Florida State football lost its 10th consecutive game away from home as NC State beat the Seminoles 21-11 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, Nov. 21.
It has been 727 days since the Seminoles (5-6, 2-6) have won a game on the road, a November 2023 win over Florida. FSU has lost two neutral site games and eight true road games in that stretch.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA pair of muffed punts with under four minutes left in the game ended any chance of a Seminoles comeback, as NC State converted a 4th and 6 wth 1:47 left in the game as Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey threw a 12-yard pass to tight end Justin Joly to put the Wolfpack up 21-11.
FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos went 16-of-32 for 203 yards, and threw a touchdown and a pair of interceptions, and added 76 rushing yards. He had a few overthrows and struggled to find a rhythm throughout the game. Seminole wide receiver Duce Robinson became the 11th player in program history to record a 1,000-yard season with his 74 yards and a touchdown.
Here are three takeaways from another road loss for FSU.
FSU's offense fails, can't attack NC State's pass defense
NC State had one of the worst pass defenses in the nation, ranked 125th in the country coming into the game with the Seminoles. Despite that, FSU amassed just 203 yards, and wide receiver Duce Robinson was almost a non-factor until late in the fourth quarter.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWolfpack DB Devon Marshall was able to keep Robinson quiet for much of the night, recording five pass breakups and two interceptions, while being a thorn in Castellanos's side. Despite Marshall's continued pressure and coverage of Robinson, Castellanos failed to look elsewhere and kept trying to get the ball in Robinson's hands despite little success.
Robinson came to life on the Seminoles' touchdown drive, hauling in three catches for 49 yards and the score. But it was too little too late.
The Seminoles had little momentum offensively as the Wolfpack defense had an answer for nearly everything FSU threw at them in crucial moments.
Defense failed to get stops in key situations
It was far from the best offensive display from NC State, but when its offense needed big plays or conversions, it was able to best the Seminoles' defense consistently.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNC State's opening drive of the second half was the killing blow, a 15-play, 79-yard drive that took nine minutes off the clock and featured a fourth-down conversion on the Wolfpack's own 30-yard line. The Seminoles had backup quarterback and run specialists Will Wilson in the backfield, but failed to take him to the ground, which allowed him to surge forward on a second effort and get the first down.
Wilson would score on a one-yard rush to cap that drive.
It was a drive that encapsulated the game for the Seminoles' defense, which failed to get stops when it needed to frequently. NC State was 7-of-16 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down, picking up big conversions in crucial moments of the game.
While the final fourth-down play was the result of two muffed punts, the Seminoles' defense had a chance to force a fourth-down stop, but instead allowed the game-sealing touchdown from Bailey to Joly.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpecial teams blunders, penalties and a costly turnover
Nov 21, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles kicker Jake Weinberg (22) attempts a field goal but misses while NC State Wolfpack fans react during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn ImagesNothing summed up the Seminoles' night more than a back-to-back muffed punts in the final four minutes of the game.
The first was one of the wildest muffs you'll see, as a shanked punt hit KJ Kirkland's helmet and rolled back 25 yards back into the welcome hands of NC State punter Caden Noonkester. After forcing another punt on the ensuing drive, Squirrel White muffed his fair catch, and the Wolfpack recovered, setting up the game-sealing score.
In total, FSU missed a pair of field goals and muffed two punts.
The fundamental problems of execution for the Seminoles began early, as on the first drive of the game, Castellanos's overthrow to Lawayne McCoy led to an interception that stalled a drive inside NC State territory. Castellaos flirted with a few more interceptions throughout the game, but caught a break with some drops from defensive backs.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn the ensuing NC State drive, a third-down stop was negated by an Ashlynd Barker pass interference that gave the Wolfpack a free first down. Bailey threw a touchdown pass on the next play after the flag.
A missed field goal from Jake Weingberg in the second quarter, his third consecutive game with a miss, compounded a drive that featured three penalties, including an illegal formation, false start, and delay of game.
FSU finished the game with eight penalties, which cost them 37 yards.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football fails entirely in another road loss to NC State
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