Florida State vs. Virginia Tech: Five Plays That Changed the Game As Seminoles Advance To 5-0

What were the key plays during the Seminoles' win against the Hokies?

Two straight close calls for the Seminoles had left many to reassess FSU’s mettle relative to the College football landscape at large and question the worthiness of their top-5 ranking. Despite opening the season 4-0, the nation was demanding more proof from Mike Norvell’s squad before giving Florida State the playoff nod. Luckily for the Seminoles, they had an entire week off to regroup, revitalize, and make ready for their next opportunity to do just that.

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Tallahassee was abuzz with an air of anticipation Saturday afternoon as the ‘Noles were gearing up to begin a three-game home-stand. The Virginia Tech Hokies were coming back to Doak Campbell Stadium for the first time since defeating the Seminoles with relative ease back in 2018. Five years removed from that first night of the Taggart era, these two programs find themselves in drastically different positions. FSU is amidst the fervor of national title talks and on the cusp of reclaiming the conference. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Hokies are fervently trying to turn things around after a few unexpected losses early in the season. Norvell and company would have a prime opportunity to both avenge the 2018 loss and prove to the nation that they are worthy of the distinction as one of the nation’s premier programs this season. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech remained determined to build upon their most recent victory, repeat history, and defy the odds stacked against them.

Shortly after the fanfare of the Marching Chiefs, the planting of the spear, and the kickoff, however, those upset hopes were all but gone. Virginia Tech managed to stick around and land some blows, but Florida State’s offense was much too powerful for the Hokies. Despite struggling to run the ball in the first few weeks of the season, FSU’s running back corps (among other facets of their game) flexed their skill Saturday afternoon and reminded viewers of their abilities. Ultimately, the ‘Noles outlasted VT’s best shot and silenced a few more doubters in the process.

Following the win on Saturday, the ‘Noles moved to 5-0 on the season (3-0 in the ACC) and popped back up to No. 4 in the AP Polls. Their home stand will continue with a date against the Syracuse Orange next week. Before we take a knee and let the clock run out on Week 6 of the college football season (like good clock managers do), let’s take a look at some key plays that allowed the ‘Noles to put on a show in front of their home crowd. 

1. Lawrance Toafili Rolls Off Of The Defenders For A Wild TD

Florida State’s offense came out firing against the Hokies. Their opening drive went for 75 yards and a touchdown, and after a successful 2-point conversion, the ‘Noles held an assertive 8-0 lead. Adam Fuller’s defense matched that intensity by giving up just one yard in VT’s first three plays and pushing Virginia Tech off the field after a quick three-and-out. The Seminole offense took the field looking to extend their lead, and running back Trey Benson led the charge downfield. Benson carried the ball three times for a total gain of 26 yards. Set up deep into Virginia Tech territory, quarterback Jordan Travis looked to the air on first and second down from the VT 31 but was only able to muster up a 3-yard gain.

On 3rd & 7, Travis lined up in the shotgun, four wide receivers lined up in the pattern, and running back Lawrance Toafili to his side. Travis snapped the ball and handed it to Toafili, who bided his time in the backfield before planting his foot in the ground and surging up the middle. The back sprinted into the open field and remained untouched as he forged ahead into the red zone where he was finally met by two Hokies defenders around the VT 5-yard line. The two Virginia Tech defenders attempted to wrestle the running back to the ground, and at first glance, they appeared to have done so successfully. 

While Toafili’s momentum did carry him down to the ground, the bodies of the defenders came between the running back and a certain tackle. Instead, Toafili rolled over the bodies of the downed defenders, kept his knees and arms off of the ground, pushed with his foot, and sprawled out over the goal line. After some brief deliberation, the officials finally ruled the play a touchdown, and just like that, Lawrance Toafili had secured himself a 28-yard rushing TD to extend the Florida State lead to 15.

Toafili finished the day with six carries for 50 yards and yet another highlight of him rolling over a defender en route to a rushing touchdown. 

2. Jordan Travis and Johnny Wilson connect for their second touchdown

Even amidst a heavy dose of running proficiency, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis was still shining on Saturday afternoon. The quarterback put on a pretty display of passing in the early moments of the game, having found wide receiver Johnny Wilson for a touchdown through the air on their opening drive. Travis shared the wealth Saturday afternoon with completions to eight different receivers (TE Kyle Morlock and WR Johnny Wilson tying for the most receptions at four).

The third offensive drive of the game for the ‘Noles was heavily reliant on Travis’ arm. He kicked off the offensive set with a 16-yard completion to Johnny Wilson. He targeted Kyle Morlock a total of three times in the plays that followed, one of which the tight end reeled in for a gain of 11 yards. Facing 3rd & 9 deep in Hokie territory, Travis dropped back to pass yet again. With a Virginia Tech defender barreling down on him, the quarterback lofted a perfectly timed ball into the outstretched arms of Wilson for a touchdown. With the touchdown completion, Travis notched a stat line of 3/5, 45 yards, and one TD on the drive.

The day may have belonged to the running backs, but the quarterback was not to be outdone. By game’s end, Jordan Travis was 18 for 24 on the day with 180 yards through the air and 2 TDs. 

3. Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten returns the kick 99 yards for a TD

Despite falling behind 22-0, Virginia Tech was refusing to go away. Before the end of the first half, the Hokies led a successful 16-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in an athletic hurdle into the end zone from VT running back Bhayshul Tuten. Virginia Tech had cut the Seminole lead to 12 before time expired, and they would have an opportunity to build upon that momentum after receiving the second-half kickoff.

Ryan Fitzgerald’s kick-off came down around the 1-yard line and into the hands of Bhayshul Tuten, who worked his way up the middle of the field and then toward the left hash. As he crossed the 30, Tuten found a seam, survived a tackle attempt by the kicker, and broke out into the open field down the sideline. FSU’s Azaraye’h Thomas gave chase and both he and Tuten went stride for stride down the length of the field. Thomas made one last ditch effort and dove for Tuten’s ankles, but he missed his mark. Instead, Bhayshul Tuten crossed the goal line untouched and completed the 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Just like that, one play had brought the Hokies back within striking distance at 22-17. The once 22-point Florida State lead had been diminished to a mere five. Seeing the signs of an all too familiar occurrence, the Florida State faithful had to have begun thinking to themselves, Here we go again.

4. Trey Benson runs it up the gut for a 62-yard rushing TD

All season long, Mike Norvell has preached to his team about responding to adversity, and they once again found themselves in a position to face adversity head-on in the opening moments of the third quarter. Three straight empty drives for the Seminole offense had allowed the Hokies to creep back in, and another empty drive to open up the second half (especially after a dramatic 99-yard kickoff return) could have shifted the momentum fully in Virginia Tech’s favor. Looking to avoid the pitfalls of their previous close calls, the Florida State offense took the field, and respond they did.

Quarterback Jordan Travis connected with receiver Johnny Wilson for a 13-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. With a fresh set of downs at the FSU 38, Travis handed the ball off to running back Trey Benson. Benson followed his blockers out to his left side, shuffled his feet, and made a cut back inside. He sifted through the teeth of the defense and burst out into the open field as he crossed the 50-yard line. Benson sprinted down the sideline on his way to the end zone, but he still had one man to beat. As he neared the 10-yard line, the last remaining Hokie defender outstretched his arms in an attempt to prevent the score, but the running back extended his arm and delivered a stiff arm right into the defender's face, knocking him down. Benson was home free and he made his way into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the afternoon.

The 2-play, 75-yard touchdown drive sparked OC Alex Atkins’ second-half offense and opened the door for what was soon to follow. For the moment, however, the ‘Noles took a 29-17 lead. 

5. Trey Benson brings matters to a close with an 85-yard TD run

Florida State’s offense had found its groove, and since Benson’s first touchdown run, they had tagged on another three points to further extend the lead. Meanwhile, the Florida State defense was giving the Hokies fits. Adam Fuller’s group had forced Virginia Tech into consecutive punting situations and even turned the ball over on downs whilst backed up deep within their own territory. The ‘Noles held a 32-17 midway through the fourth, but they showed no signs of slowing down. Mike Norvell’s squad was intent on leaving no room for error and sought to put the game away with one final nail in the coffin.

The run game, which had garnered its fair share of criticism over the last few weeks, answered the call on Saturday. It was not hard to see that the ‘Noles were actively focusing on the run game. Even when everyone knew it was coming, Virginia Tech was unable to wrangle the Florida State rushing attack. With just over eight and a half minutes remaining in the contest, there was no need for the Seminoles to revisit the drawing board. When their offense took the field following the turnover on downs, their mantra became clear: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

That’s when Trey Benson entered the picture…again.

On the first play from scrimmage, Jordan Travis once again handed the ball off to running back Trey Benson. Benson, in a move that was wholly reminiscent of Dalvin Cook’s time at FSU, bumped it out to the edge and turned on the afterburners as he raced toward the end zone with nothing but green grass ahead of him. There is no other colorful commentary to add about the run. Trey Benson was just gone. He simply took the ball and ran it 85 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the game.

Benson delivered that final nail in the coffin and pushed Florida State to a 39-17 victory behind his 11 carries, 200 yards, and two scores. Not to mention, he became the first Florida State running back to eclipse 200 rushing yards in a single game since Dalvin Cook and earned the honor of breaking the rock in the process.

If you’re a fan of Florida State, then Saturday was a nice dose of stress-free college football action. It’s hard to find an issue with 22-point win margins. That is, of course, unless you gambled on the ‘Noles covering the 24-point spread, Regardless of what side of the fence you’re on, Mike Norvell and the Seminoles took care of business on Saturday, churning out explosive plays with relative was and keeping their big picture goals alive in the process. The season is far from over and we’re in no place to determine a national champion right now, but if the ‘Noles can continue to churn out wins of this nature, they’ll continue to warrant a mention in that conversation.

Fourth-ranked FSU (5-0, 3-0 ACC) will return home on Saturday at noon to face off against head coach Dino Babers and the Syracuse Orange (4-2, 0-2 ACC).

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