ORLANDO, Fla. — Jordan Travis accounted for five touchdowns and No. 8 Florida State throttled fifth-ranked LSU 45-24 on Sunday night in the most anticipated matchup of college football’s opening weekend.
The Seminoles have now won seven in a row, dating back to last season, and established themselves as an early season favorite to make the College Football Playoff.
For both teams, the game was won and lost on fourth down.
The Seminoles stopped the Tigers twice on fourth down during the first half, including once at the goal line, and scored the go-ahead touchdown one play after Travis connected with Lawrance Toafili for 41 yards on fourth-and-2. Travis ran in on the following play to put Florida State ahead 24-17.
FSU won its final six games of the 2022 season and then surprisingly returned nearly everyone for coach Mike Norvell’s fourth season, including Travis, standout receiver Johnny Wilson and stud pass rusher Jared Verse.
But the star of the opener was Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman, who left for greener grass in Tallahassee. He finished with nine catches for 122 yards, including scoring plays of 40, 21 and 7 yards.
Wilson added seven receptions for 104 yards and would have had better numbers had it not been for two drops.
Travis was at his best in the second half, connecting on 11 of 13 passes as the Seminoles took the lead for good. He had the LSU faithful heading for the exits when he found South Carolina transfer Jaheim Bell down the sideline for a 44-yard strike with 7 minutes remaining.
Travis finished the game completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and the four TDs. He and Coleman hooked up for a 40-yarder to start the scoring, added a 21-yarder late in the second to tie the game at 14 and then connected on a 7-yard fade in the fourth.
Jayden Daniels was not as effective for LSU in a showdown of two preseason Heisman Trophy favorites. He was 22 of 37 passing for 347 yards, with an interception and a 75-yard score in the waning minutes. He had 15 rushes for 64 yards and was on the receiving end of the hit of night: FSU's Tatum Bethune hammered him to the ground after he attempted to leap another defender.
If it wasn't for for those two fourth down stops, the Seminoles probably would have trailed by double digits during the first half.
After Daniels connected with Tre Bradford for a 55-yard gain on the first play of the game, LSU got six shots to score from inside the FSU 5-yard line. But the Tigers never got close, with Daniels misfiring twice and then getting sacked on fourth down.
The Tigers would get turned away the red zone again during the second quarter, as Daniels was sacked on a fourth-and-1 play from the FSU 13.
Two drives deep into Seminoles territory, and LSU came away empty both times.
FSU had issues of its own as well. The Seminoles struggled to run the ball, kept getting beat up front and were flagged for three personal fouls.
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