Trey Benson runs for 3 TDs, Florida State soars past Southern Miss, 66-13
What the No. 4 Florida State football team lacked in efficiency Saturday night, the Seminoles more than made up for with explosiveness.
On a night when the Florida State wide receivers and tight ends failed to come down with several catchable passes in the first half, FSU simply overwhelmed visiting Southern Miss with a slew of big plays to roll to a 66-13 victory.
With their second consecutive blowout win, the Seminoles improved to 2-0 on the season while Southern Miss fell to 1-1.
Thanks in large part to the dropped passes, quarterback Jordan Travis did not have one of his better nights statistically — he completed just 15 of 29 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns — but Florida State didn’t need any more than that.
Junior running back Trey Benson rushed for three touchdowns, and the Florida State defense kept the Southern Miss offense under wraps. The Eagles gained just 70 yards of offense in the first half and finished with 258 for the game. Most of that came in the second half when FSU’s third-team defense was in the game.
Florida State racked up 554 yards of total offense.
While it wasn’t a great night for all of the receivers, Keon Coleman again delivered an impressive performance. The Michigan State transfer, who caught three touchdown passes in his debut last week against LSU, hauled in another 6-yard score on Saturday. But that wasn’t his most impressive play by any means.
Top 10
- 1New
Ben Herbstreit
POTUS sends heartfelt note
- 2
Lincoln Riley
UCF looking at USC coach
- 3Hot
Jahkeem Stewart
USC lands five-star DL
- 4
Mike Gundy status
BOR meeting sparks speculation
- 5
Ryan Day on future
Ohio State HC gives blunt answer
Late in the second quarter, Coleman caught a short pass from Travis, sprinted down the sideline and hurdled over a Southern Miss defender en route to a 34-yard completion. He finished the game with three catches for 48 yards.
Benson led Florida State’s running backs with nine carries for 79 yards, and several other skill players delivered big plays, including a 42-yard touchdown catch by tight end Markeston Douglas and a 34-yard run from tailback Lawrance Toafili.
Running back Caziah Holmes later added a 40-yard touchdown run, and defensive back Jarrian Jones also recorded FSU’s first defensive score of the year with a pick-six in the third quarter.
Florida State returns to action next Saturday at Boston College. That game is scheduled for noon on ABC.
Stay connected with Warchant.com for complete postgame coverage.
Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State football fans on the Tribal Council.
