FSU holds off North Carolina rally, upsets No. 5 Tar Heels
Florida State players raced onto Bobby Bowden Field and around Doak Campbell Stadium to celebrate the biggest win of coach Mike N orv el l’ s tenure.
The Florida State Seminoles dominated in all phases of the game early and held off a late North Carolina rally, earning a 31-28win over the No. 5TarHeels late Saturday night.
“I believe in these guys,” Norvell said after the win. “I believe in our players. It wasn’t about North Carolina, it’s about us playing the best thatwe can play.”
The Seminoles (2-3, 1-3 ACC) built a 24-point firsthalf lead by consistently executing on both sides of the ball.
FSU quarterback Jordan Travis continued to be a game-changer for the Seminoles, completing 8 of 19 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 107 yards and twomore scores on 16 carries, helping the Seminoles race out to an early lead.
UNC quarterback Sam Howell, who was committed to FSU and flipped his commitment to the Tar Heels, completed 20 of 36 passes for 374 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Howell led a North Carolina offense that scored 21 points in the second half
and was pushing for the victory, but two consecutive dropped passes during the Tar Heels’ final drive sealed the Florida State win.
Therewere signs of trouble for the Seminoles in the second half.
Travis appeared to be protecting his left arm and shoulder after he seemed to
injure it in the fourth quarter. He scrambled after the injury for a gain, but he didn’t seem capable of passing the ball.
He brushed off the suggestion he may have suffered a significant injury.
“I feel 100%. I feel great,” Travis said after the game before praising his teammates for their support. “Theywere fighting for me, so Iwas fighting for them.”
While Travis earns praise for sparking the offense that struggled to score earlier this season and pushing to keep playing despite appearing to be in pain, he noted the defense played a key role in helping the Seminoles build their early lead.
FSU’s defense came out with energy, working together to limit North Carolina’s typically prolific attack. Linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. finished with a teamhigh nine tackles while defensive tackle Marvin Wilson forced Howell to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid pressure. Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh also pressured Howell and returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown that pushed FSU ahead 24-0and added to the Tar Heels’ early frustration.
“They’re the reason why we won the game, to be honest,” Travis said of the defense. “… Their energy that they brought made everyone else just go. They had so much energy andwe were comfortable.” FSU’s strong play fired up an announced crowd of 18,016 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. While far from full capacity, the fans were joined by the full marching band and cheered loud enough to give the Seminoles a commanding homefield advantage.
Norvell said the team’s success was the result of having remained bought into a new system and staying focused during practice leading up to the game.
“This was probably the best week of preparation,” Norvell said.
North Carolina rallied after falling behind. While the FSU offense didn’t score in the second half, the unit took sometime off the clock and leaned on the defense.
The Seminoles’ defense kept pressure on Howell and was disruptive during the final drive, giving FSU a big win.
“There’s areas for growth and that’s where I believe you grow in confidence,” Norvell said. “We needed to be consistent. We’re going to push and be better.”