Tag: jordan travis

Oklahoma’s Opponent: 5 Florida State Seminoles to know ahead of the Cheez-It-Bowl

Oklahoma will have its hands full as they take on No. 13 Florida State. Here are five Seminoles to know.

Oklahoma has landed in Orlando and has been practicing since Christmas weekend. On Thursday, they take on the No. 13 Florida State Seminoles, who will have the de-facto home-field advantage. Florida State is arguably the best team Oklahoma has played this year, aside from the TCU Horned Frogs, who will be representing the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff.

Florida State is rising back up the ACC ranks in Mike Norvell’s third season in Tallahassee. He’ll have a very physical and talented Seminoles team ready for the Sooners.

The Seminoles have some real difference-makers on both sides of the ball. With Oklahoma at a disadvantage due to NFL opt-outs and transfer portal entries, it will make things even harder for the Sooners. Who are the Seminoles’ difference makers? Here are five players to be aware of as the Sooners look to finish the season on a high note.

5 Oklahoma Sooners to watch on defense vs. Florida State

Oklahoma takes on Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. Here are five Sooners to watch come game time.

Oklahoma has arrived in Orlando and has been preparing for its matchup with the No. 13 Florida State Seminoles. The Seminoles represent one of the toughest teams Oklahoma will have faced this season and that’s only magnified by the fact that the Sooners will play without three starters on offense and one of their best defenders.

Starting tackles Anton Harrison and Wanya Morris will be out alongside star running back Eric Gray. The loss of defensive tackle Jalen Redmond is where we turn our focus.

Redmond, despite all the inconsistent performances by this defense, was one of the more disruptive forces throughout the season. Oklahoma takes on a very good Florida State offense that is led by dual-threat quarterback Jordan Travis and flanked by running back Trey Benson and wide receivers Johnny Wilson, Mycah Pittman, and Ontaria Wilson.

With no Redmond and a few other depth guys missing thanks to the transfer portal, Oklahoma will have its hands full. However, this opens the door for playmakers to step up on defense, which may provide a glimpse of Oklahoma’s defense in 2023 and beyond. Here are five defenders to watch as the Sooners take on the Seminoles.

Where does Oklahoma vs. Florida State rank among the 41 bowl games for 2022?

How did CBS Sports rank the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Florida State Seminoles in the Cheez-It Bowl among the 41 bowl games for 2022?

It’s amazing how differently 7-6 would feel instead of 6-7. But that’s how important the Cheez-It Bowl will be for the Oklahoma Sooners. A win extends their streak of winning seasons to 23. A loss would break a streak started by Bob Stoops and continued by Lincoln Riley.

Brent Venables is building something, and that something will take some time. Still, closing out an inconsistent season with a win would be huge for the Sooners as they look ahead to 2023.

The Florida State Seminoles finally put together a strong year after back-to-back losing seasons under Mike Norvell. The Seminoles are looking for their first 10-win season since 2016 when Jimbo Fisher was still at the helm.

For a random bowl game, this contest has stakes for both sides. Given the offensive firepower of the two teams, the Cheez-It Bowl has the potential to be one of the better bowl games in 2022. ESPN predicted another one-score loss for Oklahoma in a 44-37 shootout.

Ranking each of the bowl games for CBS Sports, Oklahoma vs. Florida State comes in at No. 11.

Florida State fans wish there was a button they could hit that would start the season over with the Seminoles playing at this level right now. If that happened, the ‘Noles would probably end up winning the ACC and could even sneak into the College Football Playoff because it’s been one of the best teams in the country for over a month. There were close losses to NC State and Clemson in October, then five straight wins to finish the season, most in blowout fashion. QB Jordan Travis has ascended to another level and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the country.

So while there’s a chance this game turns into a blowout, even though Oklahoma is only 6-6, it has an offense capable of scoring in a hurry. This game has the potential to be an exciting shootout if the Sooners are healthy. I understand there’s also a good chance I look like a moron for ranking this game so highly if Bad Oklahoma shows up and Florida State wins by a billion. Whatever happens, at least I feel confident the final score won’t be 13-2. – Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports

With [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] at quarterback, there hasn’t been a “bad Oklahoma.” In the only games where they were blown out, they didn’t have Gabriel at the helm for the entire game. The Sooners averaged 37.1 points per game in the 10 games they had Dillon Gabriel for all four quarters. There’s no reason to suspect the offense won’t be good.

Florida State boasts a good defense, but the Sooners proved they could score on anyone in 2022 when Gabriel navigated the offense. Oklahoma’s question is more about what the defense does against the Seminoles’ offense because they’ve struggled all year to stop good offenses.

This one will be a shootout.

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ESPN provides early prediction for Oklahoma vs. Florida State in Cheez-It Bowl

Can Oklahoma’s defense slow down a Florida State offense that’s averaging 36 points per game in 2022? From @john9williams

The Oklahoma Sooners drew a tough task in the bowl season when they travel to Orlando to face the 9-3 Florida State Seminoles. Florida State, who saved Mike Norvell from the hot seat, lost only to NC State, Wake Forest, and Clemson this season and looks to be a team on the upward swing.

They made significant strides on both sides of the ball, and will be a stiff challenge for Brent Venables and the Sooners, who are hoping to avoid their first losing season since 1998.

Over at ESPN, Adam Rittenberg looked at the bowl matchups and provided an early prediction for each game. For Oklahoma vs. Florida State, he sees the Seminoles coming out on top in a shootout. Rittenberg predicts Florida State to win the game 44-37, which would drop Oklahoma to 0-5 on the season in one-score games.

Here’s what Rittenberg had to say:

The Seminoles thought they were free of Brent Venables, the longtime Clemson defensive coordinator who had a difficult first season as OU’s coach. All the ingredients seem to favor FSU, which ended the season on a five-game win streak and has a short trip to the game site. The Seminoles’ improved defense must slow down Dillon Gabriel, the former UCF quarterback who returns to Orlando. But Oklahoma won’t have answers for quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson, wide receiver Johnny Wilson and the Noles. – Rittenberg, ESPN

The biggest problem Oklahoma will face defensively is quarterback Jordan Travis. The Sooners have done a good job against traditional rushing attacks but have had a hard time slowing down running quarterbacks.

According to Pro Football Focus, who doesn’t take away rushing yards due to sacks, Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis has run for 471 yards and seven touchdowns. Those seven touchdowns were tied for third in the ACC. His 7.6 rush yards per attempt leads all quarterbacks in the Power Five with at least 25 attempts on the season. 62% of his rushing yards came on designed runs.

We’ve seen how Oklahoma’s defense has struggled against the quarterback run game all season long. With several weeks to prepare, hopefully, the Sooners find some answers to slow down Travis and the Seminoles’ running game.

Running back Trey Benson ran for 969 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, and Johnny Wilson is their version of Marvin Mims. Wilson averaged 19.9 yards per reception with 35 catches for 695 yards and five touchdowns.

Florida State’s offense averages 36.2 points per game in 2022, good for 17th in the nation. Their defense is what’s improved so much. They’re only allowing 19.7 points per game, which improved from 26.5 points per game a year ago.

It’s going to be a difficult 2022 finale for Brent Venables and company. But if they can limit the damage in the quarterback run game, they’ll have a shot to close the first season of the Brent Venables era with a winning record and on a high note.

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Gallery: The best photos from Clemson vs. Florida State

Here are the best photos from Clemson’s win over Florida State on Saturday night.

Although Florida State stormed back late to close the gap, Clemson ultimately left Tallahassee, Fla., on Saturday night with a 34-28 victory.

Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had another strong outing, completing 65.2% of his passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. The junior signal-caller also reached the endzone for a fourth time using his legs.

When Uiagalelei wasn’t the one making plays, running back Will Shipley was usually the player who did, as he finished with 169 total yards and a 69-yard kickoff return to open the second half that resulted in a Clemson touchdown.

Defensively, the Tigers struggled in the fourth quarter and gave up 460 total yards on the night. Contrary to the previous six games, Clemson’s run defense also had its fair share of issues, as Florida State gained 206 yards on the ground.

Still, Wes Goodwin and the Tigers’ defense came through when needed and held the Seminoles to under 30 points.

With the win, Clemson is 7-0 on the year as the Tigers prepare for a Top 15 matchup against Syracuse in Week 8.

That said, here are some of the best photos from the Tigers’ road win over the Seminoles.

Ali Gaye reaches out to Jordan Travis following targeting penalty

Travis thanked Gaye for apologizing after Sunday’s game.

During the third quarter of Monday night’s game against Florida State, [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] was ejected from the game when he was flagged for targeting.

Targeting has been a hot topic in all of college football for the past few years with questions of ‘What is targeting?’ ‘Should the player be kicked out of the game?’ ‘Is a suspension for the rest of that game and part of the next game a just ruling?’

When it comes to the hit Gaye made on Travis, there was no question whether or not it was targeting. After the game, he apparently reached out to Travis to apologize.

Between Gaye getting ejected and [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] getting injured in the first drive of the game, the defensive line for LSU is in a rough spot.

Luckily, the Tigers play against Southern on Saturday night so Brian Kelly has some time to get the defensive line ironed out before LSU enters SEC play in a few weeks.

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Five takeaways from LSU’s loss to Florida State

Here’s what we learned from LSU’s disappointing performance in the opener.

It’s a new year, but it was the same story for LSU as the Tigers dropped their season opener to the Florida State Seminoles 24-23.

LSU came into the game as a slight favorite and had some success on their opening drive. A bad snap set the offense back, and LSU was forced to settle for a field goal, going up 3-0.

From that point on, Florida State found its footing as LSU struggled. Its offensive line didn’t offer much protection for [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and the Tiger defense could not get off the field on third down.

LSU had some moments in the second half where it looked like LSU was figuring things out, but it was too little, too late. After it looked like a muffed punt was going to end the game, a Florida State fumble gave LSU the ball back, allowing the Tigers one more chance.

LSU marched all the way down the field, scoring a touchdown to pull within a point. Florida State blocked the extra point and that was that. A heartbreaking loss for LSU.

Here are five takeaways from the loss to FSU.

Notre Dame at Florida State: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Oh boy.

They never said college football was easy. Sometimes, you find yourself in a battle you didn’t want. That’s what Notre Dame found itself in Sunday. Eighteen unanswered points by Florida State have sent this game to overtime with a 38-38 score.

The fourth quarter began with the Seminoles knocking on the door of the end zone. A couple of defensive stands and a penalty pushed the offense back from the 1-yard line to the 8. On third-and-goal, Jordan Travis avoided the defense and found Andrew Parchment for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion pass to Keyshawn Helton cut the Irish’s lead to 38-28.

Relying mainly on the run, the Irish only were able to get one first down on their first possession of the fourth quarter. Jay Bramblett was knocked down on the ensuing punt, but the roughing penalty only went for 5 yards, much to the chagrin of an enraged Brian Kelly. Whether there should have been a 15-yard penalty instead will be debated. What’s not debatable is that things everything was coming up Seminoles.

On the ensuing drive, Travis’ helmet was knocked off, which forced the Seminoles to go to McKenzie Milton for his first game action in three years. All he did with this sudden opportunity was complete all four pass attempts before handing it off to Treshaun Ward for an 8-yard touchdown to make it 38-35. What once seemed like a sure victory now was anything but.

Desperately needing a long offensive possession, the Irish went three-and-out save for an offside penalty on first down. Jack Coan was sacked by Keir Thomas on the final play of the drive, sending Doak Campbell Stadium into a frenzy. The Irish fans in attendance only could brace for what was to come.

Milton continued his heroics with a run-heavy attack that the Irish’s defense simply couldn’t stop. The only thing that stopped him from reaching the end zone was a bad snap on third-and-6 from the Notre Dame 25. He threw the ball out of bounds to set up Ryan Fitzgerald for a 43-yard field-goal attempt. The kick was good, and the game was tied with 40 seconds left.

With time running out, Coan completed a couple of passes to Michael Mayer to get into Seminoles territory. A crushing blow happened when Mayer dropped a pass with five seconds left that would have set up a game-winning field goal. A Hail Mary with the clock expired was picked off by Travis Jay, and to extra football we go.

Notre Dame at Florida State: Third-Quarter Analysis

That’s more like it.

If Notre Dame’s season opener against Florida State has proven anything thus far, it’s that this team can respond to adversity. Every time the Seminoles have done something impressive, the Irish have responded. The reward for that persistence is a 38-20 Notre Dame lead after three quarters.

After a fumble recovered by the Irish on the second-half kickoff was overturned by replay, the second such instance of the game, the Seminoles took advantage of their good fortune when Jordan Travis threw a long pass that Ja’Khi Douglas caught. With nothing but open field in front of him, Douglas outran Houston Griffith to score a 60-yard touchdown that gave the Seminoles a 20-17 lead. Only three plays, and the Irish suddenly were behind, though they caught a break when the snap was mishandled on the extra-point kick.

The sudden deficit was no problem for Jack Coan, who responded almost as quickly. A 29-yard pass to Kevin Austin set the Irish up nicely in Seminole territory. Two plays later, Coan found Austin again, this time, on a nice catch for a 37-yard touchdown.

Florida State’s next possession lasted only two plays as Kyle Hamilton snuffed it out by intercepting Travis for the second time in as many quarters. The Irish moved backwards but converted on third-and-17 when Coan hit Kyren Williams for a short completion, then watched Williams zigzag his way through the Seminoles’ defense on a 55-yard gain. After Coan found Austin again on a 17-yard pass to set up first-and-goal, Williams eventually caught another pass on third down and was able to cross the pylon with defenders surrounding him, giving him a 6-yard touchdown and Coan his fourth touchdown pass.

The Seminoles went four-and-out when they took the ball back, and a Clarence Lewis interception on the final play gave the Irish the ball on the Seminoles’ 33-yard line. Braden Lenzy had a 24-yard completion on the first play of the possession, which ended on a 1-yard touchdown run from Chris Tyree. Florida State got all the way to the Irish’s 1-yard line on their next possession before the third quarter ended.

Notre Dame at Florida State: Second-Quarter Analysis

That quarter didn’t start great, but it got better as it went along.

Notre Dame had its hands full with a Florida State team that knew what it was doing. A will-imposing defensive line for the Seminoles and the Irish’s struggles with their own defense were not boding well. However, momentum can be fleeting, and a couple of plays shifted it back towards the visitors. The Irish find themselves up at halftime, 17-14.

The Irish’s first possession of the second quarter found them deep in their own territory, and they ultimately couldn’t advance the ball past the original line of scrimmage. Jay Bramblett’s 38-yard punt meant the Seminoles could start in Irish territory. The Seminoles barely broke a sweat in marching to the end zone. A 21-yard pass to Malik McClain and a 20-yard run by Lawrance Toafili set up a sweeping 2-yard touchdown run by Jordan Travis to give the Seminoles their first lead of the game.

In need of a response, the Irish put together a nice drive led by the running duo of Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree. However, Jack Coan took a sack and lost yardage on another play as the drive stalled at the Seminoles’ 29-yard line. Jonathan Doerer made the offense’s effort worth it by kicking a 48-yard field goal, his first such score of the season.

After that, the Seminoles took back-to-back false starts, showing why they were among the most penalized teams in the country last year. On third-and-8, Travis threw a deep pass, and Kyle Hamilton made him pay with Notre Dame’s first interception of 2021.

Gifted a short field, Coan and the rest of the offense took full advantage. He found Michael Mayer for a 15-yard completion, then threw a 23-yard pass toward the end zone that Joe Wilkins caught on a 50-50 ball. Wilkins barely registered a blip on the radar in 2020, so to see him score a touchdown in the first game of 2021 is rather nice.

Overall, you can’t complain about the scoreboard to this point. Still, this doesn’t appear it will be the cakewalk some were expecting, at least not yet. The offense needs to put together clean drives, and the defense has to impose its will on an opposing offense that has shown signs of regressing. With half the game to play, now is not the time for either unit to let up.