ACC: Florida State Cruises By Louisiana 49-17
Travis completed 9-of-14 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two more scores as FSU mounted a 35-3 halftime lead.
Trey Benson led a group of five running backs who gained 30 yards or more with 80 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Ten different FSU receivers caught a pass.
FSU’s defense stifled Louisiana for most of the game limiting the visitors to just 4-of-14 on third downs. The Seminoles recorded four quarterbacks sacks and six tackles-for-loss in the lopsided win.
Louisiana quarterback Chandler Fields finished with 19 completions on 36 attempts for 159 yards and a touchdown. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ top rusher Dre’lyn Washington managed just 57 yards on 10 carries, while Michael Jefferson led their receivers with six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown
The win moved FSU to 8-3 on the season while Louisiana dropped to 5-6 on the year
Florida State came into the game as the nation’s second-best team at scoring on the opening drives of a half. They kept that trend alive driving 75 yards on their first eight plays and scoring when Treshaun Ward lined up at quarterback and raced 36 yards up the middle for a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s extra point made it 7-0 FSU with 12:29 left in the first quarter.
After holding Louisiana to its second straight three-and-out, FSU made it two straight touchdown drives on a quarterback keeper around the right side by Travis for a 3-yard touchdown. The 8- play, 65-yard drive made it 14-0 FSU with 7:37 left in the first.
FSU went up 21-0 late in the first quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run by Travis that capped a 7-play, 53-yard drive.
Midway through the second quarter, Ward shifted into the wildcat quarterback spot again and scored from a yard out making it 28-0 Seminoles with 6:59 left.
Malik McClain’s acrobatic catch of a 9-yard touchdown pass from Travis increased the Noles’ lead to 35-0 with 3:14 left in the half. The big play on the drive was a 32-yard reception by tight end Camren McDonald.
Louisiana’s only drive of any length of the half came on their last possession. Starting at their own 25 following a touch back, they drove to the Seminole 2-yard line before being forced to settle for a 24-yard field goal as the clock expired.
Florida State’s defense allowed the Ragin’ Cajuns a total of just 75 yards in the half and just 34 rushing yards. The Seminoles’ offense was extremely efficient converting on 4-of-5 third down opportunities and punting just once.
Tate Rodemaker checked in at quarterback on FSU’s first possession of the second half and led the Seminoles on a 4-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard Trey Benson touchdown run. The big play on the drive was a 45-yard pass from Rodemaker to Kentron Poitier.
On the ensuing possession, Fabian Lovett ripped the ball away from the ballcarrier and Shyheim Brown pounced on the fumble at the Ragin’s Cajuns’ 18. True freshman A.J. Duffy came in at quarterback and kept up the offensive fireworks connecting with tight end Markeston Douglas for a touchdown from 16 yards out for a 49-3 score with 8:22 left in the third quarter. It was the first career touchdown pass for Duffy and the first career TD reception for Douglas.
Louisiana scored their first touchdown of the game with 11:07 left to play. Driving 64-yards on 12-plays, the Ragin’ Cajuns went for it on fourth down from the 5-yard line and Fields found Michael Jefferson in the back corner of the end zone with a touchdown pass to make it 49-10.
The last score came with 5:16 left on a short TD run that capped an 8-play, 64-yard drive against FSU’s reserves making the final score 49-17.
