With Florida State taking on an FCS program in East Texas A&M for its Week 2 matchup, a blowout was expected — perhaps apprehensively, given FSU’s experiences with them over the last few seasons, but still expected.
For the second straight week, the Seminoles produced a shocker. But rather than a seismic-level upset, Florida State instead put together one of the more dominant performances in program history in a first-to-last-whistle beatdown.
77 points, 729 yards.
To put it more plainly? FSU touchdows,
11. East Texas A&M first downs, 8.
FSU saw seven players score touchdowns, with five different players catching them — and four of them on the receiving end of a 30-yard-plus score. All three scholarship quarterbacks — Tommy Castellanos, Kevin Sperry and Brock Glenn — threw for touchdowns, tossing six in total (the most for FSU since 2011), with walk-on quarterback Michael Grant leading a score drive late in the game.
Castellanos (8/11, 237 yards, 3 TDs) got the chance to show off his deep ball, averaging 29.63 yards a completion after an 82-yard throw to Robinson and a 53-yarder to Gavin Sawchuck — himself having quite a day (two rushing touchdowns, 88 all-purpose yards). Micahi Danzy also had a 53-yard score, showcasing off his blazing speed on the play that is slowly become his signature (reverse).
The backups were in for FSU before halftime even hit, but FSU continued to score at a rapid clip, one that tied the overall single-game touchdown record with 11.
The defense did its job, holding the Lions to just 4 yards per play even as garbage time hit. Jerry Wilson and Earl Little Jr. both snagged interceptions as AJ. Cotrill, Darrell Jackson Jr., Amaree Williams and Jayson Jenkins all were participants on FSU’s two sacks of the game. A potential shutout was lost after Grant fumbled on his first drive, with the return setting up an eventual East Texas A&M field goal to make it 70-3 with 9:30 left in the game.
FSU then put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive to shave 7:32 off the clock and tie the program’s all-time touchdown record.
No. 14 Florida State (2-0) now heads to its first bye of the season, with its next matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes on Sep. 20 in Tallahassee.
