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Florida State

Heck of a Statement, But Just One Win

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TALLAHASSEE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos threw for only 106 yards but connected on two of his three total touchdowns as the visiting Boston College Eagles earned a 28-13, season-opening win over No. 10 Florida State in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Monday night in Florida.

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The Eagles (1-0, 1-0 ACC) possessed the ball for 39:09, rushed for 263 of its 369 total yards, and scored in four red zone trips en route to their first season-opening victory over a ranked opponent since 1976.

Boston’s Kye Robichaux rushed for a touchdown and caught another from Castellanos, who was 10-for-16 passing and also added 73 rush yards as Boston College built a 14-0 lead and never looked back.

Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward led the Eagles with 61 receiving yards and a touchdown while rushing for 77 more.

Florida State (0-2, 0-2) quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 21-for-42 for 272 yards and a touchdown, but threw an interception and was sacked three times.

Kentron Poitier had three catches for 79 yards and a score in the loss.

The Seminoles are the fourth Preseason AP Top 10 team to start 0-2 in the past 10 seasons, earning that dubious distinction for the second time in that span (2017).

In the first quarter, Boston College orchestrated a 14-play, 71-yard scoring drive while limiting the hosts to just 51 seconds of possession. Three third-down conversions fueled a red-zone march that culminated with Castellanos diving in for a 4-yard touchdown four seconds into the second quarter.

Ward was the top target on the Eagles’ second touchdown drive, taking a 13-yard catch-and-score to the front corner of the end zone at the 9:58 mark. Four plays earlier, he also had a key 42-yard reception and burst up the sideline.

 

Florida State Makes a Statement

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CHARLOTTE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – No. 4-ranked Florida State relied on a smothering defense and a two-headed ground attack to defeat No. 14 Louisville 16-6 in the ACC championship game Saturday night in North Carolina.

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Now the Seminoles (13-0) will await their postseason fate as the College Football Playoff committee weighs where to rank them without their injured star quarterback, Jordan Travis.

With No. 2 quarterback Tate Rodemaker held out Saturday due to a concussion, true freshman Brock Glenn made his first start and completed 8 of 21 passes for 55 yards.

Lawrance Toafili took 10 carries for 118 yards and the game’s only touchdown and Trey Benson added 67 rushing yards for Florida State.

Meanwhile, Louisville (10-3) was held to 188 total yards, with Jack Plummer going 14-for-36 for 111 yards and an interception. Braden Fiske had three of Florida State’s seven sacks, including one on fourth down with 2:35 to play. Jared Verse recorded two sacks.

The teams combined to start 0-for-9 on third downs as defense dominated the first quarter. A premature snap spoiled the Seminoles’ fifth third-down attempt, but Ryan Fitzgerald got them on the board with a 45-yard field goal with 10:32 before halftime.

Later, a 24-yard Louisville punt set Florida State up at the Cardinals’ 38-yard line for a 2-minute drill. But after Glenn lost 9 yards on a sack, Fitzgerald’s second 45-yard field-goal attempt of the night missed wide left, and it was just 3-0 at halftime.

The Cardinals went 56 yards in 13 plays on their first drive of the second half, ending in Brock Travelstead’s 36-yard field goal to tie the game. Jamari Thrash had two 11-yard receptions to power the drive.

But the Seminoles immediately responded when Toafili took a direct snap, hung back momentarily, then ran 73 yards down the right sideline to the Louisville 2. Toafili powered into the end zone on the next play at the 6:20 mark of the third quarter.

After Travelstead’s 33-yard field goal cut it to 10-6 with 13:36 left in regulation, Louisville forced a three-and-out. The Cardinals broke through the Seminoles’ punt protection and Jimmy Calloway tackled punter Alex Mastromanno at the 12-yard line.

But on third down, Plummer forced a throw in the middle of the end zone and Tatum Bethune intercepted it to quash Louisville’s golden opportunity.

Louisville’s final three drives netted a loss of 15 yards. Fitzgerald converted from 33 yards and 40 yards during the final 3:13 for the Seminoles’ final margin.

–Field Level Media

Florida St. Survives BC Upset Bid

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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.

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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

BC’s Tough Task | Red Bandana Game

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After a pair of dominant performances to start the season, Florida State finds itself among the top three teams in the nation for the first time in six years.

But the third-ranked Seminoles believe they haven’t reached their ceiling just yet, and they will look to continue climbing the ranks on Saturday when they face Boston College in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener at BC.

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Florida State (2-0) rose to No. 3 in the AP poll thanks to a 66-13 shellacking of Southern Miss last Saturday. It marks the Seminoles’ highest ranking since 2017, when they started the season as the third-best team in the country.

Through two games, FSU has outscored opponents 111-37. The Seminoles kicked off the 2023 campaign with a 45-24 victory over LSU on Sept. 3.

Although he is pleased with the progress his team has made just two years removed a stretch of four straight losing seasons, Florida State coach Mike Norvell is focused on avoiding complacency.

“Somebody says that we’re highly rated or highly ranked, whatever you call it, or not. None of that matters,” Norvell said. “It’s about what we’re willing to do when we show up and when we go to work.”

Norvell is eager to begin ACC play with a victory, but he knows that it won’t be easy.

“We understand what we want to achieve and what we want to do. This is a first step when it comes to coming into conference play,” Norvell said. “This is a big game up at BC.”

The Eagles (1-1) will have plenty to play for against FSU.

Saturday marks Boston College’s annual Red Bandanna Game, which honors alumnus Welles Crowther.

Crowther died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He was in the South Tower, where, with his red bandanna covering his nose and mouth amidst the smoke, he helped others evacuate the building before it collapsed.

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“We talk to our players about 9/11, about Welles, about the Red Bandanna Game,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said. “We teach them about … why we wear those jerseys. It’s not just to put on a new look. It’s way bigger than that.”

Boston College is bracing for its toughest opponent yet, as the Eagles opened their season with a 27-24 overtime loss to Northern Illinois before bouncing back to pull off a gritty 31-28 win over FCS Holy Cross last Saturday.

“They’re as deep as they’ve been,” Hafley said of the Seminoles. “They’re deep at wide receiver. … Every time you turn on the film, there’s a new guy who looks just as big and just as fast. They’ve got depth at running back.

“And then the quarterback. He’s just gotten better and better. If you turn on the tape from when we played him two years ago, he was young, then he got better and now he’s probably one of the best players in all of college football.”

That quarterback Hafley speaks so highly of is Jordan Travis, who has already thrown for 517 yards with six touchdowns against one interception.

Florida State has won 15 of its 20 all-time meetings with BC.

–Field Level Media