Extra Point: Duke football vs. Florida State

No. 20 Duke fell to No. 1 Florida State 45-7 on Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte N.C. Florida State Quarterback and Heisman candidate Jameis Winston overcame a slow start and threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and the Seminole defense suffocated the Blue Devil offense, holding them to just seven points through four quarters.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Force Winston Into Poor Decision-Making: Winston had an emotional week after learning Thursday that he would not be charged of sexual assault. With a lot on his mind, Winston was flustered early on and the Blue Devil secondary did a good job preventing big plays in the first half. Even though Winston found wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin for the first touchdown of the game, pressure forced two first-half sacks and defensive back Breon Borders had a big interception with 2:34 to play in the second half. But in the second half, Winston seemed much more relaxed in the pocket and made good decisions that allowed Florida State to extend its lead and advance to the BCS National Championship.
• Get Out To A Fast Start: Duke did not get off to a fast start. But neither did Florida State. The Blue Devils played good defense in the first quarter—Ross Cockrell forced Seminole running back Devonta Freeman to fumble inside the Duke 10-yard line—and held Florida State scoreless in the first period. A huge turning point came when Duke had the ball at the Seminole 30-yard line, Boone threw a pass to wide open Jela Duncan, but the running back dropped a sure-touchdown. Three plays later, kicker Ross Martin missed a field goal that would have given the Blue Devils a lead. It wasn’t ugly, but by halftime the Seminoles had built a 17-0 advantage.
• Rely on the Running Game: The Blue Devils knew they would have to hit the ground running all game, but simply could not match the physicality in the trenches. The Duke offensive line had little success against Florida State’s front seven and the backs only racked up 99 yards on the ground. This caused weight to fall on the shoulders of Boone, who completed only 50 percent of his passes and was forced to make errant throws, including two interceptions.

Three Key Plays

• Early in the first quarter, on a second down and 10 from the Duke 25-yard line, Freeman breaks a huge run, but is tracked down by Cockrell who forces the fumble. Safety Jeremy Cash recovers the fumble, swinging some early momentum the Blue Devils’ way.
• After forcing an early turnover, the Duke offense puts together a 14-play, 67-yard drive and Martin trots out to try a 48-yard field goal. But Martin’s kick sails wide right and the Blue Devils are denied the opportunity to strike first and jump out to a 3-0 lead.
• Three plays after Boone’s second interception of the game, Winston evades an all-out blitz by Duke and finds wide receiver Kenny Shaw, who makes an inside move on defensive back Deondre Singleton and scores the touchdown. This play made the score 24-0 and sucked any hope of a Blue Devil comeback out of Bank of America Stadium.

Three key stats:

And the Florida State game ball goes to… Jameis Winston

Winston has been riding a roller coaster that is now zooming toward the BCS National Championship Game. Even though he struggled in the first half, missing open receivers and throwing an interception, he bounced back and led the Seminoles to victory. He went 19-for-32 for 330 yards and tossed three touchdown throws. Winston, a potential Heisman candidate, affirmed that he can play through adversity in the national spotlight.