Florida State Falls To Duke For First Time In Program History, 23-16

Florida State falls to 1-6 following Friday night's loss.

Oct 18, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell points prior to the first half of the game against Florida State at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images / Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Florida State entered the night looking to hold onto their perfect record against Duke. They were underdogs heading into the game with a 1-5 record, while the Blue Devils entered 5-1. Against a good defense, it would be on Brock Glenn to play well in his first true road start.

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The Seminoles were able to get points on their first possession following two explosive plays by Lawrance Toafili. The drive would stall in the red zone but it was still enough to take a 3-0 lead. Other than that, there was little excitement early on.

In the first seven possessions of the game, there were four three-and-outs. It would've been five, but Coach Norvell dialed up a fake punt to Kyle Morlock that went for 31 yards, and FSU was in business. They couldn't convert the field position into anything better thanks to a drop on 3rd and long from Malik Benson. The wheels would fall off the train immediately following that.

Forced to settle for a field goal, there was a high snap, and Alex Mastromanno couldn't get the punt down, with Fitzgerald's attempt barely getting off the ground. Following another three-and-out forced by FSU's defense, FSU got the ball back with an opportunity to make up for that mistake.

Three plays later, Duke's Chandler Rivers was waltzing into the endzone following an interception of Brock Glenn to give Duke their first lead and their only sign of life. For the second straight year, Rivers has a pick-six against the Seminoles. On the very next play, Brock Glenn pulled the ball on a read option and fumbled. 10 plays and 36 yards later, Duke broke into the endzone to go up 14-3.

With some time to think and realize his mistakes, Brock Glenn re-enters the game and throws an interception on the first play of the series. Three straight plays, three straight turnovers.

The defense would hold Duke to a field goal, which they'd convert to go up 17-3.

That would be all we saw of Brock Glenn. Three straight turnovers were enough for Norvell to pull the plug and insert true freshman Luke Kromenhoek. Glenn finished the night 3/10 for 37 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble.

On Kromenhoek's first drive, he looked scared to throw, missing a drag route and instead getting sacked. They'd punt on his first drive, but it was an improvement from the turnovers.

After another three-and-out forced by the defense, Kromenhoek would get another chance. He uncorked a BEAUTIFUL deep ball to Kentron Poitier, but as is par for the course, it was dropped. FSU would have to settle for a field goal a few plays later, and Ryan Fitzgerald would drill it from 53 yards away to bring the score to 17-6.

Duke would go three-and-out again and punt the ball back to Florida State with 38 seconds left. After Hykeem Williams let a pass go through his hands that he should've caught, Florida State would take it to the locker room 17-6.

FSU had 150 yards to Duke's 62, and a per play yardage of 3.9 to 1.9. Even if 31 of those yards came on a fake punt, to be down 17-6 with stats like those is borderline impressive.

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The second half started with some deja vu for FSU, as they housed the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Sam Singleton went 95 yards to break into the endzone, the second year in a row FSU scored a kick return touchdown against Duke, with Deuce Spann scoring last year's.

Duke would respond with their best drive of the game: 10 plays, 48 yards, eating up over five minutes of the clock. They used two wildcat formations, one of them turning into a reverse for quarterback Maalik Murphy, who fit a tight ball between Omar Graham and Cam Riley for a big pickup. The drive would stall with a field goal attempt, and Todd Pelino knocked in the 44-yarder to extend the lead back to 20-13.

After some traded punts, Florida State got the ball back just before the third quarter ended and they re-inserted Brock Glenn at quarterback. His first play was a shovel pass to Lawrance Toafili, who made a defender miss and got a first down. Two plays later, Glenn made a defender miss in the backfield and ran with wide-open space for 17 yards to end the third quarter.

The promising drive would stall in the red zone following a delay of game and a block in the back to give them 2nd and 25 from the 35-yard line. Two plays later, Glenn would scramble up the middle and pick up 14 yards to give them a more manageable field goal, and Fitzgerald would knock in the 38-yarder to bring the score to 20-16 with 11:35 remaining.

Florida State thought they had the momentum changer they needed, with Shyheim Brown picking off Maalik Murphy, but it was called back for defensive holding on Ashlynd Barker. The very next play, Duke busts loose a 44-yard run to put them on the edge of field goal range. Their drive would stall out there and they'd settle for three to push the lead back to a touchdown, 23-16, with 8:58 to play.

Brock Glenn had another promising drive developing, hitting nice throws over the middle to Poitier and Hykeem Williams and getting some help from Toafili on the ground. But Kam Davis would put the ball on the ground with 5:26 remaining just outside the red zone, and he'd be helped off the field with a leg injury. So FSU's defense would have to get Brock Glenn the ball.

Which they would do, thanks to a holding call negating a long run that could've iced the game. Instead, Duke punted, and the 'Noles would take over with 2:43 to go on their own 41.

Lawrance Toafili would be tackled for a loss on first down. Brock Glenn would be sacked on second down to bring up the two-minute timeout. On 3rd and 13, Glenn would scramble for nine yards to make it 4th and manageable. Glenn would convert, moving in the pocket to find Ja'Khi Douglas for a first down.

With a new set of downs, Glenn would be sacked on the first play, and Darius Washington would be hurt and helped off the field. A false start on Jeremiah Byers pushed it back to 2nd and 24. Glenn would throw it low to Landen Thomas, who couldn't bring it in. On 3rd and 24, Glenn escaped out to the right and threw it back into the field of play. It was intercepted but ruled out of bounds, but a holding call on the play (that was declined) would bring up 4th and 24. On 4th down, Glenn would be pressured at the top of his dropback and pitched it back to Toafili, who couldn't find anywhere to go. And that would be all she wrote.

FSU was just 2/14 on 3rd downs but out-gained Duke 291-182. The turnovers cost them in the end. FSU's QBs finished just 12/26 for 129 yards.

Florida State falls to 1-6 and will play Miami next Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.

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