Everything Noles: For Florida State Seminoles Fans

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FSU FLIPS FIVE-STAR FROM MIAMI: What does blue-chip defensive lineman Armondo Blount’s commitment mean for Florida State Seminoles? Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Sunday evening brought news that 5-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount has flipped from the Miami Hurricanes to the Florida State Seminoles and will be reclassifying to the 2024 cycle.

Assuming Blount retains his status as a 5-star in the reclassification, Mike Norvell’s staff becomes the fifth team in the nation to hold commitments from multiple composite 5-star prospects.

Tomahawk Nation’s Three Stars are here to break down what it all means for the Tribe. Josh Pick was busy making kale smoothies tonight, so Tim Alumbaugh and David Stout discuss this significant recruiting victory and touch on the following questions:

What is FSU getting in Armondo Blount?
How important is this commitment for FSU’s defensive line recruiting efforts?
Why is he so highly thought of by recruiting analysts?
Where might he line up to start at FSU?
Where might he be ranked once reclassified into the 2024 cycle?

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FSU beats Duke in dramatic fashion: Mike Norvell interview after Florida State Seminoles move to 7-0 on the season Oct 22, 2023

Show notes

The Florida State Seminoles took everything the Duke Blue Devils could give them tonight and prevailed with the 38-20 win to improve to 7-0 on the season.

Duke took control early on the back of strong play in the trenches and just enough playmaking from QB Riley Leonard, whose availability was a big question heading into the game. The Blue Devils held the lead from the game’s first score through the early 4th quarter.

At that point, FSU QB Jordan Travis took over with his legs and led the Noles on back-to-back TD drives capped off by a 2-yard run and 21-yard screen pass from Travis to push the Noles from down 3 to up 11 and they never looked back.

Travis finished the game with 268 yards through the air, 62 yards on the ground and 3 total touchdowns. That effort also made him Florida State’s all-time yardage leader.

The Noles closed on a 31-3 run after trailing 17-7 in the early going.

FSU miscues were the story of the early portion of the game. Florida State’s first two drives both ended in turnovers on downs, resulting in a 10-0 lead for Duke.

The Noles were able to respond with a 13-play, 85-yard drive where Jordan Travis was nearly perfect. He capped off the drive with a 7-yard TD on a swing pass to Caziah Holmes in the flat.

The score held at 10-7 until another Florida State mistake, this time from Travis. Backed up near his own goalline, he tried to hit Keon Coleman near the sticks on a 3rd down and long, but the ball gets popped up in the air, picked and run back for a Duke touchdown to widen the Blue Devils lead to 17-7.

But the lead didn’t stay that way for long.

Deuce Spann went deuces to the Duke kickoff coverage unit to get FSU back within 3 at 17-14.

The two teams traded field goals before half to make it 20-17 at the break.

Duke had the first chance to score in the second half as they had a long drive get them inside the FSU 5, but a sack of Riley Leonard earlier in the drive reaggravated his ankle injury, forcing backup QB Henry Belin IV in for the final set of downs of the drive. The Blue Devils ran it three straight times to set up a 4th and 3 from the 5, but Belin’s pass fell incomplete.

The following drive was the 96-yard, 14-play contest that gave FSU its first lead of the contest. Jordan Travis using his legs was responsible for 40 of the 96 yards including the go-ahead 2-yard TD run.

Running backs Lawrance Toafili and Rodney Hill added touchdowns late to pad that lead to 38-20.

With UNC’s loss to Virginia, Florida State now stands alone atop the ACC standings.

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Week 8 Picks and College Football DFS Plays: B1G matchup in Columbus between Ohio State and Penn State, ranked showdown in Tallahassee between Florida State Seminioles and Duke Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

There’s always one matchup on the college football slate that can save a weekend. This week, that’s Ohio State-Penn State.

Sure, Florida State-Duke is also on the slate, but the spread there is quite a bit larger. Plus, Riley Leonard’s potential limitations push that game out of the must-watch category for non-FSU fans (though most of you are so watch you heart out. I’ll be right there with you).

But the rest of the CFB world will zero in on Columbus.

Ryan Day was plenty happy to crown his team as the hardest working in the country and wage war against whatever’s left of Lou Holtz at this point after his team survived against ten Notre Dame players a few weeks back. But for those not staring through whatever lens has you shouting “It’s always been Ohio vs. the world” into microphones on national TV, this team appears to be Marvin Harrison Jr. and a bunch of guys.

And Penn State is equipped as well as anyone to take away that weapon. But to do so, they’ve got to overcome their own coaching staff’s limitations.

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FSU vs. Duke preview: Can Duke upset FSU? Seminoles vs. Blue Devils breakdown, analysis with Donald Wine of Duke Basketball Report Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

The Florida State Seminoles head into Saturday’s matchup at a perfect 6-0 following a blowout of the Syracuse Orange.

This weekend, the Seminoles will host the Duke Blue Devils under the lights in a primetime showdown at Doak Campbell.

Each week, as part of our Line of Scrimmage series, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting all the details from those who know those teams best.

Duke comes into town sitting at 5-1, their best start since 2018. The Blue Devils are led by quarterback Riley Leonard, who is currently day-to-day with a high ankle sprain. Head coach Mike Elko has Duke playing at a high level, which could spell trouble for the Seminoles if Jordan Travis and the offense come out of the gates slow. We’ll dive into what to expect from this veteran-led squad with Donald Wine of Duke Basketball Report.

Well, if we’re going to talk Duke football, we got to start with the reigning ACC coach of the year, Mike Elko. After leading the Blue Devils to a 9-4 record his first season, he has Duke at 5-1, with just one heart breaking loss to Sam Hartman and Notre Dame. What’s been the secret with Elko? We knew he was a great defensive coordinator, but this is largely the same team that was 3-9 just two years ago right? There wasn’t a secret Colorado-esque roster overhaul that everyone ignored?

Let’s start on offense and with the signal caller, by now we’ve all seen that Riley Leonard can dunk, but the kid does a great job leading this Kevin Johns schemed offense. But Leonard is also coming off the ankle injury so we need to also talk Henry Belin IV. Where do each of these signal callers stand out and where might they struggle on Saturday night?

This running game is led by Jordan Waters but that number is a little deceiving as prior to the injury, it was quarterback Riley Leonard as the rushing leader. Overall, Duke is averaging a shade under 200 yards on the ground each game. What type of back is Waters and what can FSU fans expect from this running game this weekend?

Jalon Calhoun and Jordan Moore both had successful 2022 seasons and they’ve picked up right where they left off halfway through this year. They’ve combined for 49 receptions and nearly 700 yards through the first six games. Just looking at the bios, these aren’t the tall targets like the Seminoles have, where has this duo found success these last two years?

The offensive line is anchored by stud left tackle Graham Barton. But it’s not Barton and everyone else. This is an experienced group with four grad transfers. Tell us about this veteran line.

Let’s flip over to defense, specifically the defensive line. Another experienced group of two grad students and two redshirt seniors. FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins specifically mentioned defensive tackle Ja’Mion Franklin. But just like the offensive line, it’s not just Franklin, this is an impressive unit with I believe 11.5 sacks among the defensive line. Where has this group excelled and is there an area that the Seminoles could potentially have an advantage?

Onto the second line, Tre Freeman is the team leader in tackles. He and Dorian Mausi both have an interception. This is another experienced unit. How have you felt the backers have performed so far this year?

Finally, an area that really interests me, the Duke secondary. So much attention has been placed on Florida State receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. How do you expect this secondary to hand out the assignments and which of these guys stand out the most for you?

What are your thoughts on how Saturday plays out?

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FSU continues best start since 2015: Did Florida State take a step forward in blowout win over Syracuse? How do Seminoles match up with Duke? Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

In its 41-3 win over Syracuse on Saturday, the Florida State Seminoles arguably played their most dominant game of the season on both sides of the ball.

The offense ran through Keon Coleman with his 9 catches, 140 yards, 1 touchdown, and incredible one-handed catch. Jaheim Bell was the ‘Noles next leading receiver with 87 yards after only playing 7 snaps the week prior.

Their defense allowed only 3 points against Syracuse matching their best performances of the last 2 seasons (Syracuse and Miami last season).

The Seminoles Wrap crew (without Brian Pellerin) — Ben Meyerson and Jon Marchant dive into why the defense is playing so well and if the Seminoles rushing offense has turned the corner.

Mike Norvell had some questionable moments in play calling and the offense still has more room for growth. They examine how the offense has shown more in the last two games and if they can continue that.

Jordan Travis also looked visibly frustrated in this game in a way that we have not seen from him, for a player who is so often collected and calm it was surprising to see.

There is still a lot of season left for growth with the offense, but the defense seems to be finding form at the right time.

They also discuss why Duke could be the worst matchup this season for FSU (depending on Riley Leonard’s health) and how that game will shake out in Tallahassee.

According to DraftKings, FSU is currently favored by 14 over Duke with the over/under set at 49.

We also look ahead to the rest of the Seminoles' schedule with Miami and how the ACC will play out this season behind Florida State.

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FSU is 6-0: Mike Norvell interview after Florida State Seminoles beat Syracuse Orange 41-3 Oct 14, 2023

Show notes

No. 4 Florida State extended its winning streak dating back to last season to 12 games on Saturday, taking down the Syracuse Orange 41-3.

It was a game highlighted by a dominant performance from Keon Coleman, who logged 247 all-purpose yards (140 yards through the air, 107 on punt return) with impressive play after impressive play.

His 58-yard touchdown reception was a career-long, as well as his 72-yard punt return that fell just short of the end zone.

The Florida State defense had an impressive day of its own, with the starters holding the Orange to just three points before the game shifted to garbage time.

FSU now has a four-game win streak over Syracuse, leading the all-time series 14-2.

Next up for Florida State is a home matchup vs. the No. 17 Duke Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0 ACC). Duke faces off against the NC State Wolfpack (4-2, 1-1 ACC).

Florida State 41, Syracuse 3: Final Stats

Florida State Passing:

Jordan Travis: 23-37, 284 yards, 1 TD

Tate Rodemaker: 2-2, 60 yards, 1 TD

Florida State Rushing:

Lawrance Toafili: 7 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD

Trey Benson: 14 carries, 74 yards

Caziah Holmes: 2 carries, 11 yards

Deuce Spann: 1 carry, 1 yard

Jaheim Bell: 1 carry, 0 yards

Team: 1 carry, -2 yards

Jordan Travis: 7 carries, -5 yards, 2 TDs

Florida State Receiving:

Keon Coleman: 9 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD

Jaheim Bell: 4 receptions, 87 yards

Destyn Hill: 3 receptions, 10 yards

Darion Williamson: 2 receptions, 23 yards

Markestson Douglas: 2 receptions, 5 yards

Hykeem Williams: 1 reception, 44 yards, 1 TD

Caziah Holmes: 1 reception, 16 yards

Lawrance Toafili: 1 reception, 11 yards

Trey Benson: 1 reception, 6 yards

Kyle Morlock: 1 reception, 2 yards

Total Yds

Syracuse: 261

Florida State: 535

Pass Yds

Syracuse: 137

Florida State: 344

Rush Yds

Syracuse: 124

Florida State: 191

Penalties

Syracuse: 2-8

Florida State: 6-50

1st Downs

Syracuse: 12

Florida State: 22

3rd Downs

Syracuse: 6-19

Florida State: 9-17

4th Downs

Syracuse: 1-2

Florida State: 0-2

Total Plays

Syracuse: 67

Florida State: 73

Avg Yds/Play

Syracuse: 3.9

Florida State: 7.3

Avg Yds/Completion

Syracuse: 11.4

Florida State: 13.8

Avg Yds/Rush

Syracuse: 3.4

Florida State: 5.6

Sack-Adj Rush Yd(Avg)

Syracuse: 145 (4.4)

Florida State: 206 (6.4)

Red Zone

Syracuse: 1-2

Florida State: 3-4

Time of Poss

Syracuse: 32:59

Florida State: 27:01

Turnovers (Def Pts Off)

Syracuse: 2 (0)

Florida State: 0 (0)

Fumbles-Lost

Syracuse: 2-1

Florida State: 3-0

Sacks (Def Yds)

Syracuse: 2 (15)

Florida State: 3 (20)

TFL (Def Yds)

Syracuse: 4 (19)

Florida State: 6 (27)

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College Football Picks, DFS Plays: Making predictions and picks for Week 7 of the 2023 College Football Season Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Syracuse Orange (+17.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (Noon ET, ABC)

No. 8 Oregon Ducks (+3.5) at No. 7 Washington Huskies (3:30pm ET, ABC)

Texas A&M Aggies (+3.5) at No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers (3:30pm ET, CBS)

No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks (-3.5) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (3:30pm ET, FS1)

Auburn Tigers (+11.5) at No. 22 LSU Tigers (7:00pm ET, ESPN)

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes (+3.5) at No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels (7:30pm ET, ABC)

No. 10 USC Trojans (+2.5) at No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7:30pm ET, NBC)

Missouri Tigers (+2.5) at No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats (7:30pm ET, SECN)

No. 18 UCLA Bruins (+4.5) at No. 15 Oregon State Beavers (8:00pm ET, FOX)

NC State Wolf Pack (+3.5) at No. 17 Duke Blue Devils (8:00pm ET, ACCN)

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FSU vs. Syracuse breakdown: How does Syracuse’s offense, defense match up with Florida State? Can the Orange upset the Seminoles in Tallahassee? with Christian De Guzman of NunesMagician Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

The Florida State Seminoles reached 5-0 on the season after a win over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

This weekend, they’ll host the Syracuse Orange in an attempt to reach bowl eligibility.

Each week, as part of our Line of Scrimmage series, we’ll be speaking with members of the beat that covers FSU’s upcoming opponent, getting all the details from those who know those teams best.

The Syracuse season started off hot with a 4-0 record but will be headed into Tallahassee after back-to-back losses. To help us catch up on the up and down season for the Orange, we’ll be joined by Christian De Guzman of SBNation’s NunesMagician, who tackled the following questions:

Let’s start with head coach Dino Babers. I like Babers, I could start each day watching his locker room speech after the Virginia Tech upset. He’s 4-2 on the season, after a 7-6 record last year. What’s the overall feelings with Babers at the helm for Syracuse? Are you happy with where he has the program?
While last year saw quarterback Garrett Shrader and the Orange struggle against Florida State, it was a different story in 2021 when Shrader shredded the Seminoles with 137 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. This year, he ran wild against Purdue but has been pretty contained, at least on the ground, in the other games. Where do you feel Shrader has improved overall this year? And where does he still struggle?
Sticking to the backfield, Sean Tucker is gone and in his place is LeQuint Allen. The sophomore is averaging just over 4.5 yards per carry this season. Is Allen the big bruising back or the speedy/shifty type? Also, any other names to know from the backfield?
As far as receiving, Shrader appears to have spread the ball around pretty well so far with eight players catching at least six passes. Who are the names to know at receiver or tight end? And has the group taken any steps back with the Oronde Gadsden injury?
Last question on offense, Shrader has been sacked 14 times this season and the offensive line has suffered it’s fair share of injuries with the loss of David Wohlabaugh and Kalan Ellis. What’s your thoughts on the big guys up front?
Flipping over to defense, through the first four games, the Orange defense held up well before allowing 31 to Clemson and 40 to North Carolina. Would you put that on just the step up in competition or has the defense taken a step back overall?
Let’s go front to back on defense. Caleb Okechukwu is following up his breakout season of seven sacks with two so far this season. He’s joined by Terry Lockett, Kevon Darton, and others on this defensive front. What does this line do well? And is there an area where it has struggled this year?
I love a good linebacker name and Marlowe Wax is a fantastic one. What’s the defensive junior backer bring to this team? And how have you felt the second line has performed this year?
Finally, the secondary. The Orange saw quite a bit of transition in the off-season in this position group. Garrett Williams is in the NFL, Duce Chestnut is at LSU, Ja’Had Carter is at Ohio State. How has Syracuse handled the secondary turnover?

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Recapping Virginia Tech blowout, previewing Florida State vs. Syracuse: Have Seminoles figured out problem areas? Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

The Florida State Seminoles rushing attack looked a lot more to what was envisioned in the preseason as they rolled through Virginia Tech en route to a 39-17 victory.

The Noles certainly appeared to use the bye week to work on and improve on some of their struggles — first and foremost that run game. Trey Benson easily cleared their previous season-high of 79 yards when he posted 200 yards on just 11 carries.

His 18.2 yards per rush was the highest-ever mark for a Florida State back, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

This week, the Seminole Wrap crew — Brian Pellerin, Jon Marchant and Ben Meyerson — looks at some of those adjustments made to get the wheels churning for the offense.

The other main question mark was the defense’s ability to get off the field on third down and, again, they appeared to have made the necessary adjustments over the bye week as they held VT to 2 of 13 on third.

Have the Seminoles figured out those problem areas for good or was it more a product of Virginia Tech’s limitations?

Plus, we look ahead to next week’s contest with Syracuse — what challenges could the Orange present for FSU and where can the Noles take advantage of some Syracuse weak spots?

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FSU moves to 5-0: Mike Norvell postgame interview after Florida State Seminoles beat Virginia Tech Hokies 39-17 Oct 08, 2023

Show notes

No. 5 Florida State returned to Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday after two road games and a bye, taking on the Virginia Tech Hokies in an ACC matchup.

The Seminoles stormed out to a 22-0 lead in the first quarter, the most points to start a game this season. It was the performance expected after a week off, with FSU only allowing the Hokies to gain 9 yards through 15 minutes of play.

Virginia Tech managed to put together two scoring drives in the second quarter while FSU only had two possessions to close out the first half, making the score 22-10 at half.

The Hokies then came out swinging to start the third, scoring on kickoff to make it a one-score game (the first kickoff returned on the Seminoles since 2004.)

Florida State quickly negated that score with a touchdown of its own, a 62-yard dash by Trey Benson — which stood as his career-high for about quarter and a half.

FSU added on a Ryan Fitzgerald field goal to round out the fourth, making things 32-17 as the Hokies continued to try and find a spark. A key drive saw them nearly convert on a 4th-and-22 situation, but Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones fell one-yard short and on the next play, Benson hit an 85-yard run to put Florida State up by 22.

With the game in hand Jordan Travis left the game with just over five minutes in the fourth, finishing with a statline of 18 of 24 completions for 170 yards and two touchdowns, both to Johnny Wilson.

Virginia Tech, threatening to score in the final minutes of the game, fumbled after a 31-yard gain, giving Tate Rodemaker a chance to kneel the game out and solidify the 39-17 win.

With the win, Florida State is now 5-0 for the first time under Mike Norvell and overall since 2015.

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Everything Noles: For Florida State Seminoles Fans

The offensive line is anchored by stud left tackle Graham Barton. But it’s not Barton and everyone else. This is an experienced group with four grad transfers. Tell us about this veteran line.

Onto the second line, Tre Freeman is the team leader in tackles. He and Dorian Mausi both have an interception. This is another experienced unit. How have you felt the backers have performed so far this year?

Finally, an area that really interests me, the Duke secondary. So much attention has been placed on Florida State receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. How do you expect this secondary to hand out the assignments and which of these guys stand out the most for you?

What are your thoughts on how Saturday plays out?

Florida State 41, Syracuse 3: Final Stats

Syracuse Orange (+17.5) vs. No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (Noon ET, ABC)

No. 8 Oregon Ducks (+3.5) at No. 7 Washington Huskies (3:30pm ET, ABC)

Texas A&M Aggies (+3.5) at No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers (3:30pm ET, CBS)

No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks (-3.5) at Oklahoma State Cowboys (3:30pm ET, FS1)

Auburn Tigers (+11.5) at No. 22 LSU Tigers (7:00pm ET, ESPN)

No. 25 Miami Hurricanes (+3.5) at No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels (7:30pm ET, ABC)

No. 10 USC Trojans (+2.5) at No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7:30pm ET, NBC)

Missouri Tigers (+2.5) at No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats (7:30pm ET, SECN)

No. 18 UCLA Bruins (+4.5) at No. 15 Oregon State Beavers (8:00pm ET, FOX)

NC State Wolf Pack (+3.5) at No. 17 Duke Blue Devils (8:00pm ET, ACCN)

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