Jordan Travis passed for a career-high 396 yards and Florida State halted a three-game skid Saturday by stomping Georgia Tech 41-16 in an Atlantic Coast Conference contest in Tallahassee, Fla.
Travis completed 24 of 38 passes with three touchdowns. Lawrance Toafili caught a score and ran for one, and Johnny Wilson (three catches for 111 yards) and Ja’Khi Douglas each had TD receptions.
Tre Benson rushed for 111 yards on 18 carries and CJ Campbell scored as Florida State (5-3, 3-3 ACC) produced 642 yards of offense.
Making his first start for Georgia Tech (3-5, 2-3), Akron transfer Zach Gibson was removed early after completing 2 of 3 passes. Zach Pyron replaced him and was 18-of-28 passing for 198 yards with a rushing score and TD pass to E.J. Jenkins.
The Seminoles were successful on the second of two fourth-down conversions, but on third-and-goal from the 1, Toafili fumbled a direct snap which was recovered by linebacker Charlie Thomas and returned 71 yards. Gavin Stewart drilled a 38-yard field at 3:58 to the put the visitors from Atlanta up 3-0.
Aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties that kept its drive alive, Florida State finally cashed in when Toafili was able to dive and hit the pylon with the football on a 7-yard run. That TD capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive.
Early in the first quarter, the 6-foot-7 Wilson reached up and hauled in a pass along the sideline from Travis, made one defender miss and ran away for a 78-yard score and a 14-3 lead.
Looping out on a wheel route late in the half, Toafili caught a short lob from Travis, broke one tackle and dashed 62 yards to the end zone. Ryan Fitzgerald’s 34-yard kick put it at 24-3 in the lopsided half.
In a dominant showing over 30 minutes, the Seminoles led Georgia Tech 360-24 in total yardage and 17-1 in first downs.
After a successful onside kick to open the second half, Pyron tossed his first career TD, a 32-yarder to Jenkins at 13:06, but Travis answered with a 24-yard TD to Douglas to end a 91-yard drive.
Fitzgerald’s 24-yard field goal, Campbell’s run and Pyron’s 8-yard rumble on the final play rounded out the scoring.
–Field Level Media
