FSU football: 3 takeaways from ‘Noles win over Miami
By Kelvin Hunt
Culture Change
This game was the type that FSU football would find a way to get blown out in years past. The surge of momentum Miami had at the beginning of the fourth quarter seemed like the damn was about to break.
When they scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession after taking the lead to push their lead to 28-20? I believe every FSU football fan had accepted defeat, and there’s no reason you could fault them. It’s what they have grown accustomed to in the last five years. However, the players continued to play.
The drive that cut their lead to 28-23 was big-time because FSU punted four times and fumbled on the other possession in the second half. The defense responded by forcing Miami to punt with just over two minutes remaining in the game. In years past, the probability of FSU driving 80 yards for a game-winning touchdown was nearly zero.
If you said that drive happened but included a conversion on fourth and 14? Nobody would have believed you. Jordan Travis executed things he hasn’t been able to do all year. The offensive line gave him a pocket to throw from, and he climbed a little and threw a laser to a receiver that had quit on a wide-open route the series before.
That fourth quarter encapsulated everything Mike Norvell preaches. It’s about overcoming adversity when it presents itself and seizing the opportunity. That’s what FSU did in a hard-fought win over a more talented rival.