All of 2014 was much, much more stressful. It builds characters and for a team like the Seminoles that have positioned themselves as a powerhouse school once again, it was one that was well needed. FSU didn’t really “get it together”, it would pull something out of its bag of magic and just somehow win.
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Monday’s game “feels like” the 1988 debacle, wrote one. Some critical passes floated high, some fell short, and the fourth-ranked Seminoles trailed No. 11 Ole Miss by 22 points before the end of the first quarter.
Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly started the game on fire.
Mistakes by Kelly under pressure took away any momentum the Rebels had in the first half.
It was anything but routine for Florida State, but the Seminoles lived up to their No. 4 preseason ranking and showed explosive ability in coming back to beat Ole Miss.
The Rebels allowed a touchdown pass by FSU QB Deondre Francois with 28 seconds left in the half, and the game deteriorated from there.
For head coach Hugh Freeze, the benefit of playing one of college football’s elites during week one is that it provides him a proper perspective of where his team stands before conference play begins. He looked poised throughout the whole game, even when he was getting hard hit after hard hit. These five receivers combined for nine catches, 118 yards and a touchdown (a two-yard reception by Izzo that helped extend FSU’s lead).
Seminoles freshman quarterback Deondre Francois was 33-52 for 415 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as a college quarterback.
Florida State defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, center, grabs a MS fumble during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.
The former Florida State signal-caller will likely get a great deal of credit for the comeback, but it’s important to remember that it was the players on the field who actually executed it.
It was the first time the offense looked like it was in a groove since the end of the first half.
Winston, who threw for 356 yards and scored six touchdowns in his first game in 2013, was on Florida State’s sideline during Monday’s game. Kermit Whitfield’s 3-yard run was the go-ahead TD in the third quarter.
Defensive back Derwin James was named the defensive back of the week after leading the Seminoles in tackles with eight. Freshman kicker Ricky Aguayo made a school-record six field goals to account for 18 points.
And then Florida State came charging back. Florida State placed an emphasis on pressuring Kelly as the game progressed, which in turn led to an overwhelmed offensive line, mistakes from the quarterback, and a noticeably slower pace of play.
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Thought that was a good note to leave things on.
