FSU vs. NC State: Score and Twitter Reaction
Florida State's run toward a second consecutive national championship is still in play, after the Seminoles came back from a 17-point first-quarter deficit to defeat North Carolina State. The thrilling back-and-forth contest ended with a final score of 56-41.
Quarterback Jameis Winston tossed four touchdowns for the 'Noles, while Karlos Williams overcame a slow start to finish with three rushing touchdowns.
Here is a quarter-by-quarter look at the score from the ACC contest:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Seminoles | 7 | 14 | 21 | 14 | 56 |
| Wolfpack | 24 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 41 |
The Seminoles have everything: a national title-winning buzz-saw defense, a mammoth offensive line, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in Winston and a fantastic coach in Jimbo Fisher. NC State simply ignored the sterling pedigree and put up 24 points in the first quarter, a novel event in Florida State's long and storied history, per ESPN Stats & Info:
NC State opened the scoring with a 54-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett to wideout Bo Hines.
Winston—back in action after a one-game suspension that forced him to sit out the Seminoles' tightrope win over Clemson—quickly pulled the 'Noles back, firing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jesus Wilson to tie the game at 7-7.
ESPN's Jared Shanker noted the bizarre series of events before the play, which included a first-down catch nullified by an NC State timeout call:
Fans on Twitter had a good bit of fun with Wilson's name:
The Wolfpack responded, putting together a 13-play drive that ended in a three-yard scoring run from halfback Shadrach Thornton.
The Seminoles' troubles continued on the ensuing possession. A fearsome NC State pass rush got the best of the Florida State offensive line, and defensive tackle T.Y. McGill hit Winston from behind and forced a fumble that the defense recovered, leading to an NC State field goal.
The upset-alert meter hit Wolfpack Red when Brissett made one of the plays of the year, scrambling to his right, shedding a pair of would-be tacklers and then floating a pass to wide receiver Johnathan Alston in the end zone just before he fell out of bounds.
The powers that be at SportsCenter were justifiably excited:
Brissett used to play for Florida, who would be happy to have a quarterback of his caliber this season, as Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman noted:
The atmosphere at Carter-Finley Stadium was electric, but Florida State showed its No. 1 ranking wasn't based on reputation alone with a fantastic start to the second quarter. Winston executed a wonderful drive that ended in a Karlos Williams touchdown run, and then FSU's defense forced a three-and-out. Winston took advantage of some very favorable field position, tossing a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Christian Green.
The rapidly improved performance caused Sports Illustrated's Pete Thamel to wonder if Florida State was simply repeating a slow start from last season:
The Wolfpack offense fizzled as the second quarter dragged on, but the defense held tough and prevented the 'Noles from scoring the rest of the way. Both teams struggled to establish a sound running game. Williams finished with just 41 yards at the half, while Thornton put up only 37 yards of his own on the ground for the home team.
Winston started off the second half with a costly mistake, firing a pass over the middle that freshman linebacker Jerod Fernandez did well to intercept.
Brissett took over the ensuing drive, marching the Wolfpack down the field. He drew rave reviews for flipping a pass to running back Matt Dayes while getting dragged to the turf by two 'Noles defenders, then scrambled for first downs on consecutive plays to take his team deep into enemy territory. Brissett finished off the drive with a missile strike to Dayes in front of the end zone to give the Wolfpack some much-needed breathing room.
ESPN's ACC Twitter account recognized Brissett's magic on the drive:
"Fun fact: Jacoby Brissett’s middle name is Houdini. Probably.
— ESPN ACC (@ESPN_ACC) September 27, 2014"
Winston refused to wilt under the pressure, showing off a preternatural ability to shrug off mistakes by calmly and efficiently commandeering the 'Noles on a nine-play, 81-yard scoring drive, which was finished off with a peach of a run by backup tailback Dalvin Cook.
It stands to reason that few teams can go toe-to-toe, tit-for-tat with the Seminoles. Something had to give way for the Wolfpack to complete the upset, and it turned out to be turnovers. FSU wideout Rashad Greene fumbled on a punt return that the Wolfpack's Malcolm Means pounced on, allowing the upset-minded hosts to take a 38-28 lead on another bruising Thornton touchdown run.
ESPN U couldn't help but dig up this gem to capture the excitement of Wolfpack fans:
The resiliency of Winston was astounding, and his teammates rewarded his brave play. He tossed touchdown passes—to Wilson and Greene, respectively—on either side of a costly Brissett fumble in the third quarter, putting the 'Noles in front 42-38 for their first lead of the afternoon. The full head of steam built up in that 24-point first quarter had slowly dissipated over the course of the contest.
ESPN ACC noted the silence overtaking the stadium:
"Jameis Winston to Rashad Greene for a TD, and #FSU has its first lead of the day, up 42-38. It’s gotten awfully quiet here all of a sudden.
— ESPN ACC (@ESPN_ACC) September 27, 2014"
Florida State took a 49-38 lead early in the fourth quarter on a Williams touchdown run, and the Wolfpack's hopes of a famous win looked to be in serious jeopardy after a 14-play drive ended with a lost Brissett fumble.
The day was not yet won for Florida State, as Fernandez came up with his second interception of the day, which led to an NC State field goal and gave the team some life heading into the final minutes of play.
Williams snuffed out that hope on the Seminoles' ensuing possession, ripping off big chunks of yardage and capping the drive with a 12-yard scoring run to create the final score of 56-41.
Florida State doesn't have a signature, dominant win as of yet on the season, but as long as it avoids a mark in the loss column, it appears destined to head to the College Football Playoff. Winston's leadership and ability to put together long drives in the face of immense pressure make him one of college football's best players.
Winston himself remained supremely confident, via Aaron Beard of The Associated Press. "When's the last time the offense and defense actually clicked on the same note? I don't know. We've got so much potential. We've got so much to look for. I'm telling you, that's the most exciting part."
It's the Wolfpack's first loss of the season, but the fight they showed in this game makes them considerable threats in the ACC going forward. As long as they recover from this disappointing loss, the Wolfpack look like a team capable of finishing the season as one of the Top 25 teams in the nation.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
