#4 Florida State Downs Duke 38-20 in Top 20 Showdown

#4 Florida State Downs Duke 38-20 in Top 20 Showdown

Florida State's offense exploded for 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Seminole defense held 16^th-ranked Duke scoreless in the second half in a 38-20 win in Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday.

Jordan Travis was 27-of-36 passing for 268 yards and two touchdowns, and he was FSU's leading rusher with 10 carries for 62 yards and a score.

Jaheim Bell led all FSU receivers with eight catches for 53 yards with Johnny Wilson, who left the game in the fourth quarter, recording five receptions for 58 yards.

Blue Devil quarterback Leonard Riley was just 3-of-11 passing but controlled the ball most of the first half behind an effective Duke rushing attack. Henry Belin IV was 1-of-6 for seven yards at quarterback throughout the fourth quarter. Jaquez Moore led the Devils with 16 carries for 100 yards.

Florida State churned out 420 yards of total offense to Duke's 273 and would not let the Blue Devil's defense get off the field converting 7-of-13 third down opportunities.

The win keeps FSU undefeated on the season with a 7-0 record and a 5-0 mark in the ACC. It also extends the Seminoles' unbeaten streak to 13 straight which includes a six-game streak that closed the 2022 season.

Duke led off the scoring after Florida State was forced to punt on the opening possession. The Blue Devils took just six plays to cover 64 yards when running back Jaquez Moore slipped around the left end and raced 42 yards for a touchdown just over five minutes into the game.

Duke went up 10-0 with 6:48 in the first on a 45-yard field goal. The Blue Devils took advantage of a short field after stuffing the Seminoles on a 4^th-and-1 from their own 35-yard line.

FSU cut the lead to three with :13 left in the first quarter when Travis hit Caziah Holmes in the right flat for a 7-yard touchdown. The play capped a 13-play, 85-yard drive.

The Blue Devils extended their lead to 17-7 when defensive back Chandler Rivers intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 13 yards for a touchdown with 13:04 remaining in the half.

The lead would prove short-lived as Deuce Spann caught the ensuing kickoff at the one and returned it 99 yards to make the score 17-14.

Shyeim Brown laid out for an interception on a third and long when the Noles needed a big play, and Ryan Fitzgerald came on to kick a 32-yard field goal and tie the score with 7:31 left in the half when the drive stalled at Duke's 22.

The Blue Devils took a 20-17 lead into the half on a 33-yard Todd Pelino field goal with :36 left.

Travis completed 17-of-23 passes for 175 yards, one touchdown and had one interception in the first half. Johnny Wilson led FSU receivers with four catches for 47 yards. Trey Benson had six carries for 18 yards as the Seminoles rushed for just 38 yards over the two quarters.

Riley Leonard started at quarterback despite speculation during the week that he might not play and completed 3-of-11 through the air for 37 yards. Duke's offense came via the run in the first half with Moore gaining 100 yards on 10 carries and the Blue Devils combining for 144 rushing yards.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Duke's offense struggled after Leonard had to leave the game with an injury just before the fourth quarter.

Florida State took the lead for the first time with 13:03 left on a keeper by Travis around the right side for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 24-20. The play capped the best drive of the night for the Seminoles who drove 96 yards on 14 plays and used over six minutes of clock time.

FSU made it a 10-point lead with 8:23 left on a textbook screen pass from Travis to Lawrance Toafili who followed his blockers for a 21-yard touchdown. It was the Noles' second consecutive long scoring drive with this one covering 74 yards on seven plays.

The final score came on FSU's third consecutive scoring drive that was set up when the Seminole defense knocked away Duke's pass on fourth down giving the offense great field position. Rodney Hill rushed through the middle of a tired Blue Devil defense for a 9-yard touchdown that polished off a 5-play, 32-yard drive and provided the 38-20 final score.

##seminoles.com##

#4 Florida State Downs Duke 38-20 in Top 20 Showdown

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Team Stats

Jordan Travis

Players Mentioned

Jaheim Bell

Trey Benson

Ryan Fitzgerald

Rodney Hill

Caziah Holmes

Deuce Spann

Lawrance Toafili

Jordan Travis

Johnny Wilson

Florida State University Athletics