With six seconds left on the clock, Florida State University (3-4, 0-4 ACC) quarterback Kevin Sperry completed a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Micahi Danzy at the Stanford nine-yard line. A flag placed the Seminoles at the Stanford two-yard line, and two seconds of play remained. FSU, with no time left on the clock, had one last chance to tie the game.
Literal inches stood between the Cardinal (3-4, 2-2 ACC) and its third-straight home game victory after a rushing attempt by FSU running back Gavin Sawchuk forced a long and suspenseful play review. As the stadium’s eyes lifted to the replay, game officials confirmed the runner was short of the end zone. And with a 20-13 victory, Stanford extended their home winning streak for reunion homecoming weekend, securing another conference win.
“It’s fourth and 19. You think, ‘Okay, we’re gonna make a play on this, game over,’” interim head coach Frank Reich said in a post-game press conference about the tense final moments. “And then, give them credit, they made the play. Good throw, good catch and they were able to continue to get it down there.”
“It was so special to watch,” said redshirt freshman running back Cole Tabb ’29 of the first matchup against the Seminoles in program history.
The electric end to the game was followed by scores of Stanford fans making their way onto the field to celebrate with the team. However, the storming of the field also garnered a violation of the ACC’s event security policy. The ACC announced today that Stanford has been fined $50,000 for its first violation of league policy.
The tense matchup carried off–the-field history between the two schools: Florida State was an outspoken opponent of Stanford’s admission to the ACC. In a December 2023 lawsuit against the conference, FSU criticized the additions of Stanford, Cal and SMU as “diluting” the league in terms of competitiveness and questioned their media value.
This added more meaning to this reunion weekend contest for the Cardinal, who dedicated the game to more than just the fans in the stands.
“We talked about how it was bigger than us,” Tabb said. “We’re playing for a much bigger thing, and our culture, our school, and it’s a pride thing.”
“I was so excited that [the alumni] get to come back on campus and see this exciting game and us get a win for them,” Reich said, echoing Tabb’s gratitude. “But not only for them but really the whole campus.”
Stanford’s offense navigated several changes throughout the game, including a quarterback swap from redshirt senior Ben Gulbranson ’26 to redshirt freshman Elijah Brown ’29 after a sack late in the first half took Gulbranon out of the game.
In another key change in the offensive lineup, Tabb replaced sophomore Micah Ford ’28 in the second quarter after a lower-body injury. Tabb went on to run a career-high 118 yards and provide the steady burst the Cardinal needed.
Even without FSU’s key linebacker Stefon Thompson, the Stanford and FSU defenses were a close matchup, with 68 tackles and 25 tackle-for-loss yards from the Seminoles and 75 tackles with 15 tackle-for-loss yards from the Cardinal. Linebacker Omar Graham Jr. posted an FSU-best of eight tackles, with five solo.
The Cardinal victory marked yet another conference loss for the Seminoles. After opening its season with a 31-17 upset over Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC), FSU has dropped four straight ACC losses and will now head into a bye week looking to regroup.
FSU still holds the No. 3 spot in the FBS for offensive yards per game. Compared to Stanford’s 293 net yards, the Seminoles totaled 444. However, the pressure of third and fourth downs prompted a slew of penalties for the Seminoles, compromising several plays and extending key Cardinal drives. FSU had a total of 13 penalties for 87 yards — their highest penalty total of the season.
In the second quarter, an FSU special teams offsides penalty on a field goal attempt allowed for a Stanford first down, leading to a touchdown three plays later. FSU also saw a delay of game on another field goal attempt, a false start on a punt, a missed field goal in the second quarter, an illegal block on a punt return and multiple pre-snap penalties.
Next week, in another first-time matchup, the Cardinal will head to Miami Gardens, Florida. to take on the University of Miami on Saturday at 4 p.m. PST.
“We’ll go to work tomorrow, just like we always do,” Reich said. “I know we’re going to have a good week of practice. I know we’re going to go in there a confident football team, building as we have all year. And we get a chance to test ourselves against a national power team, so I can’t wait.”
“I feel like this is one of our best weeks of practice that we’ve had in a while here,” said redshirt junior safety Jay Green ’27.
For Reich, the goal remains simple: “We’re doing everything we can do to fight and scratch and claw to kind of get back, put this program back where we want it to be.”