Each week we will chronicle Florida State’s opponents’ performances from the past weekend. Week One saw mostly positive returns from future ‘Nole opponents, with a few notable exceptions.
Ole Miss: You already know
Charleston Southern: Won 57-7 vs. Kentucky State
The Buccaneers moved to 1-1 on the season with a big win over a Division II school after falling in a fantastic opener at North Dakota State.
The win came at a cost, however, as CSU’s starting quarterback was lost for the season to a knee injury. In addition, Darius Hammond, the Big South preseason offensive player of the year, went down with an injury returning a punt. Finally, CSU’s backup quarterback also injured his leg. The extents of the latter two injuries are not known, but needless to say, things could have gone better for the Buccaneers on Saturday.
Louisville: Won 70-14 vs. Charlotte
UL easily dispatched Charlotte’s 49ers, who are not a good football team. Still, 8 touchdowns in the first half is quite an accomplishment no matter the competition, so Lamar Jackson’s performance should prompt a raised eyebrow for ‘Noles fans. The Cardinals travel to Syracuse next week, which might provide a better opportunity to learn about Louisville’s 2016 squad.
South Florida: Won 56-20 vs. Towson
Another cupcake handled by a future Florida State foe. Quinton Flowers and Marlon Mack looked the part, though the latter left the game after a huge hit and fumble. Mack underwent concussion protocol and is questionable for this week’s game against Northern Illinois. Things went pretty well otherwise. The Daily Stampede notes that “nobody died” in the kicking game, which is always a positive.
North Carolina: Lost 33-24 vs. Georgia
The Heels took a lead to the fourth quarter against the Dawgs in the Georgia Dome, but a combination of Carolina penalties and Nick Chubb were ultimately too much to overcome. T.J. Logan looked dynamic, taking the opening kick of the second half back for a touchdown, as well as notching a 21-yard touchdown run later in the third. Mitch Trubisky looked okay, but failed to hit several deep ball opportunities. The Dawgs ran for 289 yards, which may bode well for FSU.
Miami: Won 70-3 vs. FAMU
Miami (FL) bounced back from its loss to the scout team pretending to be FAMU by defeating actual FAMU. Newly-christened Hard Rock Stadium witnessed 100+ yard performances from Mark Walton, Joe Yearby, and Gus Edwards, along with a solid performance from Brad Kaaya. The ‘Canes will host Florida Atlantic in Week Two with a potentially perilous trip to Boone, NC, looming in Week Three.
Wake Forest: Won 7-3 vs. Tulane
Hooooooo boy. Are y’all familiar with Erase This Game? Wake looks poised to make at least their third appearance after this one. On the bright side, Wake Forest did initiate alcohol sales in the stadium for the opener. That was probably necessary. The Demon Deacons fell behind in the first quarter, scored the lone touchdown in the second quarter, and held on for dear life in a rainy affair at BB&T Stadium. The Clawfense was again bad, but the defense will probably be pretty good again.
Bye: Did not lose.
Clemson: Won 19-13 at Auburn
The Tigers held off the other Tigers for a quality win in a tough environment. Mike Williams and Dexter Lawrence looked very scary. While Mitch Hyatt handled his business on the left side, the very talented Auburn front four gave the Clemson line problems and held the excellent CU offense in check, which is encouraging from a garnet and gold perspective. Dabo decided to go for a 4th and 4 with 40 seconds to play rather than kick a 34-yard field goal to put Clemson up 9, later saying he feared a block and a return. FSU fans may want to laugh at this, until we remember that such disasters can happen.
North Carolina State: Won 48-14 vs. William & Mary
Ryan Finley looks like the starter at NC State after a solid performance against the Tribe. Matt Dayes was the focal point of the offense for the ‘Pack, which seems like a good idea. Overall, the Wolfpack easily handled a top-10 FCS team, which is more than some members of FSU’s very own conference could manage. NC State travels to East Carolina this coming Saturday.
Boston College: Lost 17-14 vs. Georgia Tech (Ireland)
The ACC’s conference opener was a heartbreaker for Coach Addazio’s dudes. The Yellow Jackets mounted a game winning drive late in the fourth, with Dedrick Mills scoring with 35 seconds left to play in Dublin. It appears that the Eagles will again have a quality unit in their defense, but Patrick Towles and the BC offense did not do much to inspire confidence. This may have been one of the more confusing games we could send to the Irish in attempting to drum up interest in American football.
Syracuse: Won 33-7 vs. Colgate
The Dino Babers era in Central New York opened on a promising note. Our friends in orange appear to have a quarterback. Eric Dungey was 34-40 for 355 yards and two touchdowns, and ‘Cuse cruised to a comfortable opening win. As mentioned, Syracuse will host Louisville in the Carrier Dome on Friday night, which is a must-watch from a FSU opponents perspective.
Florida: Won 24-7 vs. Massachusetts
Luke Of The River threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, though Florida’s offense consisted mostly of the dink-and-dunk approach. Overall, the output was pretty similar to that of Jim McElwain’s 2015 team, though the defense did not appear to be particularly interested in playing UMASS. The Gators do have a couple more weeks to figure things out before a real test, as they’ll face Kentucky in Week Two and North Texas in Week Three before heading to Neyland Stadium on September 24.