(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack). Oh, he caught seven passes for 107 yards, and he rushed for 91 yards.
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Ole Miss’ defense was led by defensive back Zedrick Woods with 11 solo tackles.
Then it all came together in the second quarter.
Down by 22 in the first half, No. 4 Florida State used a stunning 33-0 recovery run to erase the deficit and setup a thrilling 45-34 victory over No. 11 Ole Miss at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, on Labor Day. In sum, Winston had some encouraging things to say about the Seminoles’ skill players on offense, but was critical – and correctly so – about an offensive line that missed block after block in the first half.
FSU held a 28-5 advantage in shots with 18 shots after halftime but could not beat United States of America freshman keeper Justice Stanford, who had eight stops in just her second collegiate start. The Seminoles and Tigers became the first pair of ACC teams ever to open the season ranked in the Top 5 and will face each other in Tallahassee on October 29.
Francois made plays with both his arm and legs while playing in front of his home crowd in Orlando. In his first career start, redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois completed 33 of 52 passing attempts for 419 yards and two touchdowns. Ricky Aguayo kicked a school-record six field goals, evoking memories of his older brother Roberto Aguayo, now Winston’s teammate at One Buc Place. We’re anxious. I feel like it’s going to be a great game.
From that point on, FSU’s embarrassed defense – led by 4.5 sacks from defensive end and Sandalwood High product DeMarcus Walker – flipped a switch by holding Ole Miss to minus-7 total yards in the third quarter and forcing three second-half turnovers.
OUR PICK: Florida State is led by one of the finest backs in the country in Dalvin Cook, who is a legitimate Heisman candidate if he can stay healthy. “The confidence he has coming into the huddle, you have no choice but to go out and execute for him because he is going to lay it on the line for you”. Kelly, who looked brilliant in the first half, looked pedestrian in the second.
The flip was eerily similar to those achieved by Florida State’s 2014 team, which was known for getting off to slow starts before rallying late.
Webster started every game at cornerback last season for the Rebels and tied for third on the team with 12 passes defended.
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No. 2 – Dalvin Cook is going to end up on the blooper reel for his dropped ball when he was going in for a sure fire touchdown in the second quarter, but there is nothing amusing about his 91 yards on the ground and 101 yards receiving. Francois carried the ball nine times for 59 yards, displaying a keen awareness of when to tuck and run.
