4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 0-5-4-9-9, FB: 2

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Day: 6-9-5-3-2, FB: 0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash4Life

Drawing everyday at 9 p.m.

04-11-13-30-39, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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Cash Pop

Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.

Coffee Break: 04

After Hours: 05

Prime Time: 06

Rush Hour: 09

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Lunch Break: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash 5

Drawing every day at 11 p.m.

12-22-31-38-44

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Virginia Basketball Holds Off Manhattan 74-65 | Key Takeaways

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Virginia Basketball Holds Off Manhattan 74-65 | Key Takeaways


Virginia (4-2) got back in the win column with a 74-65 victory over Manhattan (3-3) on Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. Here are our five quick takeaways from the Cavaliers’ win over the Jaspers.

Virginia was in serious need of a win after suffering those two humbling losses to Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. But a convincing and comfortable victory would have been even better and for a while, it seemed like the Cavaliers were on their way to doing just that. UVA led by as many as 15 points in the first half and opened up a 16-point advantage midway through the second half. But rather than putting the game away, Virginia let Manhattan hang around and the visiting Jaspers were in a situation where they were fouling to stop the clock in the final minutes, narrowing the deficit to as little as six points. A win is a win, but this was far from a confidence-boosting performance.

Virginia went with a new starting lineup on Tuesday night, as Andrew Rohde replaced TJ Power. Rohde has been playing very well recently, particularly with his resurgent outside shot, while Power came into this game shooting 25% from beyond the arc this season.

Power initially responded well to the benching, swishing a corner three shortly after he first entered the game, hitting the deck for a loose ball, and coming up with a steal to stop a Manhattan fastbreak. But he wound up playing only six minutes, fewest among Cavaliers who saw the floor in the game. That does not bode well for the Duke transfer.

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Read Val’s Plus/Minus breakdown of the game here.

Rohde, on the other hand, had another solid game and was perhaps the top performer for the Hoos on Tuesday night. Though he missed his only three-pointer, which was a desperation off-balanced heave at the end of the shot clock, Rohde finished with a season-high 14 points, two assists (with one turnover), two rebounds, and four steals. Rohde showed excellent feel for the game, getting exactly where he wanted to go and exhibiting some nice touch on a couple of floaters plus a short jumper off the glass. If Rohde is playing like this and his three-point shot continues to be there, this could be a big season for the former St. Thomas transfer.

The main reason why this game continued to be close deep into the second half is because UVA’s defense frequently broke down and gave up open shots to Manhattan, particularly from the perimeter. The Jaspers shot 11/26 (42.3%) from beyond the arc and and seven different players knocked down a three. A couple of those Manhattan triples were well-contested, but the vast majority of them were wide-open. That’s very concerning and shows that this Virginia defense, with its many new faces, is still very much a work in progress.

Virginia’s offense was pretty well neutralized by Tennessee and St. John’s in The Bahamas. Tuesday night against Manhattan was a small step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

Let’s start with the good. Five different Cavaliers scored in double figures, including a game-high 18 points from Isaac McKneely, who hit three of his four three-point attempts and went 5/6 from the free throw line. We still think McKneely needs to shoot way more, but we’ll leave that alone for now. Dai Dai Ames scored 10 points and dished out five assists, but fouled out of the game. Blake Buchanan made his first four shots and finished with 11 points and five boards. Cofie made five of his seven shots and finished with 10 points and five boards. The best part of the game was that Virginia had 15 assists on 29 made baskets and turned the ball over only eight times, a vast improvement over the team’s turnover issues in The Bahamas.

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Virginia outscored Manhattan 42-22 in the paint. That looks like a good stat, but it’s also an inevitable stat because of UVA’s size advantage over the Jaspers, whose tallest player in the rotation is 6’8″. Still, Manhattan snared 10 offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points. In The Bahamas, UVA was dominated on the glass and was simply outmatched from a physicality and athleticism standpoint. Nothing we saw from the Cavaliers on Tuesday night did anything to alleviate those concerns.

Up next, Virginia remains at home for another (supposed) tune-up game against Holy Cross on Friday at 4pm at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia vs. Manhattan Live Updates | NCAA Men’s Basketball

UVA Basketball: Ten Things We Learned About Virginia in The Bahamas

Virginia Basketball Falls to St. John’s 80-55 | Key Takeaways

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