Quarterback Jordan Travis had a hand in all five of Florida State’s touchdowns, leading the Seminoles to a 35-25 win over North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Travis threw three touchdowns and ran for two more. Florida State (2-4, 2-2 ACC) got a career-high 121 rushing yards from Travis, plus 145 passing. Travis completed 11 of 13 pass attempts.
North Carolina lost its first game at home this season.
With his team down 10-0 in the second quarter, Travis threw his first touchdown pass to Malik McClain for five yards.
On Florida State’s next possession, Travis used play action to get some space, paused for a moment, then took off over left tackle and scored on a 53-yard run.
After the Seminoles got the ball back via interception, Travis found Ontaria Wilson for the first of two touchdown connections, a 32-yard touchdown for a 21-10 lead with 53 seconds left in the half.
The Tar Heels made it a four-point game in the third quarter after a defensive stand and a six-play, 70-yard drive that ended in quarterback Sam Howell’s 21-yard TD pass to Kamari Morales.
But Florida State, in winning its second straight game, scored two unanswered touchdowns and put the game away.
A 44-yard completion from Travis to Keyshawn Helton, plus a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty against North Carolina, set up a one-yard scoring run for Travis. Then the Seminoles drove 83 yards, with Travis finding Wilson for a six-yard touchdown with 1:02 left in the third quarter.
Florida State’s defense stopped North Carolina (3-3, 2-3) on downs early in the fourth quarter at the Seminoles’ 5-yard line.
Howell threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing Darian Durant for second place in all-time passing yards in program history. His streak of four straight 300-yard games came to an end.
Howell had 11 carries for 108 yards and Josh Downs caught nine passes for 121 yards, including a touchdown.
The Tar Heels put together a lengthy drive in the fourth quarter, but it consumed far too much game clock despite Ty Chandler’s two-yard touchdown run and the trick-play two-point conversion with 2:47 left in the game.
–Field Level Media