FSU football: Reaction to ‘Noles blowout win over Duke

TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 16: Quarterback Jordan Travis #13 of the Florida State Seminoles on a quarterback sneak play during the game against the Alabama State Hornets at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on November 16, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated The Hornets 49 to 12. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - NOVEMBER 16: Quarterback Jordan Travis #13 of the Florida State Seminoles on a quarterback sneak play during the game against the Alabama State Hornets at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on November 16, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated The Hornets 49 to 12. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

FSU football took fans for a ride Saturday afternoon against Duke.

FSU football got off to the exact kind of start you’d want as an FSU fan. The Noles scored 28 points in the first quarter, and it looked like they were going to run away from Duke and make them quit.

However, the FSU football team we’ve all come to know showed up in the second quarter, with Duke scoring 21 unanswered points.

The Blue Devils had the ball with a little over two minutes left before halftime and were marching down the field before they self-imploded with penalities and decided to take a knee to run out the clock.

FSU football led 28-21 with the Blue Devils getting the ball to start the second half. I think all FSU fans knew that possession was going to likely determine the result of the game.

Duke’s quarterback took off on a third-down play to try and get the first down and was hit by FSU’s Brendan Gant, who forced a fumble the Noles recovered.

Jordan Travis scored on a 22-yard run to put the Noles up 35-21, and the Noles seemed to have control the rest of the way.

Fan Reaction

A lot of Noles had big days on the stats sheet. Freshman Lawrence Toafili had his first career100-yard rushing game with one touchdown, with the latter being a 73-yard scamper. Walk-on running back Treshaun Ward had 54 rushing yards on two carries

and a touchdown.

Freshman Ja’Khi Douglas had three receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Jashaun Corbin had 72 rushing yards with three touchdowns. Jordan Travis came out of the game with a lot of time left in the fourth quarter. He finished the game with 192 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 90 rushing yards with a touchdown.

It was a great win for the Noles, and it was even great to see them avoid the continued implosion that’s been par for the course when they face adversity.

I still have a lot of questions about this FSU defense, and I’m not sure how it would have gone if Duke’s quarterback hadn’t gotten hurt, but we’ll take the win however we can get them.