Florida State at Wake Forest: Five Plays That Sparked Seminoles In Blowout Victory

What were the key plays in Florida State's display of dominance against Wake Forest?

On the road for the first time in over three weeks, the Seminoles traveled to Winston-Salem to take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Head coach Dave Clawson’s Deacons were boasting a three-game winning streak over the ‘Noles, but neither of these teams are in the same position as in years past.

On the Wake Forest sideline, things aren’t as promising as they once were since losing star quarterback Sam Hartman to the transfer portal. Meanwhile, in his fourth season in Tallahassee, Mike Norvell is touting a talent-infused Seminole team that has its eyes set on the playoffs. Things are never easy, however, and Florida State would have to pull off a win in enemy territory if they wished to continue one streak and bring another to an end.

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It’s true. Things are never easy, but Florida State sure tried to make it look that way on Saturday. Shortly after the clock struck noon, FSU made its intentions clear: all gas, no brakes. Offense, defense, and special teams for the Seminoles each made their presence known throughout the entirety of the contest. They exhibited non-stop, high-flying action that left the Florida State faithful ecstatic and left the Wake Forest home crowd all but silent. Mike Norvell’s team imposed their will for four straight quarters and ultimately cruised to a decisive 41-16 victory.

Let’s take a look at some key plays from the pure display of dominance against Wake Forest, and then we’ll push on through the remainder of spooky season and watch the Seminoles hit the road to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers. 

2. Jordan Travis's Sensational Scrambling Puts The ‘Noles Up Early

J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. are the nation’s Heisman frontrunners, but someone clearly forgot to tell Jordan Travis. Florida State’s star quarterback took the field first on Saturday, and he quickly roared to life. Travis completed 5 of his first 6 passes for 63 yards to open up the game, and in the blink of an eye, the ‘Noles were deep in Wake territory. A fumble on 1st & 10 from the Wake 12 nearly derailed the entire drive, but Travis was quick to land on it. Running back Rodney Hill fought to get 4 of those lost yards back on second down, but the ‘Noles were still faced with a 3rd and long.

On third down, Travis dropped back to pass. He was quickly flushed out of the pocket by an unblocked edge rusher, so Travis did what he does best: he took off running. The quarterback made his way toward the right hash and into the open field. Without a single defender in the area, he sprinted towards the end zone. He was finally met by a Wake Forest defender around the 3-yard line, but after shuffling his feet and quickly sidestepping the Demon Deacon, Travis waltzed his way across the goal line.

The 13-yard touchdown scamper was the cherry on top for a 9-play, 75-yard drive that had Travis’ fingerprints all over it. Florida State’s leading man willed the offense down the field both through the air and on the ground on the opening drive, and the rest of the game would be more of the same for the Heisman hopeful because his day was far from over. 

2. Punter Alex Mastromanno Pins The Deacons Down At The 1-Yard Line

Look, I know what you’re thinking. With all of the highlight plays that occur in this game, you pick a punt? Yes, reader. Yes, I do. What better forum to shine a spotlight on the stellar play of an under-appreciated and under-recognized position than a game in which everybody had a highlight? Jordan Travis, Keon Coleman, and Trey Benson ruled the day (more on two of those guys in just a moment), but punter Alex Mastromanno had some pivotal punts in the early moments of the game that deserve a nod; one in particular.

Following their successful opening drive, the FSU’s offense went stagnant. Florida State’s third offensive drive of the day amounted to all of 3 plays for a total gain of 5 yards after two of Travis’ passes fell incomplete. Nursing a 7-0 lead, the door was still open for a Demon Deacons. Luckily for the ‘Noles, the resident Aussie of the roster was there to ensure Wake’s day was all the more difficult.

Mastromanno punted the ball away from the FSU 45-yard line. The ball landed at the Wake 3-yard line and took a favorable bounce back to the Wake 5. It shifted direction once again and began to slowly bounce towards the end zone for a touchback. In pursuit, however, was FSU defensive back Jarrian Jones, amongst a horde of other Seminoles. As the ball inched ever closer to the goal line, Jones pounced on it and pushed it back into the field of play. The fellow ‘Noles in the area were quick to grab the ball, and the referees officially marked the punt down at the Wake Forest 1-yard line.

It was a masterclass of punting prowess from Mastromanno. So far this season, he’s punted the ball inside the 20-yard line a total of 12 times on 29 total punts for an IN20% of 41.38% and a touchback rating of 6.90%. Alex Mastromanno, take a bow. 

3. Trey Benson Takes A Travis Pass 80 Yards For A Touchdown

The Florida State defense had forced Wake Forest into punting scenarios five times throughout their first six drives (and a total of 7 scoreless drives before the end of the first half). As a result, FSU’s offense was eventually able to find its footing once more. A 46-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal and a Keon Coleman receiving touchdown pushed the ‘Noles to a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter. Another Wake punt (the fifth up until that point) meant Travis and the Seminole offense were set to take back over before the close of the half.

On the first play from scrimmage, Travis took the snap and dropped deep in the backfield. The Wake defenders stormed after the quarterback but failed to recognize the screen being set up in the flat by running back Trey Benson and the Florida State offensive line. Travis dumped the ball off to Benson in space. The running back took the ball all the way down to the FSU 35 untouched. He then cut back inside, shed a few arm tackles, and he was off to the races. Benson outlasted the pursuit of the chasing Wake defenders and eventually punched the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

Benson’s 80-yard touchdown reception further extended FSU’s lead in the first half, and the ‘Noles were finally firing on all cylinders. Not to mention, Benson's day was also far from over. 

4. Keon Coleman Notches Second TD Of Game With One-Handed Grab

Florida State’s first-half showcase still had plenty of fireworks left in the waning moments of the second quarter. The defense had forced the Demon Deacons off of the field yet again after forcing a 3-play, -2 yard drive that featured a sack from defensive end Jared Verse. The stop prompted yet another drive from the Florida State offense. This one lasted more than one play, but Jordan Travis was making quick work yet again. He completed a pass for a gain of 5 on first down, ran the ball on second down for a gain of 4, and found tight end Jaheim Bell on two consecutive plays for a combined gain of 43 yards.

With a fresh set of downs from the Wake 14-yard line, Travis looked to pass once more. On what has become a trend on the season, he lofted a ball into the end zone in the direction of his favorite target, wide receiver Keon Coleman. Coleman, who (for some reason) was left in single coverage, stretched out his right hand and snagged the ball. Before anyone had properly evaluated the situation, Coleman had thrown his hands up in the air and the scoreboard was 6 points higher in FSU’s column. Travis and Coleman had made their second touchdown connection of the day, and the ‘Noles were primed to carry a large lead into the break.

Travis completed 4 passes on 4 attempts for 62 yards and 1 touchdown on the drive; plus an added our rushing yards for good measure. FSU’s star quarterback brought the star power on Saturday, having finished with 22 completions for 359 yards, and 3 touchdowns as well as 7 carries on the ground for 29 total yards and 1 touchdown. With the touchdown grab, Coleman’s day was all but finished as well at 7 receptions for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns.

5. Trey Benson's 18 Yard TD Run Brings Matters To An End

The nail was in the coffin long before the second half rolled around, but Trey Benson didn’t hear the bell. With their defense all but staying their ground, the Seminole offense was able to pile on score after score with no response from Wake Forest. At around the 11-minute mark in the fourth quarter, they were driving deep into Wake territory once more. Travis connected with tight end Kyle Morlock over the middle for a gain of 32 yards, which set the ‘Noles up in the red zone. Three plays later, Benson received the handoff from his quarterback. He ran straight through the teeth of the defense and, without so much as an arm tackle or contact made, he took the ball the remaining 18 yards for a touchdown.

Benson’s second score gave the Seminoles their final: 41-16. He recorded 10 carries for 55 yards and 1 TD, but it was his receiving that stole the show. Benson achieved his first career 100-yard reaching game and became the first player in FSU history to have both an 80-yard TD reception and an 80-yard rushing touchdown to his name. As a whole, the Florida State offense crossed the 508 total yard mark on the day, 382 of which came through the air. On the defensive side of the ball, the Seminoles held Wake Forest to under 100 passing yards (82) en route to a 210 total yard day for the Demon Deacons.

Dominance in every facet of the game. That’s what people expected from the talented Florida State squad this season and that is exactly what they got in Winson-Salem. Mike Norvell’s Seminoles flexed their muscle and it yielded top-tier performance from their stars Travis, Benson, Coleman, and Verse. However, it also yielded something far more important: An emphatic road win over a conference opponent. 

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