FSU football: 5 major takeaways from Syracuse blowout

FSU football took care of business against the Syracuse Orange in a 41-3 blowout on Saturday afternoon.

The Noles jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and never looked back, although they missed several opportunities to make it a rocking chair game early in the first half when they didn’t take advantage of prime field position and several three-and-outs generated by the defense.

I wrote there were five things I needed to see in the game. They were as follows:

• FSU defense to force turnovers
• Slot receiver production
• FSU run game
• No wasted offensive drives
• More backup players getting playing

It was a frustrating game in some respects from an offensive standpoint, but in totality, it was great to accomplish four of five goals. FSU moves to 6-0 for the first time since 2015, and is already bowl eligible.

It’s funny how making a bowl was the goal a couple of year ago, and now FSU looks to win the ACC in 2023. It’s great to complain about some of the things we’re experiencing in games, but that comes with increased roster talent and expectations. Here are five major takeaways from the Syracuse blowout.

Running Game

One of the things I wondered going into the Syracuse game was how the running game would look. FSU struggled to run the ball in the first few games, but showed some life against Virginia Tech.

However, Virginia Tech’s run defense was suspect, so it wasn’t clear if the Noles had found something coming out of the bye-week.

Syracuse allowed 3.95 yards per rush in their last two games agaisnt Clemson and North Carolina, and averaging 3.04 yards per carry overall. It was safe to say their run defense wasn’t terrible.

Trey Benson had 14 carries for 74 yards (5.3 ypc) and had some strong runs before the game was a full blowout. Lawrance Toafili had 94 rushing yards on seven carries, including his 50-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

FSU averaged 5.6 yards per carry, but the Syracuse defense was on the field quite a bit and likely got worn down late in the game.

However, Syracuse came into the game as one of the top defenses in tackles for a loss and only had four, and two were sacks. Overall, it is promising to see the running game have success.

Offense Scored 41 Points And Could Have Scored 60+

I know it sounds nitpicky, but I’m judging this offense based on what it would be like if they played a team of equal or better talent.

Some people disagreed with the term sloppy, but multiple drops, penalities, and poor decisions cost the Noles at least 21 points. They had the ball on the Syracuse five-yard line and got one yard before failing to score.

I had no problems with going for it on fourth down, but they must capitalize on those opportunities. They had fourth and one and ran the ball with Jaheim Bell that failed to get the first down on the Syracuse 30-yard line.

I had a problem with that playcall more than anything else. FSU had the ball first and goal from the Syracuse nine-yard line and failed to score a touchdown. The point I’m making? FSU can’t leave those points on the field when playing a team with a better offense.

It’s how they allowed Virgnia Tech to get back in the game last week. The good news? FSU scored 40+ points and left a ton of opportunities out there. If they can ever put it together for a full game? They are going to hurt someone’s feelings.

Young Players Shined

I wanted to see more of the backups getting a chance to get playing time to continue building depth. The backups got into the game in the fourth quarter and didn’t disappoint.

Freshman Hykeem Williams took his only target to the house on a 44-yard touchdown. Caziah Holmes ran hard and physically on his two carries and had a nice reception for 16 yards.

There were a lot of young offensive linemen out there at that point, including Julian Armella at right tackle.

Armella threw a block that helped Hykeem Williams get going on his touchdown reception. Conrad Hussey had a bad missed tackle early in the game but finished with three tackles. Freshman linebacker Justin Cryer had three tackles.

Freshman defensive tackle Keith Sampson had two tackles. Freshman Edwin Joseph had a pass breakup, and several other young players had at least one tackle.

These reps are incredibly valuable in building team camraderie and depth.

Keon Coleman Was Elite

The quote Syracuse head coach Dino Babers gave regarding Keon Coleman after the game? Babers said, “God was showing off when he made him.”

Keon Coleman wore a Peter Warrick t-shirt in warmups before the game and tried to do his best impersonation in the game.

Coleman had a spectacular one-handed reception, a spectacular 72-yard punt return, and a big 58-yard touchdown reception. He finished the game with nine receptions for 140-yards and six punt returns for 117 yards (17.8 ypa).

He is the first FSU football player since Peter Warrick to have 100 receiving yards and 100 punt return yards in one game.

What makes his performance even better is FSU had to play the game without its other top receiver, Johnny Wilson.

One would think Syracuse would have tried to take Keon Coleman away, but they had nothing for him. It didn’t feel like Jordan Travis forced the ball too many times like in other games either.

Keon Coleman is arguably the top receiver in college football.

Defense Dominant

The FSU football defense has been outstanding over the last 10 quarters. They have only allowed two touchdowns in that time and held Syracuse to three points for the second consecutive year.

The Syracuse starting offense had fewer than 200 yards when they exited the game and were 4 of 14 on third down. FSU held Syracuse to 3.89 yards to play. I wanted to see the FSU defense force more turnovers, and they did, forcing two in the game.

They had three sacks and six tackles for a loss. They allowed 4.4 yards per pass and 3.4 yards per rush. I mentioned how their offense was limited to slants and passes to the flats in my breakdown on YouTube.

The FSU defensive line did a great job getting their hands in the passing lanes, batting down several slant patterns. FSU had faced several mobile quarterbacks this season, with Garrett Shrader adding to the list.

However, his longest run in the game only went for seven yards. If the FSU defense continues to play at this level, they’re going to be a difficult task for any offense, especially those without mobile QB’s.