Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 56 NC State 41

Florida State’s Jameis Winston (5), Jesus Wilson (3) and Dalvin Cook (4) celebrate Cook’s touchdown against North Carolina State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014. Florida State won 56-41.(AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Each Sunday morning after a Florida State game, ChopChat editor Patrik Nohe gives his thoughts from the morning after.

Yesterday the Florida State Seminoles beat the NC State Wolfpack in a game that was far closer than many expected it to be. The Wolfpack hit the Seminoles with their best shot in the first quarter and built a 24-7 first quarter lead before FSU fought back for a 56-41 victory.

The game showed everyone a lot about this year’s Florida State team.

It showed us just how valuable Jameis Winston is to this team. It showed hope for a beleaguered run game. It showed where Florida State is flawed on defense. It showed flashes of the future. And most of all, it showed what kind of character this team has.

A lot of Florida State teams from this past decade would have buckled after NC State’s opening salvo. That’s the way you get rolled. FSU did it to Clemson last year. You get hit with someone’s best shot and you look up at the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter and you’re down by a few scores already– for a lot of teams that’s it.

If anything, one of the biggest tenets of Jimbo Fisher’s philosophy — just play the next play — is engrained in this team. FSU never got down on itself. Nobody quit. The Seminoles just continued to play the next play. And they climbed back into the game.

“That was just a beautiful game, man,” said Jameis Winston after FSU’s win. “The way we overcame a lot of stuff and pulled that game out.”

Despite numerous setbacks on both sides of the ball, FSU just kept on coming yesterday and by the end of the game the Seminoles had the win in hand.

There are a lot of problems facing this team — Fisher admitted as much after the game — but there’s no lack of fight. This team has been pushed to the brink two weeks in a row and it has responded valiantly both times.

There’s no telling if FSU’s other problems will catch up with it by the end of the season. But we do know now that if they do– at least FSU will go down swinging.

Here are more thoughts from the morning after:

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