Travis explains reasons for Seminoles’ dominant season opener

Seminoles.com

ORLANDO — A lot of the post-game questions for FSU quarterback Jordan Travis, coach Mike Norvell and transfer receiver Keon Coleman were about the how they beat LSU and why it was so dominant.

Travis had the most profound answer, responding to how the Seminoles shook off a sluggish start en route to a convincing victory Sunday night.

“I knew it was a matter of time. We had to stay locked in and focused; keep the main thing the main thing,” Travis said. “It starts up front. If offensive line doesn’t protect and give me time, I can’t make those throws down the field. 

He credited Coleman and the other receivers, too. 

“They make my job easy and it’s fun out there. It’s fun winning football games.”

After starting slowly, FSU exploded for 31 second-half points to crush No. 5 LSU 45-24 in Camping World Stadium.

FSU’s defense set the tone early when a haymaker by the LSU offense on its first drive had the Tigers in scoring position, but Florida State showed its muscle stunning the Tigers on six plays from inside the five, finishing off LSU’s drive with a sack on fourth and goal by DJ Lundy.

Highly-regarded transfer wide receiver Keon Coleman caught three touchdown passes and had nine receptions for 122 yards.  Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Jordan Travis completed 21 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns. 

Travis had to settle down a Seminole offense that looked sloppy at times in the first half.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was 22 of 37 for 347 yards and one touchdown which came with the game out of reach with under a minute left. The Tigers managed just 113 yards rushing for the game, with FSU also finding its running game stymied finishing with 135 yards on 34 attempts.

FSU’s defense sacked Daniels four times, while the Seminoles’ did not allow a sack.

The first half would not have left many in the packed stadium believing the game would be a blowout as the two teams went back and forth over the first 30 minutes.

Following the impressive goal-line stand on the Tiger’s first possession, FSU engineered a masterful 86-yard scoring drive that included overcoming an offensive pass interference call. The nine-play drive was capped by a 40-yard touchdown pass from Travis to Coleman for the 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.

LSU bounced back on its next possession, driving 75-yards on nine plays to tie the ballgame at 7 on a 1-yard plunge by running back Tre Bradford with 3:48 on the clock.

Neither team could mount any kind of ground offense in the first quarter, as FSU gained just 16 yards on three tries and LSU 12 yards on 10 carries. Daniels was 8 of 12 through the air for 151 yards, while Travis was 6 of 9 for 94 yards. 

With the scored tied at 7-all, FSU mounted a second brilliant goal line stand to stall the Tigers on the first snap of the second quarter. LSU went for it on fourth and inches in the shadow of FSU’s goalposts and for the second time, the Seminole defense turned back the Tigers.

It appeared Florida State got a huge break on their ensuing punt when the Tigers fumbled a fair catch attempt that was recovered by Azareye’ Thomas at the LSU 22, but the Noles gave it right back on the next play when Travis dodged a pass rusher then threw an interception in the left flat.

The Seminoles bounced back with their best drive of the half to tie it at 14 with 1:01 left in the half.  Travis marched FSU 75 yards on 10 plays that burned 5:01 off the clock.  He found Coleman in a one-on-one match on the right side of the endzone and put it up high for a 21-yard touchdown pass, their second of the night.

On the ensuing possession, LSU took a 17-14 lead into the locker room at half after driving 67-yards on 10 plays in 57 seconds that ended with a 36-yard field goal.

Florida State took the opening possession of the second half down to the LSU 16 before the nine-play, 60-yard drive stalled and Ryan Fitzgerald made it 17-17 when he connected on a 33-yard field goal with 9:19 left.

FSU scored 10 unanswered points in the third quarter when Travis walked in untouched on a 1-yard touchdown run.  He connected on 41-yard pass plays to both Coleman and Lawrance Toafili on the seven-play, 87-yard drive that put the Noles up 24-17 with 2:42 left and the score stood going into the fourth quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, cornerback Renardo Green stepped inside an LSU receiver who had slipped on the route and picked off Daniels’ pass to set up the Nole offense at their 43-yard line.  Eight plays later Travis and Coleman hooked up for their third touchdown, this from seven yards, to put FSU up 31-17 with 10:18 left in the game.

FSU didn’t let up from that point.