SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: Deondre Francois #12 of the Florida State Seminoles runs with the ball during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on September 15, 2018 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeats Florida State 30-7. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
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Florida State football traveled up to Syracuse looking for answers on Saturday. Instead, after a 30-7 dismantling from the hands of the Orange, FSU is left with more questions.
Much like the two contests before, nothing went right for the Seminoles (1-2, 0-2 ACC) from the start of the game. The offensive line struggled out the gate and it was on quarterback Deondre Francois and the receivers to propel the ball forward.
Instead, the Seminoles couldn’t gain any momentum and were plagued by drops and misreads on read-option plays. It was encapsulated near the end of the first half when FSU looked to respond to a 6-0 deficit. TIt made it all the way into the Syracuse red zone with time winding down. Francois threw a curl to Keith Gavin, who failed to get out of bounds, letting the clock expire.
The offense finished with just 240 total yards and 4.0 yards per play. Consider that Wagner faced off against the Orange last week and gained 280 yards on 3.8 yards per play.
Francois finished 18-for-36 for 178 yards and one interception. Cam Akers was the leading rusher with 10 carries for 52 yards. Keith Gavin had six receptions for 79 yards.
Once again, for the third straight game, the defense gets a pass for its performance today. The Seminoles held a very potent quarterback in Eric Dungey to just 108 total yards before halftime. Dungey was injured near the end of the second quarter and did not return.
The defense did give up 24 in the second half, but that was mainly due to the offense putting them in unfavorable positions. It was similar to the Virginia Tech contest, where the Hokies finally broke through the defense late in the game.
Dontavious Jackson led the team in tackles with 14, including two tackles for loss. Kyle Meyers had another big game, forcing a fumble and pulling off multiple athletic defensive plays. Brian Burns was the highlight on the defensive line with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
FSU hosts Northern Illinois next week. Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 ACC) will host Connecticut.
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