Five Plays That Changed the Game as Florida State Cruises Past the LSU Tigers
247 days since walking off the very same field, Florida State returned to Camping World Stadium to kick off their season against the LSU Tigers. In those 247 days, the Seminoles had bolstered their roster, fine-tuned their system, and emerged as potential national title contenders. On the other sideline, Brian Kelly and LSU were hellbent on getting revenge for a heartbreaking defeat to Norvell’s Seminoles a year prior.
The game between the Seminoles and Tigers, an unranked out-of-conference matchup a year ago, had suddenly become a top-10 matchup with College Football Playoff implications, a stage for Heisman hopefuls and NFL Draft prospects, and a test by which to measure the potential “return” of one of these storied programs.
The first half showcased two teams locked in combat, set to trade blows all night long. LSU, behind the performance of their star quarterback Jayden Daniels, terrorized the Florida State defense and carried a three-point lead into the half. The second half, however, belonged to the Seminoles.
Defensive Coordinator Adam Fuller’s defense would hold the Tigers scoreless until the very last minute of the 4th quarter, and Offensive Coordinator Alex Atkins’ offense would find a spark in Keon Coleman on their way to scoring 31 unanswered points. When the clock hit zero, the contest was not even close. This was nothing short of complete domination from the Florida State Seminoles as they issued a statement to the college football world in prime time.
There was a lot to love from FSU’s dismantling of the previously fifth-ranked team in the country, and there’s plenty more to come throughout the remainder of the season, But, for now, we’ll heed the words of Jordan Travis and “Keep the main thing, the main thing” as we break down the plays that allowed the ‘Noles to whoop the heck out of the Tigers.
1. DJ Lundy sacks Jayden Daniels on 4th & Goal
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Tiger offense wasted no time showcasing just how long they have waited to rehash this matchup. On the first play from scrimmage, Daniels connected with wide receiver Tre Bradford for a 55-yard gain to set LSU up in FSU territory. The quarterback dumped another pass off for a gain of 15 more yards, and Brian Kelly’s offense was already threatening to score in just 2 plays.
Florida State’s defense held strong on first and second down, but an unnecessary roughness penalty called against FSU edge rusher Patrick Payton gave the Tigers a fresh set of downs from the one-yard line. FSU’s interior defensive line stuffed a run up the middle on first down; Jayden Daniels failed to connect with receiver Malik Nabers on second and third down; which set up a critical 4th & Goal from the one-yard line.
Daniels dropped back from the shotgun and scanned the field looking to pass. Meanwhile, FSU linebacker DJ Lundy surged through the middle of the offensive line. He was briefly knocked down by the LSU running back, but quickly got back up on his feet and gave chase. Daniels, unable to find an open receiver in the end zone, was too late to evade Lundy’s advance, and the linebacker brought the quarterback down for a sack and a turnover on downs.
LSU ran six plays from scrimmage within the FSU 5-yard line on their opening drive and the Seminole defense was able to keep them out of the end zone. Despite giving up explosive plays to open the game, the ‘Noles controlled the line of scrimmage and frequently provided pressure in the backfield, and the goal line stand on the opening drive set the tone for the rest of the night.
2. Jordan Travis finds Keon Coleman over the middle for a 40-yard TD
Immediately following the turnover on downs, the Seminole offense took the field for the first time in the 2023 season. The ‘Noles, led by quarterback Jordan Travis, took over at their own 14-yard line and proceeded to put together a methodical drive. Travis found early success through the air connecting with Jaheim Bell and Johnny Wilson to push the ball downfield. The FSU offense quickly worked its way to midfield, but a costly offensive pass interference call threatened to stall the drive. Running back Trey Benson responded by breaking off a run for a 12-yard gain, and Johnny Wilson reeled in a 17-yard catch on 3rd & 13 to extend the drive.
In LSU territory for the first time all game, Jordan Travis and the Seminoles had recovered the yards lost from the penalty and possessed a fresh set of downs. Alone in the backfield and flanked by five wide receivers, Travis dropped back to pass on first down. He looked to his left and immediately delivered a quick strike to wide receiver Keon Coleman over the middle. Coleman made the catch, eluded the first defender, side-stepped another would-be tackler, and waltzed into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown grab (his first of many on the night).
Florida State, after standing wrong on defense, drove 86 yards in 9 plays to take their first lead of the game.
3. Deuce Spann pulls off the trick play to extend the drive
The first half was a sloppy one for the Seminoles, and the Tigers were quick to capitalize on their misfortune. Tre Bradford was quick to even up the score at 7 after Keon Coleman’s touchdown catch and run. LSU’s defense kept the ‘Noles scoreless for the next four drives, two of which resulted in turnovers (including 1 INT). The Tigers, however, were experiencing their fair share of trouble against the Seminole defense. Two consecutive empty drives and an untimely muffed punt kept their offense off the board, but that didn’t last long. In the waning moments of the first half, LSU was able to put points on the board and carry a 17-14 lead into halftime.
On the other sideline, Florida State was struggling to find a rhythm on offense and was in danger of finding themselves in a deeper hole. The ‘Noles needed to find some success on their opening drive of the second half if they wished to avoid falling behind. FSU received the second-half kickoff and immediately began attacking the LSU defense. Travis lofted a ball to Wilson, which resulted in a defensive pass interference and a gain of 15 yards. Benson and Toafili got into the mix on the ensuing three plays, rushing for 15 more yards and surging into LSU territory. Travis found Coleman again for a gain of 7 on 2nd & 7 from the LSU 45.
Facing 3rd & 1 from the LSU 39 and a 3-point deficit, Jordan Travis lined up under center. Travis took the snap, turned to his left, and delivered a lateral to wide receiver Deuce Spann in the flat. Spann hesitated and scanned the field in an attempt to deliver a forward pass of his own, but was quickly met in the backfield by two LSU defenders giving chase. He retreated 10 yards before rolling right and narrowly escaping a sack. As he made his way towards the sideline, Spann squared his shoulders and delivered a pass over the middle right into the outstretched arms of Johnny Wilson for a gain of 17 yards. The trick play successfully converted a crucial third down, and the ‘Noles were able to kick a field goal to respond immediately and even the score at 17 a piece.
4. Coleman, Toafili and Travis take over to give the Seminoles the lead once again
Up until this point in the game, things had remained fairly even between these two squads. Defenses on both sides were imposing their wills and keeping the offenses off the board, for the most part. With the score tied at 17, the Tigers were forced to punt on their first drive of the second half, opening the door for the Seminoles to re-take the lead for the first time since the 7:53 point of the first quarter. Luckily for LSU, the ‘Noles were pinned back deep in their own territory and facing poor field position.
Rodney Hill’s rush attempt was thwarted for a 4-yard loss on first down. Jordan Travis dropped back to pass on 2nd & 14 from the FSU 9-yard line. Standing tall in the pocket, the quarterback peered right and lofted a throw over the middle and dropped a dime into the basket of a streaking (and tightly covered) Keon Coleman for a gain of 41 yards. The Travis-Coleman connection was nearly unstoppable on the night. Coleman recorded nine receptions for 122 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
Shortly thereafter, the Seminoles faced 4th & 2 on the LSU 42-yard line after three straight plays from scrimmage for no gain. Jordan Travis set up in the shotgun with Lawrence Toafili by his side. With the LSU defenders showing blitz, Travis called for the snap and began backpedaling at full speed. Meanwhile, Toafili released into the right flat, completely unguarded. Travis tossed the ball to the open Toafili, who took off running into open space. The running back followed the block of Johnny Wilson before cutting back inside, shaking off arm tackles, and taking the ball all the way down to the LSU 1-yard line.
Jordan Travis found the end zone on the ensuing play to give the ‘Noles a 24-17 lead in the waning moments of the third quarter. Travis would finish with 23 pass completions for 342 yards and 1 TD through the air and 7 rushes for 38 yards and 1 TD on the ground.
5. Renardo Green intercepts Jayden Daniels and snuffs out a comeback
Immediately after forfeiting the lead the the Seminoles, Jayden Daniels and the LSU offense trotted back onto the field in hopes of leveling the score. Daniels found Nabers for a gain of 13 to kick off the drive, but he was wrapped up in the backfield on the next play from scrimmage by Dennis Briggs Jr. Daniels connected with Mason Taylor a few plays later, and the Tigers were nearing FSU territory and well on their way to a score.
Daniels dropped back to pass on 2nd & 10 from the LSU 48-yard line. The LSU quarterback delivered a well-thrown ball to the right sideline, but his intended target had slipped in the process of running his route. Instead, the ball landed in the chest of FSU defensive back Renardo Green for an interception.
The turnover was a rare miss on an otherwise exceptional night from Jayden Daniels, who finished with 22 completions for 347 yards, one TD, and one NT. Florida State’s defense, on the other hand, played exceptional football, recording a total of 65 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. The turnover led to another Florida State score, and any hopes for a comeback for the Tigers grew dim.
The Seminoles went on to secure a 45-24 victory against the top-5 Tigers, and there was definitely a lot to love from Sunday night’s performance. Honorable mentions for these plays include Tatum Bethune’s WWE-style takedown of Jayden Daniels, either one of Jaheim Bell’s touchdowns, Rodney Hill lowering the shoulder on a would-be tackler, and the list goes on.
Regardless of the high expectations surrounding their program, the Seminole faithful could not ask for a better (or more entertaining) start to the 2023 season. FSU has a short week ahead of them, but the ‘Noles will look to keep climbing during their home opener against Southern Mississippi on Saturday.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season
