Performance at BC didn’t shake Norvell’s confidence

Special to the Outlook

Florida State and Clemson had totally different experiences during week three of the college football season.

The Tigers rolled over Florida Atlantic 48-14. FSU has to stave off Boston College to keep its undefeated record intact.

Clemson showed its tendency to struggle when it scored only one touchdown in a stunning loss to Duke. On the other hand, the Seminoles had show dominance in their two previous games.

The two ACC teams will meet at noon Saturday in Clemson, S.C., their second conference game this season.

Right after the BC game coach Mike Norvell couldn’t point to a specific reason for the meltdown. But he spoke confidently about the future of his football team. 

“This is something we will learn from as a football team,” Norvell said. “We will continue to push (and) improve. I have a lot of confidence in this football team and they will bounce back from what we just saw.”

Saturday’s game in Chestnut Hill was one of scoring runs by both teams before FSU came away with a 31-29 victory.

Quarterback Jordan Travis, who missed FSU’s last snap in the first half but played the entire second half, completed 16 of 24 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions on a day when the Seminoles found rushing yards hard to come by. 

The Seminoles managed just 128 yards on the ground on 34 attempts and Travis had 38 of those on four carries. 

Jaheim Bell led all FSU receivers with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.  Johnny Wilson had four catches for 105 yards.

BC sophomore quarterback Thomas Castellanos was 20 of 35 for 305 yards and a touchdown and converted two long third downs with passes in the fourth quarter to keep the Eagles close.  He also led the Eagles in rushing with 95 yards on 16 carries.

The Eagles’ final possession came with 4:37 left in the game on their 22, but two quarterback sacks coming off blitzes by Seminole cornerbacks forced a punt.

Boston College served notice from the outset that it wasn’t ready to play scoring on its first drive of the game on a 32-yard pass to Lewis Bond.  Castellanos completed each of his four passes on the opening drive for 76 yards. 

BC’s game plan to use as much time as possible worked early as FSU had just one offensive possession in the first quarter.  On that lone drive, the Seminoles used two big passes to Wilson, including a 21-yarder for a first down on fourth-and-2 to drive 61 yards on 11 plays.  A 30-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald made it 7-3 with 5:59 left in the quarter.

BC once again worked the clock on their next drive using more than seven minutes on a 16-play, 72-yard drive that gave them a 10-3 lead after a 21-yard field goal with 13:22 left in the half.

On just its second offensive series of the game, FSU marched 75 yards on six plays tying the score when Travis hit Bell on a short pass in the left flat that he ran in from the 19 to tie the score at 10 with 10:23 before the half.

Trey Benson gave FSU its first lead at 17-10 with a 2-yard touchdown plunge behind the left side of the offensive line with 1:27 left before the half.  The Seminoles drove 88 yards on seven plays and used just 3:27 to do so. 

After allowing the Eagles offense to score on its first two drives, FSU’s defense adjusted allowing BC just 64 yards on 16 plays on its last three possessions of the first half with 45 of those coming on a Castellanos run.

Florida State took the opening possession of the second half and it took just six plays and 2:32 to take a 24-10 lead.  Travis used play action on the scoring play, finding Preston Daniel all alone on a four-yard touchdown pass.

The Noles’ defense continued its outstanding adjustments on the next play when linebacker DJ Lundy picked off Castellanous’ on the BC 40 setting up FSU’s 21st unanswered point when the Seminoles scored just two players later.  Travis hit Bell with a 39-yard pass down to the one and Lundy, who had checked in at fullback, carried it in to make it 31-10 with 11:20 left in the third.

Boston College cut into the lead with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that made it 31-16 with 1:02 left in the third after Kye Robichaux piled in from the 1.  The Eagles missed the extra point.

BC squibbled the ensuing kickoff and pounced on the mishandled ball on FSU’s 26 to swing momentum their way. But FSU’s defense stymied a dive play on fourth-and-2 at the 5 to maintain its two-score lead.

On the ensuing possession, FSU fumbled and Eagle defender Khari Johnson scooped the ball at the eight and raced in for the score.  BC’s two point attempt failed when the receiver caught the ball out of bounds and with 11:18 it was 31-22 in favor of the Seminoles.

After FSU’s drive stalled, Alex Mastromanno pinned BC’s offense with a perfect pooch punt that was marked out of bounds at the Eagles’ five-yard line at the 7:30 mark. The Eagles converted on a third and long to get their drive started and Castellanos found an open receiver for 42 yards to move into FSU territory.  He hit another big pass before the defense stiffened again to force a fourth-and-1 at the 7-yard line and he took it himself around the left side for a touchdown making it 31-29 with 5:19 left to play.  It was BC’s 19th unanswered point in the second half.

FSU got the ball back with 2:08 left in the game and sat on it for the win.