FLORIDA STATE AT STANFORD
Records: Stanford (2-4, 1-2 ACC); Florida State (3-3, 0-3 ACC)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Stanford Stadium.
TV: ESPN
Radio: KNBR 1050 AM
Series history: First meeting. The only program Stanford has played from the state of Florida is UCF, with meetings in 2015 (31-7 win) and 2019 (45-27 loss).
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Stanford storylines: After its fourth road loss (all in different time zones), the Cardinal returns home to Stanford Stadium, where it is 2-0 with wins over Boston College and San Jose State. It hasn’t started 3-0 since 2018 – the last time it made a bowl game. … With games still to come against Miami and Notre Dame, a loss Saturday would all but guarantee there won’t be another bowl game this season. … After getting carved up by SMU’s Kevin Jennings last week, the Stanford defense must do a better job against another dual-threat QB in Tommy Castellanos.
Florida State storylines: The Seminoles started the season with a top-10 win over Alabama, but they fell from No. 7 to out of the AP Top 25 after starting ACC play with losses to Virginia, Miami and Pitt. … They still have one of the top offenses in the nation, ranking third in yardage (536.5 per game) and fifth in scoring (44.2). .. Their 21 rushing touchdowns this season are tied for third in the FBS, while Stanford has allowed just five rushing touchdowns this season (tied for 22nd).
Stats that matter: FSU has lost eight straight ACC games dating back to last year’s win at Cal. … Over the last three weeks, Stanford senior CJ Williams is second in the Power 4 in receptions and second in the ACC in receiving yards. … FSU QB Tommy Castellanos leads the nation with an average of 15.87 yards per completion. … Stanford QB Ben Gulbranson has completed 64.6% of his passes for 630 yards and three touchdowns in the two home wins. … The 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff will tie the latest scheduled start for FSU, matching games at San Diego State in 1973 and 1977.
— HAROLD GUTMANN