It was a devastating way to lose for No. 9 Florida State on Saturday night in Atlanta. With the game tied 16-16, FSU kicker Roberto Aguayo had his 56-yard field goal blocked and returned 78 yards for a touchdown by Georgia Tech’s Lance Austin as time expired, giving the Yellow Jackets an improbable 22-16 victory.
The loss snapped a 30-game regular season winning streak for Florida State as well as a 28-game ACC winning streak that spanned more than three years. How FSU recovers from the devastating defeat however, may tell us more about the Seminoles than the disappointing loss.
With 10 starters from the 2014 Opening Day offense gone and four defensive starters departing early for the NFL, expectations weren’t quite as high for FSU entering the season after going a combined 27-1 over the previous two years. To say that FSU is young would be an understatement.
Quarterback Everett Golson is the only senior starter on offense and Golson, a Notre Dame transfer, is in the first year in this system. On defense, the Seminoles have some experience, but junior cornerback Jalen Ramsey is the only experienced player with All-American type talent. With a young roster, it’s a mystery as to how the Seminoles will respond with many key players experiencing their first taste of regular season defeat.
Florida State will look to begin solving that mystery on Saturday as it plays host to Syracuse. Like its last two opponents, Georgia Tech and Louisville, the 3-4 Orange are probably better than their losing record. Syracuse has dropped heartbreakers in consecutive weeks, losing to No. 25 Pittsburgh on a last second field goal last week after falling to Virginia in three overtimes the week before.
Despite last week’s loss, many of the goals set prior to the year remain intact for FSU. Florida State controls its own destiny in the ACC race and can win 10 games for a fourth straight year simply by going 3-2 the rest of the way and winning a bowl game.
The Seminoles haven’t lost consecutive games since dropping three straight early in 2011 and how they perform from here on out will say a lot about the character of this team. The toughest tests for FSU appear to be ahead as the Seminoles visit current No. 3 Clemson one week from Saturday and close the year against arch-rival and much-improved Florida.
“Our sole focus is on Syracuse,” said FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher during Wednesday’s ACC teleconference. “Our kids have had a great attitude all week and they’re looking forward to get back on the field.”
FSU is 7-3 following a loss under Fisher and 8-3 if you count this season’s opener over Texas State since the Seminoles fell to Oregon in the Rose Bowl to close the 2014 season. We know Florida State is young and we know FSU is talented. For the Seminoles to still have a successful season, they’re going to need to show they’re resilient.
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