Stanford Secures 20-13 Victory Over FSU in Dramatic Goal-Line Stand

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Stanford Cardinal narrowly defeated Florida State Seminoles 20-13 on Saturday night, October 18, 2025, in a game that culminated in a dramatic goal-line stand by the Cardinal defense. The contest, held at Stanford Stadium, saw Florida State stopped inches short of the end zone on an untimed down, sealing Stanford's hard-fought victory. Social media user James Hong captured the sentiment of many fans, stating the ending was "absolute nuts."

The game's thrilling conclusion unfolded after Florida State, trailing by seven points, mounted a desperate drive in the final seconds. Following a 49-yard heave from backup quarterback Kevin Sperry to Micahi Danzy and a subsequent pass interference call against Stanford in the end zone, the Seminoles were granted an untimed down from the 2-yard line. Sperry attempted a shovel pass to Gavin Sawchuk, who was tackled just shy of the goal line by Stanford defenders Matt Rose and Jahsiah Galvan, with the play upheld after a replay review.

Interim head coach Frank Reich lauded his team's defensive effort, stating, "It comes down to the last play. Just credit to our defense... just to keep him just short of the goal line. I know it was close, but just that last-ditch effort to get him on the ground. Big play." This victory marks Stanford's third consecutive home win and matches their total win count from each of the last four seasons.

Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell acknowledged his team's fight despite the loss, noting, "I believe in the guys that we have. I do. I think that they’ve shown fight throughout. We didn’t fight very smart tonight. But they did fight to the end. ... We were there on the last play and had a chance and they said we were short.” The Seminoles, now 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the ACC, extended their conference losing streak to nine games.

The game also saw significant injuries, with Stanford quarterback Ben Gulbranson leaving in the second quarter and FSU's starting quarterback Tommy Castellanos being knocked out late in the fourth. Stanford's Elijah Brown stepped in to lead a crucial 94-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, while Sperry's late-game heroics for FSU nearly forced overtime. The outcome leaves both teams with 3-4 records, with Stanford improving to 2-2 in conference play.