Nole Gameday

Florida State Strikes First Against Cal Golden Bears

The Seminoles have their first lead since the first half of the season-opener.

Dustin Lewis

Florida State Seminoles running back Lawrance Toafili (9) celebrates his touchdown. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 to claim the ACC Championship title in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
Florida State Seminoles running back Lawrance Toafili (9) celebrates his touchdown. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the Louisville Cardinals 16-6 to claim the ACC Championship title in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. / Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Florida State Seminoles entered a Saturday night contest against the Cal Golden Bears in dire need of getting off to a fast start. After all, the Seminoles have faced a double-digit deficit in each of their last two games and haven't held a lead since the season-opening loss to Georgia Tech.

FSU got exactly what it was looking for in the first quarter as the Seminoles scored the opening touchdown of the critical ACC contest open up a 7-0 lead. It didn't come without some frustration as quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and the offense went three-and-out on their first possession.

READ MORE: NoleGameday Staff Score Predictions For Florida State Seminoles vs. Cal Golden Bears

The defense responded by quickly forcing Cal to punt with the kick setting FSU up in great field position near its own 40. The Seminoles didn't waste any time churning out a few explosive plays with a 15-yard gain by Ja'Khi Douglas on a wide receiver reverse. Jalen Brown and Kyle Morlock each added catches to move the offense deep into the red zone.

The scoring drive was capped off by a short scamper for running back Lawrance Toafili, marking his second touchdown of the 2024 season. The Seminoles are going to need to continue to get this consistency out of their offense to come away victorious against Cal.

Florida State leads the Golden Bears 7-0 in the final minutes of the opening quarter.

READ MORE: FSU Football Labeled Most Disappointing Program This Season

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Dustin Lewis

DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined NoleGameday in 2016 and is currently in the role of Editor-In-Chief. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis contributes to football, recruiting, and basketball coverage. Connect with Dustin on Twitter at @DustinLewisNG.

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