Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
FSU cruises in rout of Delaware State
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher longed for his football team to play in this type of game throughout its disappointing season.
After Hurricane Irma caused a three-week layoff between the first two games, forcing FSU to play 11 consecutive contests to finish the regular season, Fisher believed the Seminoles needed a game like this earlier in the year to instill confidence to carry them throughout the season.
After Saturday’s blowout win of Delaware State, FSU hopes to ride the momentum and continuity gained to finish its trying season by continuing a long-standing tradition.
FSU scored 56 points in the first half and cruised to a 77-6 win over Delaware State in front of an announced crowd of 70,599 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“We dominated the game the way we should’ve dominated the game,” Fisher said after complimenting Delaware State. “We went out and played, and there’s something to that.”
FSU began the season ranked as a No. 3 team before losing to No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Miami, Louisville, NC State and Boston College, dropping out of the ACC Atlantic Division race in early September.
While an early season blowout like Saturday’s could have fostered some momentum, the Seminoles find themselves needing victories at Florida next week and during the home finale against Louisiana Monroe, rescheduled to Dec. 2 because of Irma, to reach six wins for bowl eligibility and extend the nation’s longest bowl game streak to 36 years.
“It’s going to be a tough task. We’re going to have our hands full, and they’re going to be two teams trying to not be the team that allows us to do it,” Fisher said. “We’re going to have to play two great games.”
FSU’s opponent Saturday was glaringly inferior — an FCS team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that entered the contest after its third victory in the last three seasons and lost by 71 points to the Seminoles.
While Delaware State presented some challenges early, outgaining FSU by 50 yards and scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Nyfease West in the first quarter, the contest got out of reach in a hurry.
Both teams agreed to reduce the third and fourth quarters to 10 minutes apiece after FSU entered halftime with a 56-6 lead, tied for the most scored in a half since racking up 52 points against Tulane in 1992.
The Seminoles scored offensive, defensive and special teams touchdowns in the first quarter, highlighted by a scoop-and-score 43-yard touchdown by cornerback Tarvarus McFadden after a blocked field goal by defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas and a pick-six from standout safety Derwin James.
The McFadden’s touchdown was the Seminoles’ first blocked field goal returned for a score since 2006, while James’ pick-six was FSU’s first since 2014. It was also the first touchdown of each player’s three-year careers.
“We’re trying to fight for that,” McFadden said of FSU’s bowl eligibility for the rest of the season. “We have a lot to play for.”
Junior running back Jacques Patrick, of Orlando, scored two rushing touchdowns on his three carries for 28 yards, freshman Cam Akers scored a rushing touchdown and quarterback James Blackman finished 11 of 15 for 179 yards with three touchdown passes for the Seminoles.
Receiver Nyqwan Murray, of Orlando, finished with four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown, while Auden Tate caught his sixth touchdown of the season on his lone 3-yard reception. Fullback Gabe Nabers also scored his first career touchdown reception.
After Delaware State gained 128 yards of offense in the first quarter, compared to FSU’s 78 yards, the Hornets finished the game with just 64 yards of offense the rest of the way.
The Seminoles used the second half to get a number of second- and third-string players game action.
Fifth-year running back Ryan Green led the team with 96 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns in the second half on senior day, his first touchdowns since FSU’s 2013 national championship season.
Backup quarterback J.J. Cosentino also tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to walk-on receiver Justin Motlow that will go down in school history. Motlow is the first player in the Seminole Tribe of Florida to play for the Seminoles.
The 71-point win is FSU’s second-largest margin of victory in program history, three points shy of a 74-0 win over Whiting Field in 1949.
Now, the Seminoles turn their attention to visiting the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Nov. 25 with the hopes of winning their fifth consecutive game in the series.
“We just have to feed off this week and bring it into next week, continue what we were doing and it’s going to be a good one,” FSU senior receiver Ermon Lane said.