LSU vs. Florida State score, takeaways: Seminoles dominate Tigers, affirming College Football Playoff hype

The Week 1 bulldozing of a top-five opponent was Florida State's most significant win of the Mike Norvell era

No. 8 Florida State recorded the best win of Week 1, and possibly of the 2023 season, taking down No. 5 LSU in Orlando by a 45-24 margin and affirming the Seminoles' place in the thick of the College Football Playoff picture. 

Quarterback Jordan Travis entered the game with Heisman Trophy buzz and delivered on that hype with a stellar performance, completing 23 of 31 passes for 342 yards and four touchdowns while adding 38 yards and a score on the ground. Travis guided the offense to scores on six consecutive drives to help Florida State pull away in the second half and secure one of the most significant wins of the Mike Norvell era.  

The game was not as lopsided as the final margin for much of the evening; LSU actually led 17-14 at halftime but failed to get anything going on offense in the second half. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels hit some explosive plays through the passing game, but he found himself under duress from the Seminoles pass rush on key downs when the Tigers were working to claw their way back from a deficit that increased throughout the final 30 minutes. 

For Florida State, the game serves as affirmation that the hype from last season's 10-win campaign is worth believing. Norvell led the program to double-digit wins last season for the first time since 2016, but did so while going 0-3 against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of the game. Those defeats against ranked opponents loomed large in the minds of Florida State skeptics going into the fall, but those concerns have been put to bed with Sunday night's dominant win against the Tigers. 

Here are three things to know about the win for FSU, the defeat for LSU and what it means for both teams: 

Travis outduels Daniels

Both quarterbacks were considered Heisman Trophy hopefuls coming into the season, and both players still have a chance to make their case for the award thanks to their own talent level and the ceiling for their respective teams. But if voters had to choose an either/or based on this game alone, there would be an overwhelming level of support for Travis, who at one point completed 11 pass attempts in a row as Florida State's offense found its rhythm. The Seminoles more than doubled their offensive output with 31 second-half points to just 14 in the first half, and four of Travis' five total touchdowns came after halftime. This was a sloppy game early that demanded one team tighten up to win. Florida State was that team thanks to Travis' ability to steady the offense while Daniels and LSU were struggling for much of the second half. 

Florida State wideouts make history

For the first time since 2018, Florida State's passing attack featured two different players with at least 100 yards receiving thanks to Keon Coleman's 122 yards on nine catches and Johnny Wilson's 104 yards on seven catches. Travis has been able to find success as a playmaker, but he has not had the caliber of options on the perimeter like he does now, with Coleman's post-spring practice addition possibly being among the biggest offseason acquisitions in college football. With no spring and only fall camp to get in sync through organized actives, Coleman has fit right in and delivered three scores in the monumental win. 

Now, opposing defenses have to worry not just about Wilson and the matchup issues presented by his size and athleticism, but by Coleman's ability to take a short pass and turn it into a long gain. The former Michigan State wideout had 52 yards after the catch -- a factor that impacts not just how defenses choose to defend Florida State before the snap, but also how they prepare for an offense that looks to exploit open space with its skill position players. 

LSU needs better performance on key downs

Ultimately, this LSU team can still accomplish all of its goals if it can beat Alabama, win the SEC West and make it back to the SEC Championship Game. But avoiding a second regular-season loss is going to be difficult if the Tigers fail to succeed in key situations like they did on Sunday night. LSU was 3 for 10 on third down and 0 for 3 on fourth down with two turnovers on down in the red zone and no sustained drives after halftime. Last season, Daniels was the team's leading rusher in part because of an inability to keep a clean pocket. But not even Daniels' mobility could keep plays alive against a Florida State defensive front that recorded four sacks and five tackles for loss. 

[Sep 3, 2023 at 10:53 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Florida State extends its lead 

7:00 4Q: Florida State 38, LSU 17 

Florida State may have put the game away with a 44-yard touchdown from Jordan Travis to Jaheim Bell, a transfer from South Carolina. The score gives the Seminoles a 21-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and gives Travis his fifth total touchdown of the game (four passing, one rushing). LSU's offense has been totally shut down by the Seminoles since halftime, with two punts and an interception on the Tigers' three second half possessions. Unless Jayden Daniels can find some magic here in the final minutes, FSU is on its way to a statement win against a top-five opponent.  

[Sep 3, 2023 at 10:40 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Keon Coleman adds to his FSU highlight reel with key TD 

10:18 4Q: Florida State 31, LSU 17 

Jordan Travis has three touchdown passes and all of them are to Keon Coleman, who now has 122 yards and three scores on nine receptions to lead all Florida State receivers. But while Coleman's FSU debut has been a top storyline, Johnny Wilson has played a huge role in the success of the passing game as well with seven catches for 104 yards. It's the first time since 2018 that Florida State has had two receivers with 100+ yards in the same game, adding yet another layer of evidence to the notion that the 2023 Seminoles are closer to the championship contention standard than any of the previous teams that have fallen short of expectations in Tallahassee. 

[Sep 3, 2023 at 10:17 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

FSU turns 4th down conversion into a TD 

2:42 3Q: Florida State 24, LSU 17 

Jordan Travis and FSU's offense is rolling, scoring on each of its last three possessions after the Seminoles quarterback scampers to the end zone at the conclusion of a dramatic late 3rd quarter drive. The FSU defense forced a punt for the first time since midway through the 2nd quarter, and Travis cashed in leading a drive 87 yards in seven plays with 41 of those yards coming from yet another splash play from Keon Coleman. Now it's on LSU to convert the many opportunities they've had in scoring position as the Tigers, who have moved the ball well, find themselves trailing in the late stages of the second half. 

[Sep 3, 2023 at 10:04 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Florida State ties it up on the opening drive 

Early 3Q: LSU 17, Florida State 17 

Jordan Travis did a great job leading a 9-play, 60-yard scoring drive for FSU that ends with a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 17. A big part of Florida State's efforts to get in a late touchdown in the second quarter was knowing you'd get the opportunity to impact the game with the first possession of the second half and they did that with the field. Still, this is yet another red zone trip that does not result in a touchdown, which could prove important depending on how things go with the rest of the second half. 

[Sep 3, 2023 at 9:16 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

Florida Stae offers resounding answer 

Late 2Q: LSU 14, Florida State 14 

Jordan Travis did a great job of responding from early miscues to convert in big opportunities as he delivers his second touchdown of the game to Keon Coleman. Once again it is LSU's inability to get it into the end zone in a scoring opportunity that has led to Florida State hanging in the game, and Jared Verse is adding to the FSU aggressiveness with key stops on the defense end. 

[Sep 3, 2023 at 9:03 pm ET · Chip Patterson]

LSU jumps ahead for the first time

6:02 2Q: LSU 14, Florida State 7

After two first half drives that have ended in a turnover on downs, LSU's offensive is glad to have punched in a strong scoring opportunity here in the later stages of the second quarter. Jayden Daniels got the ball close to midfield thanks to a strong showing from LSU's defense and special teams and he marched the offense right down the field for a touchdown that could give the Tigers an edge as both teams head into the locker room.