FSU vs. Syracuse: Seminoles take lead into the half after adventurous second quarter

Score: Florida State 16-13 Syracuse

FSU offensive player of the half: Jordan Travis is currently FSU’s leading rusher and has also thrown for a pair of touchdowns. We saw vintage Jordan Travis on a 20-yard gain off a designed QB run on FSU’s lone TD drive. FSU has struggled to complete passes down the field, but Travis has completed 17 of 21 passes for 107 yards. He led the Seminoles down the field on a 6-play, 75-yard drive to take the lead into half. Keyshawn Helton reeled in a 14-yard strike from the QB for Travis’ second TD of the half.

FSU defensive player of the half: Keir Thomas was the most influential player on the defensive side of the ball. Thomas ended the Orange first two drives. On their first drive, Thomas stuffed a QB draw on third down to force a punt. On the next drive, the South Carolina transfer came up with a tackle for loss on fourth and two to force a turnover on downs.

FSU play of the half: Camren Mcdonald scored the Seminoles’ first touchdown of the day. Travis got a short pass around a blitzing DB to the tight end. Ontaria Wilson and Keyshawn Helton paved the way to the five for McDonald, before he dragged a couple defenders into the end-zone for a 14-yard TD. It put FSU up 9-0.

Key stat: 152. Syracuse’s first 18 plays went for a total of 38 yards. The Seminoles looked to be in control as they went up 9-0, but the Orange began to gash the FSU defense. Cuse’s last twelve plays of the half went for 152 yards. That’s an average of 12.7 yards per play. The biggest came on a 55-yard TD run by Garrett Shrader. He put the Cuse up 13-9 with his another rushing TD on the next drive, a five-yard rush.

FSU: 154 yards / 37 plays / 17:11 TOP

Syracuse: 190 yards / 29 plays / 12:49 TOP

Full Box score:

3rd quarter thread

4th quarter thread