CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Florida State’s Jordan Travis threw for 212 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the No. 3 Seminoles held off a ferocious rally to edge Boston College 31-29 on Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams in Boston.
The Seminoles (3-0, 1-0 ACC) seemed to put the game out of reach when Travis threw a 4-yard touchdown to Preston Daniel and DJ Lundy found the end zone from the 1 within the first four minutes of the third quarter to take a 31-10 lead.
But, on their annual celebration of life for Welles Crowther, The Man with the Red Bandana, the BC Eagles (1-2) stormed back.
Kye Robichaux rushed for a 1-yard TD with 1:02 left in the third and Khari Johnson recovered a fumble and returned it 8 yards for another score to make it 31-22 with 11:18 left in the game.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos later capped a nine-play, 95-yard drive with a 7-yard scoring scramble to pull Boston College within two.
The Eagles ended up getting the ball back and made it to their own 40, but Kalen DeLoach’s 14-yard sack forced BC to punt.
Boston College’s defense forced a fourth down to provide a chance for the offense to go win the game, but a face mask penalty gave FSU an automatic first down, and the Seminoles ran out the clock to ward off the upset.
Travis completed 16 of 24 passes, while Trey Benson led the rushing attack with 68 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Castellanos had 305 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 20-for-33 passing for the Eagles, who committed a program-record 18 penalties that cost them 132 yards. He also ran for 95 yards and the score on 16 carries.
Benson plunged into the end zone from 2 yards out with 1:27 remaining in the first half to send Florida State into the break up 17-10.
Boston College opened the game with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Castellanos’ 32-yard touchdown pass to Lewis Bond.
Ryan Fitzgerald made good on a 30-yard field goal on the Seminoles’ ensuing possession to make it 7-3, but Liam Connor nailed a 21-yarder with 13:22 left in the second quarter to restore the Eagles’ seven-point advantage.
Just 2:59 later, Travis connected with Jaheim Bell for a 19-yard TD that drew Florida State even at 10.
–Field Level Media