Florida State vs. Syracuse: Five Plays That Changed The Game

A highlight-filled day pushed the Seminoles past the Orange.

The fourth-ranked Seminoles returned home once again to play their second of a three-game homestretch on Saturday. It was a day of celebration in Doak Campbell Stadium with Florida State’s 1993 National Championship team in attendance to ring in their 30th anniversary of reaching the mountaintop. Meanwhile, the 2023 iteration of the football team — in the midst of its own national title run — was set to face off against the visiting Syracuse Orange in front of a sell-out home crowd. The worries of an upset bid would be quelled shortly after kickoff and the celebrations would ring throughout as the Seminoles put on a pretty display of football prowess.

READ MORE: Florida State Remains In Top 5 Of Latest AP Top 25 Poll After 6-0 Start

Despite possessing the skill and scheme to give Florida State fits, the Orange could not muster up any answers for the Seminole attack. There was no trading of blows Saturday afternoon. This was not a fair fight. Rather, the matchup was more reminiscent of Ivan Drago landing blow after blow on an all-but-helpless Apollo Creed. FSU’s offense, behind the stellar play of wide receiver Keon Coleman, was flying around the field with relative ease, and the defense was imposing its will with little resistance from the Orange. The ‘Noles were far from perfect on the day, but it was still a dominant enough performance that would’ve had any Syracuse fan crying out, “Throw the damn towel!”

Keon Coleman and company kept the Marching Chiefs and Florida State cheerleaders busy with the fanfare of the fight song all game long. Mike Norvell’s squad climbed their way to a convincing 41-3 victory and moved to 6-0 (4-0 ACC) for the first time since 2015. The Seminoles will have to shorten any celebrations, however, because a date against the 16th-ranked Duke squad awaits them. Before we shift our focus to the challenge next week’s matchup presents, let’s take a look at some of the plays that fueled a highlight-filled day for the ‘Noles.

1. Keon Coleman soars through the air and makes an athletic one-handed grab

Words simply cannot do this play any justice.

After forcing Syracuse off of the field on the opening drive of the game, the Seminoles wheeled out the offense for the first time on Saturday. Quarterback Jordan Travis was a man on a mission as he led the charge downfield with completions to wide receiver Keon Coleman, tight end Jaheim Bell, and a few runs of his own. On 1st & 10 from around midfield, Travis dropped back in the pocket looking to pass. He aired the ball out deep over the middle in the direction of Keon Coleman, but the pass appeared to be well over the head of the intended receiver. Not to be denied, Coleman (draped by a Syracuse defender) leaped in the air, climbed the ladder, stretched out his right hand, and plucked the ball from the sky.

The receiver landed with the ball secured in his hand, rolled over, and extended his arms to indicate a first down as if the play was routine in nature. On paper, it was just a 27-yard reception for a first down, but everyone who watched the catch in real time knew they had just witnessed something spectacular. Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said it best, "God was showing off when he made him.”

The reception put Florida State deep into Syracuse territory, and the ‘Noles were eventually able to take an early 7-0 lead following a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Jordan Travis. The quarterback went a perfect 5 for 5 for 56 yards through the air and rushed for a total of 7 yards and one touchdown on the drive. In addition to the one-handed catch, Coleman was able to notch a total of 4 receptions for 44 yards during the drive. Not to mention, the day was far from over for the quarterback-receiver duo.

2. Jordan Travis connects with Keon Coleman for a 58-yard TD

Florida State held on to its 7-point lead for the remainder of the first quarter. All the while, the ‘Noles and Orange were going back and forth trading punts and leaving much to be desired in terms of production. Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s defense held the Orange to a measly 34 total yards of offense and was suffocating quarterback Garrett Shrader in the backfield. FSU was able to extend their lead to 10 after kicker Ryan Fitzgerald nailed a 48 yard field goal before Syracuse was finally able to get on the board themselves. Holding a 10-3 lead, Jordan Travis and the Seminole offense set up shop from their own 25 yard line.

Running back Trey Benson was the benefactor of handoffs on first and second down. Travis and Coleman then went back to work on third down, connecting for a gain of 12 yards. With a fresh set of downs from the FSU 42-yard line, Travis snapped the ball, faked the handoff to running back Lawrance Toafili, dropped back in the pocket, and lofted a deep ball before the barreling Syracuse defenders could reach him for a sack. He had found Keon Coleman, whose defender was trading behind him by a margin of 3 yards or so, uncovered and streaking down the sideline. The ball found Coleman in stride, fell into his arms around the 10-yard line, and the receiver waltzed into the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown reception. In just four plays and 1:45 of game time, the ‘Noles were able to reach the end zone once more and push their lead to 17-3.

Despite taking a hit before the half, Travis showed little to no signs of ailment on his way to 23 completions for 284 yards, and 3 total TDs (two of which came on the ground) on the day. His performance through the air was sustained by his connection with his favorite target, Keon Coleman, who reeled in a game-high 9 receptions for 140 yards and 1 TD and did even more damage in the special teams game (more on that later). 

 3. Joshua Farmer and Jared Verse tag team for a strip sack and fumble recovery

The Orange offense had accumulated just 80 total yards of offense, 3 punts, and one field goal through their first four drives. Their offensive woes were due, in large part, to the immense pressure the Seminoles were sending their way. Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader, who had relied heavily on his ability to run and extend plays entering the game, was all but bottled up by the likes of Jared Verse, Kalen DeLoach, and company. Down 17-3, Shrader led the offense back on the field following the Keon Coleman touchdown.

On the first play from scrimmage following the Coleman score, Shrader took the snap and faked a handoff to the lone running back positioned behind him. As the Syracuse quarterback began to roll out to his right, he was instantly met by Florida State defensive lineman Joshua Farmer, who was not fooled by the run fake whatsoever. Farmer quickly closed the gap and had Shrader wrapped up. The quarterback tried to spin out of the defender’s grip and raised the ball up in a last-ditch attempt to throw it away for an incompletion, but it was in vain. As Farmer dragged him to the ground, Shrader lost control of the ball and coughed it up for a fumble. Fellow defensive lineman Jared Verse was in the immediate area as Farmer forced the strip sack and quickly scooped the ball up and ran before being dragged down around the Syracuse 5-yard line.

Although the Florida State offense was unable to convert the turnover into points, the strip sack and fumble recovery were a testament to the sheer defensive dominance on display for the Seminoles. By game’s end, Adam Fuller’s group held the Orange to 261 yards of total offense, a third down efficiency of around 32% (6 for 19), a staggering 3.4 yards per rush and 4.4 yards per pass, forced two turnovers, held Shrader to just 99 yards passing, and (above all else) kept Syracuse out of the end zone.

4. Keon Coleman dazzles in punt game

The Seminoles were firing on all cylinders and their lead was quickly growing late in the second half. Another Jordan Travis rushing touchdown had moved the score to 24-3, and another stop by the FSU defense had forced Syracuse into yet another punting scenario. Who was standing on the 20-yard line awaiting the kick? None other than Keon Coleman.

Coleman received the punt at the 20-yard line and immediately began his surge upfield. He ran five yards before four Syracuse defenders had him surrounded. Somehow, the returner emerged on the other side of the 30 unscathed, and with some open space, he was off to the races. He planted his foot in the ground and backtracked to shake off two more would-be tacklers and made his way over to the right hash. Coleman had blockers and wide open space in front of him as he sprinted down the right sideline (with Mike Norvell sprinting alongside him) across the 50-yard line. He navigated the traffic as he entered Syracuse territory, cut back to his left around the 20, and was just barely brought down by a diving tackle inside the Syracuse 10-yard line.

The receiver’s punt return efforts totaled 107 yards for the game and pushed his all-purpose yards to 247, which ranks 14th all-time in FSU history. As a result of his electrifying performance in the punting game, the ACC awarded Coleman with the Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Most memorable, however, is the fact that Coleman was a mere nine yards away from a punt return for a touchdown that was vaguely reminiscent of a certain #9 for the Seminoles from back in the day.

5. Lawrance Toafili breaks off a 50-yard TD run

With a comfortable 24-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles were looking to put the final nail in the coffin and shut the door on Syracuse. Florida State’s offense, outside of a few stalled-out drives earlier in the game, had all but outmatched the Syracuse defense. When the first team offense took the field with over 12 minutes remaining in the game, they were looking to do more of the same. Running back Trey Benson ran for two yards on first down followed by two consecutive receptions for Keon Coleman. Benson and fellow running back Toafili combined for short gains after moving the sticks, and before long, the Seminoles were at midfield and threatening to string together another successful drive.

On 3rd & 2, Travis stood in the shotgun with three receivers out in the formation, one tight end on the right side of the line, and Toafili flanking his side. The quarterback snapped the ball and instantly handed the ball off to the running back. While he did so, both the tight end and right tackle pulled and took off running to the left. Toafili followed his blockers and sifted through some tight holes in the defense before bursting out into the open field. He took off down the sideline with nothing but green grass and the end zone ahead of him. One Syracuse defender gave chase, but he was not able to make the tackle and prevent the score. Toafili was home free. He crossed the goal line and completed the 50-yard touchdown rush.

Toafili’s touchdown officially put the game out of reach for the Orange (and also made the “Three Players” article a tad more credible in the process). He finished the day as the Seminoles’ leading rusher with seven carries for 93 yards and one touchdown. Shortly after Toafili crossed the goal line and Fitzgerald hit the extra point, the day had also come to an end for the first team offense. Florida State was going to win the game by a large margin, and their job was done.

Honorable Mention: Freshman wide receiver Hykeem Williams scores first collegiate touchdown of career 

I couldn’t let this article pass by without at least acknowledging freshman wide receiver Hykeem Williams’ first collegiate touchdown. William took a designed screen pass from second-string quarterback Tate Rodemaker 44 yards for a touchdown, and he torched every Syracuse defender in the process. Florida State fans were ecstatic to watch their five-star freshman cross into the end zone with a cheering Ja’Khi Douglas by his side. The “garbage time” touchdown didn’t do much to affect the outcome, but it did signal a potentially bright future for the young receiver. Thus, making it worthy of at least a brief mention in this article.

The fourth-ranked Seminoles played a sound game on all sides of the ball on Saturday. Their performance earned them an opportunity to break their sixth rock of the season, which was an honor afforded to multiple athletes this time around. With the win, the 'Noles are officially bowl-eligible once again and they maintain their 4th ranking in the AP Poll for another week. Later this week, FSU will return to the confines of Doak Campbell Stadium for the last of their three-game homestretch to protect Bobby Bowden Field against a dangerous 16th-ranked Duke Blue Devil squad. 

Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM on ABC.  

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READ MORE: Kickoff Time, TV Channel Finalized For FSU's Top-25 Matchup Against The Duke Blue Devils

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