Florida State left Pittsburgh with more than a win Friday night. It left with momentum, a second straight road victory, and a performance that fit the kind of game Rick Stockstill wanted to see from his team.
The Seminoles, now 5-5, beat Pitt 16-10 and improved to 2-0 under Stockstill as interim head coach. Florida State trailed 7-6 at halftime, but took control after the break and outscored the Panthers 10-3 over the final 30 minutes.
Stockstill said the response from his team never wavered.
“We didn’t flinch,” said Stockstill. “Nobody flinched-offense, defense. We didn’t flinch and we came back and made plays.”
Florida State had to piece together its rushing attack with injuries forcing the Seminoles down to one scholarship running back, Amari Thomas, and a walk-on, Zay Parks. Those two carried the load and combined for 57 of Florida State’s 97 rushing yards. Against a Pitt defense that had already held six opponents under 100 rushing yards, the Seminoles managed the most rushing yards of any of those teams.
Thomas delivered the biggest moments on the ground. In the third quarter, he burst through the middle for 16 yards to reach the red zone, then later punched in a 1-yard touchdown that put Florida State ahead 13-7. The Seminoles never gave that lead back.
The points came where Florida State needed them most. Gabe Panikowski was perfect on the night, going 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and helping the Seminoles cash in in the red zone.
“You don’t get a W by how your stats look,” said Stockstill. “You get a W with points.
You do whatever it takes to win. I don’t care if we win 16-10, 50-0, or 3-2.
Win the darn game. Win the doggone game.
That’s what we did.”
The game also showed up as a clean example of complementary football. Florida State’s defense, led by defensive coordinator Ernie Sims, came up with a turnover and kept Pitt from settling in. The offense then turned that field position into points.
“Again, we played really good together, complimentary football,” Stockstill said. “We got stops on defense.
We got a turnover on defense. Offensively, we converted a touchdown after the defense got us an interception.”
Florida State’s defense also kept pressure on Pitt freshman quarterback Corey Dailey, sacking him twice and finishing with seven tackles for loss. On the other side, Ashton Daniels avoided mistakes, throwing no interceptions and completing 67 percent of his passes, his best completion rate of the season.
The Seminoles now turn their attention to NC State, which comes to Tallahassee on Nov. 21.
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The bigger concern was the perimeter game, where Florida State connected on just 2 of 21 three-point attempts. Loucks has already pointed to the need for sharper offense as the season moves forward, and while the Seminoles have the record they want for now, the shooting numbers suggest there is still plenty to sort out before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Suddenly Has Life Again Under Rick Stockstill
Florida State found a way to steady itself in a 16-10 win over Pittsburgh, and it did so with the kind of formula that can keep a season from slipping away. Ashton Daniels managed the offense for 163 passing yards, Gabe Panikowski supplied three field goals, and the defense did its part by making the game uncomfortable from start to finish, including a key interception by Rylan Kennedy.
For a team that needed a response, this was the sort of performance that can change the mood around a program, even if it did not come with much flair. Pittsburgh never got comfortable against Florida States defense, as Corey Dailey finished 16 of 34 for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and the Seminoles walked away with a win that felt bigger than the scoreboard alone. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Has A Postgame Travel Concern Fans Will Want To Watch
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