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Stanford thrashes Florida, but football fans are not having it
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- Web Desk
- Oct 19, 2025
STANFORD: In a game that will be replayed for years in Stanford Stadium lore, the Cardinal defense delivered a defining moment. On an untimed down from the two-yard line, Florida State’s Gavin Sawchuk lunged for the end zone, but was met and stopped inches short by Stanford defenders Matt Rose and Jahsiah Galvan, sealing a dramatic 20-13 victory and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The win gave Stanford (3–4, 2–2 ACC) its third straight home victory and marked a symbolic breakthrough in its first season competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. For Florida State (3-4, 0-4 ACC), it was a bitter night – their ninth consecutive conference loss, a streak stretching back over a full calendar year.
A FIRST MEETING THAT LIVED UP TO THE HYPE
This was the first-ever matchup between Stanford and Florida State, a product of the ACC’s expanded footprint. The Seminoles came in boasting one of the most explosive offenses in college football, averaging more than 530 yards and 44 points per game behind dual-threat quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Stanford countered with a “bend‑but‑don’t‑break” defense, one that had quietly excelled in red-zone situations all season.
The collision of styles produced exactly what fans hoped for: a taut, physical game decided by inches.
KEY MOMENTS
Stanford capitalised on early mistakes to take control. After a missed field goal appeared to end one drive, an offsides penalty on FSU’s Edwin Joseph gave the Cardinal new life. Ben Gulbranson quickly made the Seminoles pay, firing a 7‑yard touchdown pass to CJ Williams to put Stanford up 10-3. A field goal extended the lead before Castellanos’ acrobatic scramble pulled FSU within 13-10 just before halftime.
When Gulbranson was injured late in the second quarter, true freshman Elijah Brown stepped in – and showed poise well beyond his years. Early in the third, he orchestrated a 13‑play, 94‑yard drive, capped by Cole Tabb’s 1‑yard touchdown run to make it 20-10.
From there, the Cardinal defense took over. They denied Florida State twice inside the red zone – including a fourth‑and‑2 stand with just over five minutes left. Castellanos was knocked out on that drive following a targeting call against Stanford’s Mitch Leigber, forcing FSU to turn to freshman backup Kevin Sperry.
And yet, the Seminoles almost pulled off the impossible. Sperry heaved a 49‑yard pass to Micahi Danzy, setting up a final chance at the 9‑yard line. A defensive penalty gave FSU one last untimed play from the two – but the Cardinal’s stand at the goal line ended it. Replay review confirmed the stop, and Stanford players poured onto the field in celebration.
Under interim head coach Frank Reich, the Cardinal are showing grit that had been missing in recent seasons. After winning just three games in each of the previous four years, Stanford has already matched that total midway through 2025. The program’s rebuilding effort – guided by general manager Andrew Luck – appears to be yielding real, tangible progress.
For Florida State, the night was a mirror of their season: talent on paper, but frustration in execution. They committed a series of self‑inflicted wounds – two delay‑of‑game calls, a crucial offside, and the penalty that gifted Stanford an early touchdown. Coach Mike Norvell’s sideline frustrations were evident as the Seminoles let another winnable game slip away.
“THEY CHEATED”
Football fans – well mostly Florida fans – are understandably frustrated by their team’s disheartening loss, with some even going so far as to accuse Stanford of cheating.
On a college football page on Instagram, CFB on FOX, a post said that “CFB fans waking up tomorrow to see that Stanford took down Florida State.” In response, multiple netizens commented that the Stanford’s win was made possible by referees’ actions, or lack thereof. One user wrote, “It was past the refs bedtime.” Another said, “I thought that last play was a touchdown…” One more wrote, “Refs cheated on last play. They cheated on a few key plays.”
There were some self-proclaimed neutral voices in the mix too. One comment said, “Not an FSU fan but that looked like a TD. Regardless, FSU should’ve won this and just didn’t capitalize.”
Similar comments were see on the winning post shared by the Stanford Football club themselves. There were some very disheartened fans defending their quarterback and alleging payoffs to the referees as well. The QB situation entered the discussion after Florida State’s quarterback Tommy Castellanos fell down as he was going down by Mitch Leigber.
There was obviously no dearth of counter-arguments either. One user shot back, “Seminoles fans crying about refs when they received a dropped pass that even got them in that position and bad clock work.”
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