Despite a bumpy beginning to the season, FSU found some much-needed intensity on Saturday while turning back No. 5 North Carolina, 31-28.
At the beginning of the season, fans, coaches and players were excited to see what the Seminoles could accomplish. Entering the season with their third head coach, Mike Norvell, in the last four years, the Seminoles were optimistic about the season.
However, FSU was unable to pose a threat to opposing teams, bringing their record to 1-3 going into Saturday’s game.
With the help of more fans, great momentum and the presence of their head coach — Norvell missed a blowout loss in Miami when he was selfs-quarantiningafter testing positive for COVID-19 — the Seminoles were able to upset UNC.
Before the game tFSU was seen as the underdog with oddsmakers favoring UNC by more than 10 points. That quickly changed as FSU went up 31-7 at half time.
This huge score advantage answered many questions for the Seminoles. Throughout the first three games, they were trying to figure out who is the right quarterback for this team. The answer to that key question turned out to be Jordan Travis.
Travis had a huge game Saturday night, passing for 191 yards, along with one touchdown. Travis has proven to be the answer for Florida State through his run game and versatility on the field.
Though this win built much needed momentum for the team, Travis is aiming his focus toward the next game.
“We’ve got another great opponent coming up, so we just need to get back to work,” Travis said during a post-game news conference.
The Seminoles were unable to score in the second half, which allowed the Tar Heels to score 21 points. The Seminoles defense held up great in the first half and last few seconds of the game.
The Seminoles held the Tar Heels to five yards per rush on more than 40 attempts, something they haven’t done all season. The Seminoles’ defense was aggressive and smart, allowing them to get more stops.
“This time, we showed our potential. We knew after Notre Dame, we were like OK, we’re scratching the surface of something,” said senior defensive end Joshua Kaindoh.
Coach Norvell said that though his team is nowhere near perfect, they will continue to keep improving.
“We’re a work in progress, but when you get a chance to see growth, when you see improvement, when you see investment — it’s not for everybody. We’ve had some guys that chose other things, the guys that are here continuing to work, they’re continuing to try to be the best version of themselves in all aspects of their lives. That’s what tonight’s about,” Norvell said.
The Seminoles will look forward to improving their record next week when they travel to Louisville. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.