The Florida State Seminoles beat the North Carolina Tar Heels to get the Seminoles’ second win of the season. Now, Florida State appears to be rolling heading into a bye week before an easy matchup against Massachusetts. Mike Norvell clearly got his team headed in the right direction after a tough 0-4 start. Check out an analysis of Florida State’s impressive win against North Carolina.
Recap
Offense
Honestly, this was an extremely efficient game by Florida State’s offense. Quarterback Jordan Travis finished the day with nearly 150 passing yards and three touchdowns. He was also effective on the ground with 120 yards and two touchdowns rushing. He carried the majority of the offense, but running backs like Treshaun Ward and Jashaun Corbin also carried the load combining for 25 carries.
Ward and Corbin combined for almost 130 yards, and they were helpful in putting the game away in the fourth quarter. Keyshawn Helton made some big plays with three receptions and 71 receiving yards. Travis was more of a game manager in this game, so the receivers didn’t get many touches.
Nonetheless, there’s a lot of optimism on the offensive side of the ball after this performance. Offense coordinator Kenny Dillingham did a great job of ensuring the rushing game would carry the Seminoles to a victory.
Defense
Quarterback Sam Howell of North Carolina was one of the Heisman frontrunners during the preseason, and he showed up to play against Florida State. Although his completion rate was near 50%, he did have 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards; a performance similar to that of Travis.
Receiver Josh Downs had a big day for the Tar Heels, finishing with nine receptions and 120 receiving yards. Still, these efforts by North Carolina’s stars weren’t enough. The Seminoles’ defense held up in key situations, and an interception by Jarrian Jones in the second quarter swung momentum in favor of Florida State.
This same defense has to show up against Clemson in three weeks for Florida State to have another statement win. The offense had a big hand in winning this game, but stopping a prolific offense in North Carolina was the key factor to Florida State winning this game.
Concluding Thoughts
Fans couldn’t be more proud of Florida State as a team after the past two games. Losing two heartbreakers early against Notre Dame and Jacksonville State may have put the team down, but the players regrouped and now are aiming to finish the season strong. In fact, with all the controversy in the ACC this year, the Seminoles are still in contention for a bowl game and much more; they just got to keep winning.