Florida State has had some pretty easy games since playing the Alabama Crimson Tide. That all changes when FSU hits the road to take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Week 5.

Not only will the Seminoles be away from Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time this season, but it’s a night game on a short week as they will play on Friday. On top of that, Virginia comes in with one of the top offenses in the nation which will be a big test for Florida State’s defense that’s only allowing 10 points per game.

If FSU wants to get where they ultimately want to go, these are the types of games they have to win. Here are five reasons why they could struggle to get to 4-0.

Conference road games are tough

As well as Florida State is playing, none of their opponents so far were conference opponents. No matter who the program is, it’s always tougher to win in your conference, especially on the road. A turnover here and a big play there by the other team could start a chain of events that leads to trouble.

Florida State’s defense will face it’s biggest test so far

FSU has only yielded 10 points per game this season. However, they haven’t faced an offense like Virginia which has several running backs averaging over six yards per carry and a trio of capable wide receivers, which has led to them scoring over 44 points per game. Defensively, Florida State will need to play its best game of the season.

FSU’s offense could have a bad day

Florida State has lit teams up for 58 points per game. It’s been a cakewalk basically, but a some point, every offense, no matter how good it is, has an off night. A few bad drives could put Virginia’s high-powered offense in great positions to score and put the pressure on Florida State, and pressure burst pipes sometimes.

Turnovers can ignite a downward spiral

The Seminoles have only turned the ball over three times this season. Road games can get funky in a hurry if a turnover or two happens early. Florida State needs to protect the football to avoid making an already tough game even tougher.

Getting off to a slow start

This point is closely related to the previous four. If Florida State gets off to a slow start it will make the game tougher, their defense could struggle, their offense may not click on all cylinders, and that may lead to turnovers. Especially since this game is on the road, the Seminoles need to get off to a fast start.

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RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) – The housing market in Virginia held steady as home sales remain stagnant from last year despite increased prices and an inventory increase, according to a sales report for August released by Virginia REALTORS®.

Throughout the state, median sales price for a home in August reached $430,000, a 3.6% increase from the year before. Flat sales and higher price points pushed the sold dollar volume to $5.1 billion, up 4.4% year-over-year, according to the organization.

According to the organization, there were 24,606 active listings across the state by the end of August, a 26.2% rise from 2024. 13,000 new properties were listed in the month alone.

“Inventory growth has been one of the big stories of 2025,” says Virginia REALTORS® Chief Economist Ryan Price.

“With listings up more than 26% from last year, buyers across the commonwealth are seeing more options than they’ve had in a long time. While supply is improving, demand continues to be tempered by economic uncertainty.”

The organization mentions that properties are taking longer to sell, staying on the market for a median 17 days (five days longer than 2024). Since 2019, it has been the slowest pace in the month of August. Pending sales, however it showed a decent increase of 3.4% year-over-year.

Despite a downward trend for mortgage rates, there was a slight increase in the rate. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped just past 6.25% in the middle of September.

The president of the organization, Lorraine Arora, describes the drop in mortgage rates as a “positive sign” for buyers and sellers and if the trend continues, stronger sales could close out 2025.

About Virginia REALTORS®

Virginia REALTORS® (previously known as the Virginia Association of REALTORS®) is the largest trade association in Virginia, representing nearly 34,000 REALTORS® engaged in the residential and commercial real estate business. Virginia REALTORS® serves as an advocate for homeownership and represents the interests of property owners in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information, visit www.virginiarealtors.org or follow Virginia REALTORS® on Facebook and LinkedIn.

NOTE: The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

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