Final Score: FSU 56, NC State 41
(Getty)
Jameis Winston was back on the field Saturday for Florida State, and by the time all was said and done, the Seminoles offense was firing on all cylinders. But that didn’t mean everything went smoothly in the top-ranked Noles’ game at unranked NC State.
Florida State had to dig its way out of a 17-point deficit, but Winston and Co. rallied for a 56-41 win that gave them their 20th straight win.
Click here for a full box score and read on for a recap.
NC State Scored on its 2nd Play From Scrimmage
It didn’t take long for the Wolfpack to get on the board. Jacoby Brissett hit Bo Hines for a 54-yard touchdown strike on the hosts’ second play from scrimmage, giving the underdogs an immediate 7-0 lead.
Florida State Answered on the Ensuing Drive
NC State’s lead proved short-lived. Leading his first drive in two weeks, Winston connected with Jesus Wilson on a 32-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7 with 12:03 left in the first quarter.
NC State Scored 17 Unanswered Points, but FSU Answered
After Wilson’s touchdown catch, the Wolfpack scored 17 unanswered points to take a 24-7 lead when Brissett eluded multiple tackles and hit Jonathan Alston for a spectacular 8-yard touchdown strike with 2:06 left in the first quarter. Watch the play above and click on the link in the tweet below to listen to the NC State radio call.
Great play by Alston for the score. Listen to it now! #ItsGood2Be #pack #STATEment
https://t.co/9xDMUn94EN
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) September 27, 2014
Florida State answered with 14 points of its own to pull within 24-21 when Winston hit Christian Green for a 22-yard touchdown strike with 11:58 left in the first half.
Jacoby Brissett Fumbled & FSU Took Advantage
The Wolfpack was clinging to a 38-35 lead in the third quarter when disaster struck for Jacoby Brissett. Derrick Nnadi sacked Brissett for a 17-yard loss and forced a fumble, which Jacob Pugh recovered at the NC State 6-yard-line.
Two players later, Winston hit Rashad Greene for a 4-yard touchdown strike that gave Florida State its first lead of the game at 42-38 with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
The ‘Noles stretched the lead to 49-38 when Karlos Williams scored on a yard out with 12:23 let in the game and iced it when Williams scored again — this time from 12 yards out — to make it 56-38 with 2:07 left in the game.
