Thoughts From the Morning After: FSU 56 NC State 41

RALEIGH, NC – SEPTEMBER 27: Jameis Winston #5 of the Florida State Seminoles waves to the fans as he leaves the field after a win over the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium on September 27, 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Florida State won 56-41. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Jameis Winston Does Jameis Winston Things

Jameis Winston wasn’t perfect on Saturday. He committed three turnovers — two interceptions and a fumble — and he left a few plays on the field. But the difference between last week and this week was night and day. Yes, Clemson’s defense is far superior to what the Seminoles faced on Saturday. But the entire feel of the offense was different with Winston at the helm.

On the day he threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns on 26/38 passing. But more importantly, with him running it, FSU’s offense looked like a juggernaut once again.

Without the benefit of a rushing attack in the first half, Winston carried the offense and kept FSU in the game. Down 24-7, Winston and the offense just went to work. Going on a 14-0 run before halftime before coming out to score 35 points in the second half. Even when mistakes were made, the offense didn’t stall out, it didn’t succumb to mental fatigue, it just kept on trucking. It was almost as if Jameis Winston was daring Jacoby Brissett the Wolfpack offense to outscore him.

By the end of the day, even the running game had been jump-started, largely due to Winston forcing NC State to drop more and more men into coverage.

And just as NC State started to sell out to stop the pass — with FSU facing a third and long and the Wolfpack in desperate need of a stop late in the fourth quarter — Winston showed his mental savvy and sealed the deal with his legs, running 20-yards for a big first down.

“You got to do whatever you’ve got to do to get a win,” Winston said after the game. “I probably should have used my legs more.”