Francois stood tall and delivered a strike to receiver Travis Rudolph for a 16-yard touchdown with 28 seconds left before halftime.
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Florida State wide receiver Kermit Whitfi eld (8) celebrates with offensive lineman Roderick Johnson after Whitefield’s 3-yar.
Former Florida State and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston might have had a hand in the Seminoles’ 45-34 win against Ole Miss on Monday. Leading 28-6 at halftime, FSU scored 33 unanswered points to capture a come-from-behind win over the Rebels. Francois passed for 420 yards and two touchdowns without an interception or a fumble (one fumble by Francois was overruled upon video review). Many other teams would have folded after such a horrific first half, against a team with an aggressive defense and talented quarterback.
But once momentum switched to Florida State’s side, Ole Miss appeared shell shocked.
MS wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, right, catches a pass over Florida State defensive back Tarvarus McFadden for a 3-yard touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.
Dalvin Cook was a double threat on offense, rushing for 91 yards on 23 carries and catching seven passes for 101 yards. The 17 points gave Florida State its first lead, 29-28, with 9:17 to go in the third quarter.
The intensity ramped up a bit on Monday night as the Seminoles took on Ole Miss in Orlando, and Walker had a monstrous game.
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer rallied the Irish from a 31-14 deficit in the third quarter and finished with 215 yards passing and five touchdowns. The unit allowed six different Seminoles to record gains of at least 24 yards yards from scrimmage.
The Rebels (0-1) wasted a heck of an effort by quarterback Chad Kelly, who – outside of a first-quarter interception by Florida State defensive back Derwin James – had an incredible first half that helped the Rebels storm out to the big lead. The opening episode of will feature footage from Monday’s game.
For the Florida State defense, it was ultimately the unit’s leader who wouldn’t let the team quit. It’s just a football game, but as Florida State stormed back for the lead, it felt like so much more. FSU would slowly claw its way back into games, sometimes snatching victory at the very last second.
The Rebels’ offense held the ball for 13:02 of game time in the first three quarters.
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“Started slow”, Francois said on ESPN’s broadcast. He set a school record with six made field goals, including three from 40-yards or longer.
