FSU football: 5 key moments in ‘Noles win over Syracuse
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU football had fewer yards per play than Syracuse and more turnovers. There were times it looked as though the defense couldn’t stop my grandma from running across the middle and catching a pass.
There were times the offense couldn’t do anything right besides a three-and-out. However, when it came to situational football and responding to adversity? The Noles showed a lot of grit and heart when they easily could have allowed things to affect their play.
Some key moments in the game influenced this game a great deal. If a few of them don’t happen, the Noles probably win the game by two scores. If others don’t happen, FSU probably becomes 0-5 and continues to be the laughing stock of college football.
FSU football made enough plays to put themselves in a position to win the game with one second remaining on the clock. Ryan Fitzgerald, who has missed a couple of field goals and extra points this season, came through in the clutch to get the Noles over the hump. Here are five key moments in the game.
Moment #1
FSU already had a 3-0 lead with a field goal on their first possession. However, a shanked punt by Syracuse’s backup punter gave the Noles excellent field position on their fourth possession.
The Noles got the ball at midfield, which is a position where they have to score. It took five plays, and the Noles pushed the lead to 9-0 (missed extra point).
These are the moments in games where good teams take advantage of miscues by their opponents. It was good to see the Noles do so in this case. However, what wasn’t good was the defense allowing Syracuse to score a touchdown on their next possession on a broken play. The two units have to continue to get better at playing off one another.