Florida State got its revenge. For the first time in the Mike Norvell Era, and the first time since 2017, the Seminoles leave Winston-Salem, N.C., with a win.
Jordan Travis threw for a season-high 359 yards with three touchdown passes, two apiece to Keon Coleman, and ran for another touchdown as No. 4 FSU pulled away early and defeated Wake Forest 41-16. The Demon Deacons had won three straight games in the series, including double-digit wins in 2021 and ’22.
FSU has now scored 30 or more points in 14 straight games. And the Seminoles did it by halftime — against a Wake defense that had allowed a season-high 30 points twice — even if the third quarter lacked any points or apparent focus.
The Seminoles (8-0, 6-0 ACC) moved one step closer toward clinching a spot in the ACC title game with only matchups remaining at Pittsburgh and against Miami. And they also made one more argument that could help them solidify, or potentially move up, when the initial College Football Playoff standings are released on Tuesday night.
Here are a few takeaways from FSU’s win at Wake Forest:
Coleman was impressive but it wasn’t just him
Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by this but the wide receiving corps have definitely come a long way in the last two years with how they’ve worked, blocked and built dependable depth. FSU played without Johnny Wilson, one of the top two receivers on the team, as well as freshmen Hykeem Williams and Destyn Hill. And the Seminoles still put up 41 points.
Yes, Coleman had a one-handed touchdown grab among his seven catches for 66 yards. But the passes were also distributed well. Trey Benson caught a short, screen pass and shook a few would-be tacklers for an 80-yard touchdown. Jaheim Bell had four catches for 51 yards, while Kyle Morlock had two catches for 45 yards (including a 32-yarder). We’ve often discussed and written about the increased production from the tight ends, and that was again on display Saturday.
The Seminoles were also able to get Kentron Poitier (33-yard grab) and Ja’Khi Douglas (two catches for 36 yards) on the board this season. If not for a holding penalty, Poitier would have had a long touchdown grab.
Part of being a top-5 team is having the depth to withstand a few injuries. Last year, some defensive line injuries contributed to a loss to Wake. On Saturday, it’s easy to say the combination of Wilson, Williams and Hill were missed. But the Seminoles didn’t miss out on a win.
On a day when Travis was throwing to some newer, primary targets, he missed a few passes and likely miscommunicated a few times but was still 22 of 35 (63 percent) for 359 yards and three touchdowns.
Defense cuts up the slow mesh
Even with Sam Hartman’s transfer to Notre Dame, there was concern over what Wake Forest and the slow-mesh offense could accomplish. And could Wake convert enough third downs?
FSU instead held Wake to just 210 offensive yards (82 in the air). The Demon Deacons have had their struggles on offense, managing an ACC-low 22 points per game, but this still feels like a very controlling performance by the FSU defense.
Wake turned it over on downs in the third quarter, a necessary attempt when trailing big, but credit to the FSU defense for the stop. The Seminoles also forced nine punts. Seven were three-and-outs.
The second-half shutout streak did end as Wake got a touchdown and a field goal in the third quarter. But FSU also secured a first-quarter shutout and a fourth-quarter shutout, so it wasn’t a bad 30 minutes of football there even if it wasn’t a true half.
Noteworthy
FSU put up 508 yards of offense. Benson led FSU’s ground game with 10 carries for 55 yards.
The Seminoles were penalized nine times for 115 yards, while Wake was flagged five times for 44 yards.
While Travis nearly tossed an interception and bobbled the ball on FSU’s first drive, the Seminoles did not have a turnover.
As expected, defensive lineman Dennis Briggs Jr. did not play. FSU coach Mike Norvell made that announcement midweek.
Alex Mastromanno had five punts for a 43.8-yard average, including a 54-yarder that was downed by Jarrian Jones at the Wake 1. Deuce Spann had a 43-yard kickoff return.
Ryan Fitzgerald made field-goal attempts from 46 and 34 before missing a 29-yarder, the first miss of his 2023 season.
