A quick take on Syracuse’s 38-3 loss against Florida State:
WHAT HAPPENED: The Seminoles had their way throughout the game until taking their foot off the accelerator late in the third quarter. After scoring touchdowns on their first two drives, the guests had a 14-0 lead, then extended it to 24-3 before intermission. FSU repeated their trick of scoring on their first two drives after intermission, sending a very large number of Syracuse fans to the exits with over 20 minutes of game time remaining and the Orange in a 35-point hole.
ANALYSIS: FSU held 236-61 and 15-3 advantages in yards and first downs in the first half, respectively. The game was effectively over before that half wrapped, especially with Syracuse quarterback Garrett Shrader clearly not 100 percent in his return from injury. Shrader appeared less mobile and less willing to run than he did earlier in the season, handcuffing the Orange offense as he also struggled to knock the rust off his arm, completing just 4-of-12 passes for 38 yards through three quarters.
HERO: FSU quarterback Jordan Travis played pitch-and-catch with his receivers, accounting for five touchdowns in just over two-and-a-half quarters of play. Travis ran a brutally efficient offense, completing 21-of-23 passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns, ran for a touchdown, and even caught a touchdown pass on a fourth-down trick play in the third quarter. Travis’ backfield mate Trey Benson would have normally claimed the honor, piling up 158 yards on 17 carries.
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ZERO: Everything for the Orange? Their lone scoring drive covered 63 yards, with 60 coming on a run by Sean Tucker and a catch by Oronde Gadsden II with a facemark penalty tacked on. Beyond that, there was not a lot to write home about in this game, save for the odd play here and there.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse travels to North Carolina to face Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. TV: ACC Network.
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