Five Plays That Changed the Game as Florida State Sputters Out in Loss to NC State

A poor second half prevented the Seminoles from pulling off the upset.

Florida State football entered the weekend with a narrow loss to a surging Wake Forest team, a horde of injuries on their roster, and the hope that they could bounce back against the NC State Wolfpack. The ‘Noles entered Carter-Finley Stadium, which boasted a near sell out crowd for the prime-time matchup, with a belief that they could topple the #14 ranked Wolfpack and spoil their ACC Division Championship hopes.

From the opening kickoff, the Seminoles looked like a team ready to perform at the highest level and fired up to prove themselves against another nationally ranked team. The promise of a “bounce back” looked more like a dominant performance was in store as Florida State carried a 17-3 lead into the half. For most, this looked like a runaway game for the ‘Noles. For others, the suppressed memory of a 2012 FSU football meltdown was rising to the surface. As fate would have it, history would indeed repeat itself.

NC State began the second half with a vengeance, and the defense provided the spark they needed to claw their way back into the game. On the other sideline, Florida State was incapable of continuing its first half momentum into the waning moments. Despite NC State quarterback Devin Leary’s absence in the latter part of the game, miscues, self-inflicted wounds, and the inability to establish a rhythm on offense doomed the ‘Noles to a demoralizing loss.

Let’s review some of the key plays and moments from Saturday night’s disappointing defeat, and then we’ll return home to defend Doak Campbell Stadium against the invading Clemson Tigers.

1. Mycah Pittman only needs one hand to snag a touchdown and put the Seminoles on the board

Early in the game, Florida State’s defense was putting up an impressive fight against quarterback Devin Leary and a shifty NC State offense. Defensive Coordinator Adam Fuller’s squad forced the Wolfpack into two straight punts. Even after letting Leary and the offense threaten in the red zone, the ‘Noles held NC State to just a field goal. Down 3-0, the Florida State defense was containing the #14 ranked NC State Wolfpack, so far. The Florida State offense, on the other hand, was struggling to find its footing.

Florida State’s opening offensive drive was sparked by a 22 yard scramble from Jordan Travis, but the Seminoles went backwards on the plays that immediately followed and were unable to convert a 3rd & 12 from the NC State 41. FSU would begin their next drive with two Treshaun Ward runs stuffed at the line followed by a sack for a net loss of 10 yards, which led to another 3 and out. Quarterback Jordan Travis finally opened up the passing game on their third offensive drive of the night, but it too was cut short after a pass to a slanting Johnny Wilson fell incomplete on 4th & 3. Suffice it to say, FSU’s offense could not find an answer for a suffocating NC State rush defense and could not overcome some untimely drops by its receiving corps.

Early in the second quarter, the Seminoles had their backs against the wall, forced to start their fourth offensive drive of the night from their own 15 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Jordan Travis faked a handoff to running back Trey Benson (which drew an aggressive NC State defensive response), kept the ball himself, and broke out in a full sprint to the left side of the line. Travis showed off those trademark wheels and weaved his way through the second level of the defense before being pulled down at the NC State 14 yard line for a gain of 71 yards. Florida State had finally found themselves deep in Wolfpack territory and primed to complete this drive with points.

With a 1st & 10 inside the red zone, Jordan Travis set up in the shotgun; three receivers spread out to his left. Travis dropped back in the pocket, scanned the field, and floated the ball into the end zone in the direction of wide receiver Mycah Pittman. Pittman, who was engaged in one-on-one coverage and a little bit of hand fighting with his defender, broke free for a split second and stretched out his right. Mycah Pittman used his one free hand to muscle the ball against his shoulder pad and secure Florida State’s first points of the night.

The remainder of the first half would be smooth sailing for Florida State on both offense and defense. The Seminole defense would force NC State into 2 more punts and even force an interception on a crucial 4th &1. Utilizing each opportunity the defense afforded them, the offense would find the end zone again on the backs of a 29 yard reception by Johnny Wilson and a 12 yard touchdown run “up the gut” by running back Lawrence Toafili. The lead would be extended as Ryan Fitzgerald finally got the monkey off his back and nailed a 47 yard field goal as time expired. FSU left the first half with a 17-3 lead and all of the momentum.

2. NC State opens the second half with a touchdown drive

It was wishful thinking to believe that this NC State team would go down without a fight. After all, they’re a well coached squad with a top 3 defense in the conference and adequate talent on both sides of the ball to make this game a close contest. So, it should have come as no surprise that the Wolfpack would return in the second half with a fire lit under their feet.

Trailing 17-3 in front of their home crowd, NC State’s offense received the second half kickoff and went to work from their own 24 yard line. The Wolfpack offense pushed forward with relative ease, mixing up the run and pass game to keep the Seminoles on their toes. NC State never faced anything beyond second down as quarterback Devin Leary led the charge into Seminole territory completing all 4 of his passes for 51 yards. Leary connected on a strike in the end zone with wide receiver Darryl Jones to bring the 10 play, 84 yard drive to a successful close.

The revitalized Wolfpack brought the game back within one score, and the opening drive of the second half would serve as a catalyst for further offensive success down the stretch.

3. FSU commits a head-scratching punting blunder

Florida State’s offense was on life support.

Two drives came and went, and the Seminoles had just 20 total yards of offense to show for it. Not all was lost, however. FSU still held the lead at this point in the game, and NC State just lost its star quarterback to injury.

Unfortunately, losing Leary didn’t stop the Wolfpack.

Backup quarterback Jack Chambers entered the game and, without completing a single pass (and having only attempted one on the drive), the Wolfpack ran downfield and kicked a 40 yard field goal to bring the game within four.

The following drive by the Seminoles provided nothing. In fact, FSU went backwards and quickly faced 4th & 17. Punter Alex Mastromanno lined up in the backfield to conduct a routine punt. Mastromanno received a clean snap, but right as he lined up to boot it, he witnessed a flash of red in front of his eyes. In an effort to prevent a blocked kick well within his own territory, the punter tucked the ball and took off running towards the first down marker. To everyone’s surprise, Mastromanno had an open field in front of him, and it appeared he would convert the first down with relative ease. By the look of things, FSU had drawn up a perfectly timed fake. That was until the punter decided to punt the ball anyway and did so two steps in front of the line of scrimmage.

Mastomanno’s indecisiveness resulted in an illegal kick that gave the Wolfpack the ball at the Florida State 13 yard line. Despite the FSU defense’s ability to push them back to the 36 yard line, NC State kicker Christopher Dunn successfully hit a 53 yard field goal to bring the Wolfpack within 1 point. The Wolfpack were in striking distance trailing 17-16.

The costly mistake had ensured that momentum was fully on the side of NC State, and the fans in Carter-Finley Stadium were thriving off of it.

4. NC State completes the comeback with a 27 yard field goal

Florida State was not thriving, however.

The Seminoles took a large lead into the half, but the offense had failed to find any rhythm or means of production since returning to the field. Three straight drives that ended in punts allowed NC State to slowly chip away at the lead, and the fourth straight empty possession finally allowed them to complete the comeback.

Beginning the drive at their own 46 yard line, the NC State offense ran the ball for 7 straight plays, all of which went for positive yards. The 47 yard drive positioned the Wolfpack well within the red zone, and the 27 yard field goal was nothing more than a chip shot for Christopher Dunn, who was a perfect 3 for 3 on the night with makes from 38, 40, and 53 thus far.

At 19-17, NC State took their first lead since going up 3-0 in the first quarter.

5. The Seminoles threaten late, but a costly interception in the end zone seals their fate

FSU’s defense stood strong over the course of the night, and despite losing the lead late, they limited NC State to a plethora of field goals rather than touchdowns. Without their contribution, the game would have been over long ago. Instead, with just over 4 minutes left in the game and all three time-outs at their disposal, the Florida State offense had a chance to win the game with a field goal of their own. The only problem? Mike Norvell and Alex Atkins’ offense was completely stagnant.

After falling behind, quarterback Jordan Travis threw an interception on the next play from scrimmage. While the turnover did not result in points, it further exacerbated the offense’s inability to move the ball. Nonetheless, the Seminoles had 4 minutes to work with and all they needed was 3 points.

The Florida State drive started out strong as Travis found Toafili through the air for a 10 yard gain across the middle. Two plays later, Travis connected with a streaking Johnny Wilson for 31 yards, and the Seminoles were working around midfield with 2:20 left in the game. Lawrence Toafili would push the Seminoles forward on the next three plays both through the air and on the ground, and FSU would be set up inside the NC State 24 yard line. NC State head coach David Doeren, fearing that the ‘Noles would run out the clock and kick the field goal, called a time-out with 51 seconds remaining. In just 7 plays, the sputtering FSU offense had charged into NC State territory and were a field goal away from surviving with a win.

On 1st & 10 from just outside the red zone, Lawrence Toafili received the handoff from Jordan Travis and ran forward for a gain of one yard. NC State called their second time out.

Florida State was on the verge of kicking the field goal to win the game. The viewers knew it; the fans in the stadium knew it; Dave Doeren was anticipating it. FSU kicker Ryan Fitzpatrick, who nailed his only attempt in the game from 47 yards out, was celebrated by his teammates at the end of the first half. The kicker, who potentially held a newfound confidence after his most recent make, would possibly be faced with a chance to prove doubters wrong and win this game for the Seminoles. On 2nd & 9, the Seminole offense lined up, ready to put this game away.

Now just 44 seconds left in the contest, Jordan Travis lined up in shotgun with Lawrence Toafili flanked to his right, three receivers spread in the pattern to his left, and one receiver out on the right. Travis snapped the ball, dropped back in the pocket, and aired one out to the end zone on the left side. The pass, intended for Mycah Pittman, hung in the air just long enough to allow an NC State defender to intercept it in the end zone.

The final interception was the nail in the coffin for what was an abysmal second half for Florida State’s offense. It was abrupt; it was anticlimactic; it was demoralizing. The game was simply over. Fitzpatrick would not get an opportunity, the Seminoles would not score in the second half, and the NC State Wolfpack scored 16 unanswered points to win the ball game.

Florida State now falls to 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in ACC play. The Seminoles return to Tallahassee this weekend to face the Clemson Tigers. 

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