5 questions, 5 answers: Takeaways from FSU’s first road win as an underdog since 2021

Five key takeaways from Florida State's first road win as an underdog since 2021:

The defense was the star of the show. They set up the lone touchdown after intercepting Pitt's quarterback and held the Panthers to a miserly 1-4 on crucial fourth-down attempts. Seminole Uprising credited Ernie Sims' change to the 4-2-5 formation as the key, while Perry Kostidakis singled out Jasen Lopez's standout play both in pass defense and as punt returner.

There was no clear-cut MVP. While Caleb LaVallee had a stellar performance with six tackles and a crucial sack, most were in agreement that the entire defense, led by Sims, played a cohesive unit. Jacob Smith even went so far as to praise Gabe Panikowski for his clutch kicking.

The officiating crew was widely criticized. A glaring example was the blown fumble call in the red zone, which could have sealed the game for FSU. Josh Pick called it the "most egregious," while Perry Kostidakis deemed it the "worst" of the night.

This was arguably the Seminoles' best defensive performance of the season. Even though Pitt's offense was weak without its star QB, FSU's defense held steady despite 306 yards of offense. Jacob Smith described it as "incredible" and "more impressive" than their recent win against Virginia Tech.

The overall impact of the win was positive. Seminole Uprising and Perry Kostidakis both praised the win as a "big win" and "exciting." Jacob Smith noted it put FSU "within one win of bowl eligibility," and FrankDNole called it "a damn good job" by the defense. The victory boosted Seminoles' season record to .500.