Florida State vs. Syracuse: Three Players To Watch For The Seminoles
Florida State took care of business last week, defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies by a margin of 22 points and securing their fifth win of the season in as many games. The 5-0 start is the first for the Seminoles since 2015, and it has once again earned them a spot near the top of the AP Poll. With the College Football Playoff committee ranking looming around the corner, Mike Norvell and company look to continue their win streak and bolster their resume against another conference opponent in Week 7.
READ MORE: Highest And Lowest Graded Players From Florida State’s Win Against Virginia Tech
Head coach Dino Babers and his Syracuse football team (4-2, 0-2 ACC) make their way to Tallahassee this weekend. In stark contrast to Florida State’s first few weeks of football, the Orange are coming off the heels of two consecutive losses to two very difficult opponents, UNC and Clemson. Despite the lopsided losses, however, this is still a dangerous Syracuse team on paper with a veteran quarterback at the helm of the offense, a threatening rush game, and a proven coaching staff with years of experience on their resumes. Long story short, this isn’t exactly a walk in the park for the Seminoles.
In his fourth year at the helm of the program, Mike Norvell will seek to extend the current winning streak over Syracuse to 4-0 and push his team to 6-0 in front of a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium crowd. We say it week in and week out: FSU is on the brink of a return to both the ACC championship and the College Football Playoff, but the ‘Noles will need to maintain a high level of play, no matter the opponent, because in college football, anything can put an end to that road in an instant.
Florida State will have to rely on its impact players if it wishes to continue its winning ways. So, let’s take a look at three guys who have the potential to push the ‘Noles over the finish line come Saturday.
1. Jordan Travis, Quarterback
Typically, I steer away from listing someone who has already appeared in one of these articles earlier in the season, but the mid-point of the season is the perfect time to re-evaluate certain players. In other instances, the player’s sheer skill warrants another mention. In the case of quarterback Jordan Travis, it’s all of the above.
The pre-season Heisman favorite — through six games — has nearly surpassed every major statistic from the same stretch in 2022. He has 12 TD passes, only 1 interception, 2 rushing TDs, 1,198 passing yards (which is a mere 28 yards shy of last year’s mark), and the 11th-best QBR in the nation at 84.3. Travis may not be receiving praise similar to the likes of USC QB Caleb Williams or Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. may be receiving, but he’s playing at an elite level all the same.
Despite the lack of fervor among the national media, he is receiving recognition from a great many coaches, and Syracuse head coach Dino Babers is among them.
“He will be the best quarterback that we play, and it’s really hard for me to say that, but he has all the attributes of the former, the young man at North Carolina (Drake Maye),” said Babers at his press conference earlier in the week. “He’s one of those wild guys. I’m not gonna enjoy watching him play, but when you get done, he’s one of those guys that you do turn on the TV to watch because he plays at an extremely high level.”
Syracuse has afforded Travis a considerable amount of respect throughout their week of preparation, and it’s not hard to see why. Travis is the heart and soul of the Seminole offense, and his ability to play at a high level shines favorably on the offense as a whole.
With the sixth-year senior at the helm, Florida State’s offense ranks among the best in the nation, and if Syracuse’s pass rush difficulties continue, then Travis might find enough time to take shots down the field, stretch the Orange’s defense, and have an explosive day through the air.
2. Lawrance Toafili, Running back
Now in his fourth full season with the Seminoles, redshirt junior Lawrance Toafili has become a seasoned veteran in the Florida State backfield. Time and again, he has seen someone else listed above him on the depth chart Last year, he sat third wheel to the running back duo of Trey Benson and Treshaun Ward.
This year, however, with Ward’s departure by way of the portal, Toafili stood to become the benefactor of more playing time. In his first six games of the 2023 season, he has not wasted the opportunity. Thus far, Toafili has racked up 135 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries (the second most carries of any running back on the team) with 11 receptions (the third highest receptions on the team among all players) for 91 yards.
Benson may be the workhorse on the ground for the ‘Noles, but Toafili provides a much-needed multi-faceted attack. The combination of the two backs provides the FSU backfield with balance, which, in turn, gives the position group an edge over most defenses. With that being said, one of two things may happen on Saturday: Either Benson has another monumental performance and terrorizes the Syracuse defense on his own, or the Orange focuses on thwarting Benson’s efforts and are able to wrangle the dynamic back, which opens up a window for another running back to thrive.
Whatever goes down come Saturday, keep an eye on Lawrance Toafili. He already receives a fair share of the workload in this offense, and he could see even more if the Seminoles jump out to an early lead.
3. DJ Lundy, Linebacker
This year, the linebackers are leading the way for the Seminole defense. We’ve already talked about the first two, Tatum Bethune and Kalen DeLoach, but we have yet to talk about the third member of that corps, DJ Lundy.
Lundy, like a handful of others, has been with the program since 2020. In that time, he has risen the ranks of the depth chart and developed into one of Florida State's most consistent performers. Alongside Bethune and DeLoach, Lundy has been a key factor in the transformation of a once weak linebacker room. So far this year, the redshirt junior trails ranks third on the team with the most total tackles (18), trailing only his fellow linebacker counterparts. He has also recorded 1.5 sacks and 1 interception in 2023.
Although his primary position is that of linebacker, Lundy's impact has also been felt on the offensive side of the ball as of late. Beginning in 2022, Lundy started to appear in certain situations for the offense, which has afforded him the opportunity to find the end zone on more than one occasion. Florida State's coaching staff has continued that trend in 2023, which saw Lundy score his first touchdown this year against Boston College back in Week 3.
Whatever side of the ball Lundy plays, he makes an instant impact for the 'Noles, which is why he's someone to always keep an eye on week in and week out. Look for the veteran against Syracuse on Saturday because he will receive opportunities to perform on both sides of the ball.
The three impact players above are but a fraction of the talent of this Florida State team, and it’s because of said talent that so many people are buying stock in this year’s Seminole squad. Whether or not that hype is to be believed is up to the individual, but, regardless, the ‘Noles will need impact performances from their impact guys because around every corner lies a team chomping at the bit to be the one that derails FSU and shatters their championship hopes. The fourth-ranked Seminoles have survived their early season tests, thus far, but the road ahead remains an arduous one. This week’s test against a battle-tested Syracuse is but another opportunity for Mike Norvell’s team to showcase what they’re capable of and secure another win on their path to the mountaintop.
READ MORE: Florida State’s Mike Norvell Says Darius Washington Is a ‘Key Figure’ on the Team
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