FSU’s comeback over Ole Miss shows how unconquerable the Seminoles really are

At the end of a week that saw two top-five ranked teams fall, the Seminoles couldn’t have faced a more difficult challenge. They marched to Orlando to face one of the best program’s the SEC has to offer: Ole Miss. Following the losses of Oklahoma and LSU, a win by Florida State would all but guarantee a spot in the top 3. Every week is important, but to outdo an SEC powerhouse in your first game is about as loud a statement that anyone can make. While Florida State was ranked ahead of Ole Miss to open the season, this match-up wouldn’t be easy.

The results looked bleak early on

After a series of sloppy possessions by the ‘Noles, the Rebels cruised to a 28-6 lead. Penalties buried the Florida State offense initially, allowing Ole Miss to build momentum. With youngster Deondre Francois at the helm, our demise seemed like a foregone conclusion. Could the juggernaut that is Florida State football really lose just like that?

A lack of execution seemed to be what held Francois and the rest of his teammates to a stagnant start. From that point forward, however, the Seminole’s redshirt freshmen finally began to settle in. When the odds pointed against them, Florida State responded. From the tail end of the 2^nd Quarter to early in the 4^th, the Seminoles made an emphatic run, scoring a whopping 33 unanswered points.

Francois and Cook lead offense to the Promised Land

After starting with an inefficient 10 carries and 16 yards, the explosive Dalvin Cook took control and finished with 192 all purpose yards on 30 total touches. Francois began to throw strikes, allowing him to get in rhythm and execute. The turning point for him was his first career touchdown. He found Travis Rudolph in stride as the clock ticked down to halftime. He wound up tallying 419 passing yards and two touchdowns in his first game under the big lights.

Along with the motivation and adjustments from head coach Jimbo Fisher, one key factor for the Seminoles was their defensive prowess even playing from behind. Defensive Back Derwin James’ tenacity early on held the Florida State defense together. Demarcus Walker took his lead heading out of halftime, wreaking havoc on Ole Miss Quarterback, Chad Kelly, for the rest of the game. As the Florida State offense continued to produce points, interceptions by Marcus Lewis and Tarvarus McFadden gave them a chance to take control and hold the lead. What once seemed insurmountable quickly materialized.

Rookies to watch this season

One notable rookie standout aside from Deondre Francois was the kicker, Ricky Aguayo. Anyone who follows Florida State football can easily recognize the last name. Baby Aguayo had no problem stepping right over his big brother’s enormous shadow. He finished the game 6-for-6 on his Field Goal Attempts.

With a team that had 10 returning starters on offense, the only concern was whether any Quarterback was worthy of filling the void left by Jameis Winston just two short years ago when he declared for the draft. Redshirt freshman Deondre Francois did just that as he marched the Seminole Nation to victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. The Seminoles earned themselves the right to move up in the College Football rankings.

With plenty of challenges still ahead, the beginning of this teams journey couldn’t have gone more pleasantly. The 22-point comeback victory is the largest deficit Florida State has ever conquered, and what a damn good way for a freshman quarterback to introduce himself. For now, Deondre can breathe easy and prepare to show off his talent to the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd next week against Charleston Southern.