Virginia @ Florida State preview

Virginia at Florida State

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2011 ) Virginia 14, Florida State 13

Among the many runs that Florida State has extended during its school-record winning streak is a 10-game run at home against the ACC - a streak which started after a loss to Virginia in 2011. The second-ranked Seminoles in the latest College Football Playoff rankings hope to avenge that defeat Saturday when they host the Cavaliers. Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was in his second season at the helm when his team last met Virginia, which held on for a 14-13 victory when the Seminoles missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt with three seconds left.

Florida State’s only setback in Tallahassee since that meeting with the Cavaliers was a nine-point defeat against Florida on Nov. 24, 2012, which is the last loss the Seminoles incurred before starting their 24-game winning streak. Virginia has already doubled its win total from its disastrous 2-10 campaign last season, but is in the midst of a three-game slide after dropping a 35-10 decision at Georgia Tech last Saturday. The setback was the ninth in a row on the road for the Cavaliers, who have won only one game away from home since defeating Florida State.

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Florida State -19.5

ABOUT VIRGINIA (4-5, 2-3 ACC): The Cavaliers are one of only four teams in FBS that have five or more players with at least 20 receptions, with senior receiver Darius Jennings the latest to join the group. Jennings ranks seventh all-time in school history with 126 career receptions and 11th with 1,567 career receiving yards; he needs only four catches and 25 yards to move up two spots on each list. Safety Quin Blanding is first among the nation’s freshmen with 89 tackles and one of only two freshmen in the country to lead his team in tackles.

ABOUT FLORIDA STATE (8-0, 5-0): The Seminoles overcame a 21-point deficit in last week’s victory over Louisville for the first time since 1994 , when they erased a 31-3 fourth-quarter deficit to complete a 31-31 tie against Florida. The Seminoles, who outscored the Cardinals 35-10 in the second half, scored all five of their second-half touchdowns from a distance of at least 35 yards - a first in the 773-game school history. With his next catch, senior Nick O’Leary can become the first Seminole tight end to record 100 receptions in his career.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Florida State can become the 25th team in college football history to win 25 consecutive games with a victory Saturday.

2. Virginia RB Kevin Parks, who provided the go-ahead score with 1:16 left in the Cavaliers’ 2011 win, needs three catches to become the fifth running back – and 18th player in school history – to record 100 career receptions.

3. In QB Jameis Winston’s five starts at home against ACC foes, the Seminoles have outscored the opposition 255-37.

PREDICTION: Florida State 38, Virginia 20