Florida State Seminoles – Page 31

Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU outpaced by Florida State in Week 1

Game 1 of the 2023 football season did not go as planned for the Tigers.

Game 1 of the 2023 football season did not go as planned for the Tigers. After taking a 17-14 lead into halftime, the Seminoles came out of the locker room on fire as they outscored LSU 31-7 in the second half to run away with a 45-24 win.

Jordan Travis looked great as he found his receivers all night long. Keon Coleman finished the game with three receiving touchdowns and 122 yards receiving and Johnny Wilson added 104 yards of receiving as well.

The LSU offense was abysmal in the second half, barely getting over 100 total yards. Other than [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] running the ball, the Tigers had no run game. LSU will look to bounce back next week.

In the meantime, here’s the stock report for the Tigers following the loss to the Seminoles.

Instant Analysis: Florida State pulls away in second half to spoil LSU’s opener

LSU’s season began with a sour taste in Orlando on Sunday night.

On the very first play of LSU’s 2023 campaign, quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] found running back [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag] on a brilliantly designed wheel route for a 55-yard gain.

One play later, Daniels connected with tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] on a 15-yard gain to bring the Tigers to Florida State’s 5-yard line, and coach Brian Kelly’s team was in business.

But the drive stalled from there, and a failed fourth-down conversion squandered the opportunity for LSU to start the game with a scoring drive. Those missed opportunities ultimately cost the No. 5 Tigers against the No. 8 Seminoles on Sunday night in Orlando.

Despite taking a 17-14 lead to the locker room, Florida State dominated the final two quarters, keeping LSU off the scoreboard until the final two minutes en route to a statement 45-24 win.

LSU’s defensive front mostly lived up to the hype, holding a talented Seminoles rushing attack in check for much of the game. But the Tigers’ new-look secondary didn’t have the best day.

The team struggled to contain Florida State receivers Keon Coleman (9 catches, 122 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Johnny Wilson (7 catches, 104 yards), and quarterback Jordan Travis delivered a gem.

He wasn’t prolific with his legs, though he did finish with 38 yards and a rushing touchdown. But he was very efficient with his arm, completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns, though he did toss one interception to [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag].

LSU struggled to get the Seminoles off the field, and they were an impressive 9 of 14 on third downs.

It wasn’t exactly a bad night for Daniels and the offense, but it wasn’t a particularly efficient one, either. He totaled 411 yards (347 passing, 64 rushing), but he also threw a pretty bad interception when the margin was still at seven in the fourth quarter, which led to a touchdown.

Outside of Daniels’ contributions and a 35-yard run from [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag], the trio of Williams, Noah Cain and Bradford totaled 14 yards on just 11 carries. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and Taylor had moderate production in the passing game, but there were some drop issues from the receiver group, as well.

Thomas was the only one of the three to find the end zone, scoring in garbage time.

It was a disappointing way to start a season that began with high expectations, and after a three-score loss, the team will hit the drawing board once again as it prepares to host Grambling for its home opener in Week 2.

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Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt picks LSU over Florida State

Game day has finally arrived for the 2023 season.

Game day has finally arrived for the 2023 season. The expectations are through the roof for LSU as they prepare to take on the No. 8 Florida State Seminoles in Orlando.

Last season, LSU lost a heartbreaker as their comeback fell short after a missed PAT doomed them at the end of the game. The Tigers went on to win 10 games and they won the SEC West. After falling to eventual National Champion, Georgia, in the SEC Championship game, LSU rebounded with a 63-7 win over Purdue in their bowl game.

Florida State is led by its star quarterback, Jordan Travis. He led the Seminoles to a 10-win season last fall, as well. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt made his final prediction on who will win this week.

“This one, I have put my flag in the ground and say that I believe that LSU is the better team,” Klatt said, per On3. “Remember, they were the better team a year ago. The six-game winning streak that Florida State had late last year was against a lot of bad football teams, very average football teams. And while I like Florida State, I just don’t think that they’re better than LSU.”

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is one of the favorites to win the Heisman this year. His campaign will start tonight when the lights shine bright.

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COLUMN: Expectations are here for Brian Kelly and LSU

Expectations are high for LSU this year. This is a group ready to embrace that.

Nobody expected anything from LSU last year.

People didn’t know how [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was going to work out in Baton Rouge, [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] was a transfer quarterback coming off a bad year, and the roster was left in shambles at the end of 2021.

If LSU went 5-7, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone.

But LSU didn’t go 5-7. The Tigers bounced back from an inconsistent first month to beat Ole Miss and Alabama and take control of the SEC West.

LSU finished the year with its first 10-win season since 2019 and the immediate outlook suddenly shifted.

This was no longer a rebuild. This was a team expected to compete. Not in a few years, but now.

That time is here. LSU will kickoff against Florida State tonight and be tested right away.

This is a ‘Noles team that got the best of LSU last year and only got better down the stretch. Similarly to LSU, FSU enters 2023 with renewed expectations. Florida State is loaded with talent across the board.

Whatever happens on Sunday night, there are sure to be overreactions.

Remember last year? Social media declared LSU dead in the water. Baseless rumors began stating that [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] was leaving the team.

This game’s on an even bigger stage, which means the Monday morning quarterbacking will grow to a larger scale, too.

Whatever team wins this will be picked to make the playoff while the loser is forgotten for a few weeks.

That’s what having expectations brings.

Last year, LSU was playing with house money. Winning mattered, but it was more about laying a foundation for Kelly’s program.

The flip scripts when the entire fanbase is expecting a win in every game. The pressure is upped a few notches. Games, even against the lesser opponents, grow more tense.

Smaller mistakes are magnified and narratives are amplified.

Kelly’s been around a long time. Coaching a decade at Notre Dame will teach a coach how to handle this type of spotlight.

This roster bought into the Kelly regime last year. The culture is set.

Because of that, I have trust in how this staff and team will handle a different set of expectations. I don’t think this is a group that’s going to shy away from any of this.

On Sunday night, I think you’re going to see an LSU team play with a lot more composure than we saw in the opener last year.

Kelly embraced the hype in the offseason. He didn’t say, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

He accepted it and said, “That’s why you come to LSU.”

That mindset should trickle down through this team. The Tigers will be ready for this moment on Sunday night.

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How to watch No. 5 LSU take on No. 8 Florida State in 2023 season opener on Sunday night

Here’s what you need to know to watch the game on Sunday night, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The 2023 season is finally here.

Much of the nation has already been in action, but LSU will wait until Sunday when it faces Florida State in primetime in Orlando.

The Tigers are looking to avenge last year’s season-opening 24-23 loss in New Orleans in which the Seminoles won by blocking an extra-point attempt at the end of the game.

This time around, both teams enter with top-10 rankings and College Football Playoff aspirations, but beginning the campaign with a loss would jeopardize those hopes given what’s to come.

Here’s what you need to know to watch the game on Sunday night, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

LSU Wire Roundtable: Predictions for Tigers’ season opener against No. 8 Florida State

On the eve of LSU kicking off its 2023 season, here’s how our staff sees Game 1 playing out.

The Tigers kick off the season with a top-10 matchup in Orlando on Sunday night as they look to avenge a season-opening loss from a year ago to Florida State.

Both teams enter the 2023 season with high expectations — potentially of the College Football Playoff variety — after significantly overachieving in 2022. The winner of this one will have a much simpler path, while the loser’s margin for error will decrease significantly.

The Tigers bring back a lot of key players, and we’ll see the debuts of several new starters, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and the offense will look to play a cleaner game than it did last year.

On the eve of LSU kicking off its 2023 season, here’s how our staff sees Game 1 playing out.

LSU vs. Florida State: What to watch for in Week 1

Here’s what to watch for when LSU takes the field against Florida State on Sunday night.

LSU and Florida State will kick off shortly after 6:30 p.m. CT on Sunday night.

LSU begins the 2023 season where it finished last year, in Orlando.

The Tigers are currently 2.5-point favorites. That mirrors the spread from last year’s game.

This is, by far, the biggest game of the week when you factor in ranking and playoff implications. A loss wouldn’t end anyone’s year here, but it would make things tougher going forward.

There’s plenty of narrative to unpack in this one after the way last year’s game ended, but today, we’ll focus on the football aspect.

Here’s what to watch for when toe meets rubber on Sunday night.

Brian Kelly addresses John Emery Jr.’s status with team

John Emery Jr. remains in good standing with the university and will be able to return in Week 3, per Brian Kelly.

[autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] has the potential to be an X-factor in LSU’s running back room this season.

The former five-star spent most of the offseason away from the team focusing on academics, but he made his return to the practice field in the middle of fall camp.

That’s why it raised eyebrows when coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] conspicuously (and vaguely) announced that Emery will be unavailable for the season-opener against Florida State on Sunday night.

Kelly reiterated that Emery is in good standing with the program but said that going into further detail would be a violation of the “Buckley Amendment.” Otherwise known as the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, the law governs access to educational records by public entities.

However, Kelly was able to say that Emery will be able to return to the field in Week 3.

It’s not exactly clear what’s keeping the veteran running back off the field at the moment, but it seems he will be able to make his season debut in Week 3 at Mississippi State.

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Kirk Herbstreit breaks down matchup between LSU and Florida State

We are two days away from the biggest opening game of the season, No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State.

We are two days away from the biggest opening game of the season, No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State. This is the second year in a row that these two teams have faced off. Last season, the Seminoles came out on top 24-23 after an incredible comeback attempt fell short after a missed PAT doomed the Tigers.

That game was in New Orleans, this one is in Orlando. Florida State gets the home-field advantage and they’ve got a great team. Jordan Travis is probably one of the top players in the country and Mike Norvell has done a great job building his team. Kirk Herbstreit, who will be on the call for the game on Sunday night, gave his thoughts on the game recently.

“I think what’s interesting in that game is both teams are trying to be, as you say, ‘back.’ Because LSU, with [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in his second year, showed some signs. They beat Alabama, they showed with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] who they can be. And with Florida State, they lost three in a row last year in the middle of the year, it was like, ‘Oh well. Here we go again with Florida State.’ And then, they ended up finishing strong and won six in a row and ended up with 10 wins, including a bowl win. That’s why there’s momentum and that’s why people are saying here comes Florida State,” Herbstreit said, per On3.

I guess we will see who is possibly ‘back’ after the two teams kick off Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

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