All these years later, it’s good to see FSU’s swagger has returned

ORLANDO — The resurrection is not a singular moment. That’s important to remember.

It’s not a specific hire, a particular recruit or a lone game on the schedule. It’s all of those things, and much more.

When a program such as Florida State is returning from college football’s abyss, there are a multitude of subtractions and additions, adjustments and transformations, starts and stops. It’s talent, it’s strategy, it’s effort.

And, at the very end of the process, it is arrogance.

That’s not an uncomplimentary thought, by the way. Arrogance is not about talking loud or mugging for the camera. It’s about having faith that your team has arrived, and understanding that fear is a trait of lesser programs.

That’s what you saw Sunday night when No. 8 FSU beat No. 5 LSU 45-24 in a matchup of top-10 teams.

That’s what you saw when the Seminoles took over in the second half. That’s what you saw when Florida State coach Mike Norvell kept his offense on the field for a fourth and 2 with the score tied late in the third quarter.

The result was a 41-yard gain, and a coming-out party for a team filled with transfers, after-thoughts and barely-knowns. Beginning with that play, the Seminoles outscored LSU 28-0 in fewer than 15 minutes.

“That was a glimpse,” Norvell said. “A glimpse of what I think this team can do and where I think it can go.”

It was a simple play executed with confidence and precision. Operating out of the shotgun, quarterback Jordan Travis went back in the pocket as running back Lawrance Toafili cut across the line of scrimmage to the right flat. With the pass rush coming hard, Travis hit Toafili 5 yards from the first-down marker.

Toafili, a junior and Pinellas Park High alumnus, had four LSU defenders racing to trap him near the sideline, and receivers Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell running interference. Toafili outran one defender, and slipped loose when another grabbed his arm. Wilson and Bell slowed down the other two Tigers, and Toafili cut back toward the middle of the field around the LSU 20. He was nearly at the goal line when he was caught from behind at the 1.

A top recruit from Willie Taggart’s last class in Tallahassee, Toafili got some starts as a true freshman in 2020 but has been more of a change-of-pace back since Trey Benson transferred to FSU, getting much of his production receiving (504 yards) as well as rushing (976 yards)

“The fourth-down conversion was huge,” Norvell said. “I was just really proud of the way they battled throughout.”

The Seminoles played a dynamic, but deeply flawed first half, and found themselves trailing 17-14 at intermission. And, if you only watched the highlights, it might have looked like an FSU fan’s dream.

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Travis was an absolute magician on third downs. Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman had touchdowns on two of his first four receptions as a Seminole. The defensive line made a brilliant goal-line stand and the special teams produced a turnover.

You could pick any one of a half-dozen plays to illustrate why Florida State had its highest preseason ranking since 2017.

The issue was … everything else.

The Seminoles could not go more than three minutes without a boneheaded play. Travis, who was starting his 28th game and should know better, panicked under pressure twice in the first half, and he had one pass picked off deep in LSU territory and could have had another.

Wilson dropped two easy passes and Bell dropped another. The Seminoles had a bunch of unnecessary penalties and far too many missed tackles in the secondary.

“I thought we made some foolish mistakes at times,” Norvell said. “That happens. You’ve got to play this game with emotion and I want an emotional team. (But) you’ve got to be controlled. I want to make sure we’re disciplined and continuing to focus on the little things.”

This was the start of a new season, but also the end of a cycle.

For more than five years, the Seminoles have teetered between mediocrity and oblivion. They showed signs of rediscovering themselves last season, and Sunday night was an opportunity to take the next step.

With a national television audience watching and ACC poohbahs praying, the Seminoles played like a team ready to reclaim a position of national prominence. It’s just one game, and LSU may turn out to be less impressive than its ranking.

But, for the moment, the Seminoles have earned their place. They’ve worked for their plaudits. They are entitled to their arrogance.

John Romano can be reached at jromano@tampabay.com. Follow @romano_tbtimes.

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