Florida State scored on its first six possessions to defeat the Duquesne Dukes 47-7 in a weather-delayed season opener on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.
Treshaun Ward rushed for a game-high 127 yards on 14 carries and found the end zone twice. Trey Benson had 105 yards with a score, and Lawrance Toafili produced 101 yards and a touchdown.
The Seminoles (1-0) amassed 406 yards on the ground on 54 attempts, including three 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time in school history.
Named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list Thursday, quarterback Jordan Travis went 11-for-15 for 207 yards. He added 11 yards rushing and a TD.
Coming off a 7-3 mark in 2021, Duquesne (0-1) — a Football Championship Series program — got 71 yards through the air and a TD throw from Joe Mischler on 7 of 17 passing.
FSU outgained Duquesne 638-164 in total yardage.
The season-opening victory was much different from last September when FSU lost 20-17 to FCS program Jacksonville State on a 59-yard TD pass to complete an upset.
The home crowd had to endure a 90-minute weather delay, but the FSU ground game made the wait worth it.
On an impressive first drive of the season, Travis called his own number on a keeper and scored from five yards out on his initial carry for a 6-0 lead. Toafili ran in from four yards on the next drive.
Capping his team’s third consecutive TD drive in the opening quarter, Ward popped into the end zone from six yards out to make it 20-0.
Duquesne’s best scoring chance early stalled at the FSU 31 in the second quarter. Brian Bruzdewicz’s 48-yard field goal attempt was then pushed wide right in the steady rain.
FSU’s Ryan Fitzgerald later connected on two 24-yard field goals for a 26-0 halftime lead.
After Ward’s second score, the Dukes put up points when Mischler tossed a 22-yard score to Abdul Janneh (three catches, 44 yards) late in the third quarter. But Benson answered with a 43-yard dash.
Rodney Hill’s 8-yard run completed the scoring.
–Field Level Media
