For the first time in 2017, Florida State was on the right end of the scoreboard on Saturday. Quarterback James Blackman’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Auden Tate with less than a minute remaining broke the tie as the Seminoles topped Wake Forest, 26-19.
As exciting as the final touchdown was, there were a number of players who stood out for FSU in Saturday’s victory. The Daily Nole staff of editor Mike Ferguson, lead writer Clint Eiland, staff writer Josh Mixon and recruiting analyst Jay Brading hand out game balls for each facet of the game:
Offense
Unanimous Game Ball: Jacques Patrick, RB
Florida State junior running back Jacques Patrick had the second-best rushing day of his career on Saturday, finishing with 120 yards on 19 carries. Patrick broke FSU’s longest run of the season, going 69 yards. He also scored the Seminoles’ first rushing touchdown of the season from a yard out in the second quarter.
Defense
Mike, Josh: Matthew Thomas, LB
After missing a large portion of the N.C. State game with an injury last week, redshirt senior linebacker Matthew Thomas returned to form on Saturday. Thomas finished with a team-high 10 tackles and the only two sacks for the Seminoles in the victory.
Clint, Jay: Kyle Meyers, CB
Florida State finally forced a turnover in 2017 and Kyle Meyers was the reason why. Meyers came up with FSU’s first interception of the season off a deflection in the second quarter and forced a fumble in the second half. Meyers finished with five tackles, including one for loss.
Special Teams
Mike: Keith Gavin, KR
With Florida State trailing 12-3, Keith Gavin’s 81-yard kickoff return set FSU up with a short field and allowed the Seminoles to score their first touchdown. The contest seemed to be slipping away and the big return gave FSU a much-needed boost.
Clint, Josh, Jay: Ricky Aguayo, K
Sophomore kicker Ricky Aguayo made four kicks for the second week in a row, but this time, without a miss. Aguayo was 4-for-4, which included a career-long 51-yarder to get the scoring started. His 35-yard-field goal with 6:20 left drew the Seminoles even.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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