Florida State crushes Louisiana 49-17 for 4th straight win

The No. 19 Florida State Seminoles took down the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns 49-17 inside Doak Campbell Stadium, winning the first-ever matchup between the two schools.

It was Military Appreciation Day, and the Seminoles honored service members by rushing out onto the field with flags carried and flown overseas by active duty and veterans alike. Florida State, along with the entire ACC, wore a UVA sticker on their helmets to show support for the lives affected by the tragic events that happened earlier this week. A moment was also conducted before kick-off during the coin toss.

The offense started off balanced with runs by RB Trey Benson and a short pass to WR Ontaria Wilson. ULL was able to force a third down, but Travis showed off his ability on the ground to pick up the first down. Ward would continue the Nole’s streak of scoring on opening drives with a 36-yard touchdown run to get points on the board first.

Peyton Baker — Tomahawk Nation

Special teams held their ground on the ensuing kick, and LB Brendan Gant delivered a massive blow to Chris Smith to pin the Cajuns deep; a sack by LB DJ Lundy and pressure by S Akeem Dent forced a punt to give the offense back the ball.

Once again, the offense was led out of the backfield, with WR Mycah Pittman starting the drive off. A 10-yard scramble from Travis to get the first paved the way for a 33-yard run by RB Lawrance Toafili. Travis would account for his 22nd touchdown of the season on a designed read, rushing for a three-yard score.

The defense remained consistent in the first half, only allowing 60-yards through the air and 61on the ground. DB Greedy Vance and LB Tatum Bethune were standouts alongside DB Jammie Robinson, who provided a big-time 4th down stop late in the first quarter. DB Renardo Green showcased his ability multiple times and made his presence known late in the second, ripping the ball out of Dontae Fleming’s hands on a 20-yard pass.

A lone trip to the red zone for the Cajuns resulted in a defensive stand led by a shutdown secondary. The Nole’s would continue their streak of not allowing a touchdown through ——-

Peyton Baker — Tomahawk Nation

Jordan Travis accounted for three of the touchdowns scored in the half with his arm and legs passing former FSU running back Karlos Williams for rushing touchdowns and tying for 11th total in school history at 22. Despite the score, there were some critical drops in the game and some errant passes that could be cleaned up.

The running game held strong against one of the better rushing defenses (statistically) in the country. The three-headed monster accounted for 200+ yards in the first half, a trend that has remained consistent throughout the season (six in a row).

Complimenting the run game were big-time catches by WR Malik McClain and RB Lawrance Toafili. McClain has emerged throughout this year and continues to add valuable snaps to the offense snatching a pass in front of him from Travis for a score.

Half Time Stats

• Passing - Jordan Travis (9-14, 112-yards, one TD)
• Rushing - Trey Benson (14 carries, 75-yards) and Treshaun Ward (four carries, 37-yards, two touchdowns)
• Receiving - Malik McClain (two catches, 26-yards, one touchdown)
• Defense - Jammie Robinson (six tackles, one TFL) DJ Lundy (2 tackles, 1.5 sacks) Akeem Dent (four tackles)

The Cajuns got the ball out of the half after driving downfield to put three on the board. Consistent pressure from the defensive line forced early throws from QB Chandler Fields, and DE Jared Verse got his first sack (7-yards) of the game, forcing a punt.

Jordan Travis ended his day after the half 9-14, 112-yards, and three scores) allowing backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker to come into the game. Rodemaker led a 72-yard scoring drive with Kentron Poitier snagging a putting Benson in the endzone to make the score 42-3.

DT Fabien Lovett got the crowd roaring when he stripped running back Dre’lyn Washington of the ball, and it was recovered by DB Shyheim Brown. QB AJ Duffy would go into the game, and his first pass of the game was a touchdown (first career TD for both players) to TE Markeston Douglas, who managed to come down one-handed with the ball to hit the pylon making the score 49-3.

With the score being what it was, it allowed for some of FSU’s depth to get live reps. DT Joshua Farmer was able to notch a sack on the evening, stopping the Cajuns for a turnover on downs. RB Rodney Hill would finish the night with 31 yards, while walk-on quarterback Gine English also got some playing time.

Late in the game, Louisiana was able to break the Noles’ streak of not letting an opponent in the end zone with a five-yard touchdown catch by Michael Jefferson, later adding another score. DE Leonard Warner, DE Byron Turner, DB Sam McCall, and DB Sydney Williams all got meaningful snaps as the Noles continue to build their foundation heading into next week against the Florida Gators.

• Passing - Jordan Travis (9-14, 112-yards, one TD)
• Rushing - Trey Benson (16 carries, 80-yards) Treshaun Ward (four carries, 37-yards, two touchdowns)
• Receiving - Markeston Douglas (two catches, 27-yards, one touchdown)
• Defense - Jammie Robinson (six tackles, one TFL) DJ Lundy (6 tackles, 1.5 sacks)