Game Balls: FSU-Boston College

It wasn’t pretty on Friday night, but Florida State improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 14-0 victory over Boston College at Alumni Stadium to open ACC play. The Seminoles will have more than two weeks to prepare for Wake Forest, but as FSU celebrates a fourth straight perfect month of September, the Noled Out staff hands out game balls for each phase of the game:

Offense

Mike Ferguson and Clint Eiland’s Game Ball: Kermit Whitfield, WR
On a night where offense was scarce, Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield brought a spark to the Seminoles. Whitfield not only led all receivers with four catches for 52 yards, but came to the aid of a struggling FSU ground game with 19 yards rushing on a pair of carries.

Jon Marchant’s Game Ball: Everett Golson, QB
Offense was hard to come by on Friday night, but quarterback Everett Golson stayed poised during a dismal team offensive performance. Golson finished 15-for-24 passing for 119 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps most importantly, Golson didn’t turn the ball over.

Defense

Mike Ferguson and Clint Eiland’s Game Ball: Terrance Smith, LB
Terrance Smith made a huge impact in Florida State’s 14-0 victory over Boston College. Smith finished with five tackles including four solo stops and a team-high 2.5 for loss. Smith’s strip of Boston College running back Jon Hilliman in the fourth quarter allowed cornerback Jalen Ramsey to race 36 yards for a touchdown and essentially cement the FSU victory.

Jon Marchant’s Game Ball: Jalen Ramsey, CB
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey was a big help to Florida State’s run defense on Friday, finishing with six tackles including five solo stops. His 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to help ice the FSU victory.

Special Teams

Unanimous Game Ball: Cason Beatty, P
If there was a MVP for Florida State on Friday night, it might have been senior punter Cason Beatty. Beatty averaged better than 52 yards-per-punt on seven punts including a long of 58 yards that rolled dead at the 1-yard-line late in the third quarter. Of Beatty’s seven kicks, four were downed inside the 20.