Quarter-by-quarter Breakdown

Florida State 69, Murray State 3

Florida State (1-0) opened up its season in expected fashion, with a convincing 69-3 win over visiting Murray State. Offensively, the ‘Noles offered a balanced attack, producing 285 yards on the ground and 321 passing yards.

Quarterback EJ Manuel was sharp in his two-plus quarters of work, completing 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards and a score. Manuel added 38 rushing yards and went without being sacked.

Sophomore receiver Rashad Greene again made a season-opener splash, taking his first punt return 47 yards for the game’s first score. Florida State never looked back, holding a 28-3 lead at halftime and a 48-3 advantage after three quarters.

Behind a revamped offensive line, Florida State averaged 6.8 yards per carry, with senior Lonnie Pryor scoring three times from one, 18 and 1 yards, respectively. Sophomore James Wilder Jr. finished the night with 106 yards on 12 carries plus two touchdowns. In all, the Seminoles ran for seven scores on the ground.

Defensively, the Seminole front-four dominated the point of attack, with junior defensive end Bjoern Werner racking up four sacks and five tackles for loss. In all, Murray State totaled just 156 yards.

The Seminoles will host Savannah State on Saturday September 8th at 6 p.m..

Stay locked in with Warchant.com for the latest news and developments from FSU’s post-game.

First Quarter

The Skinny: The Seminoles looked sharp of the outset, severely outmanning and outgunning the Racers. The offense led a strong 58-yard scoring drive ended by a 1-yard TD run from Lonnie Pryor. Defensively, the Seminoles allowed only 31 total yards and two first downs. The Seminoles' only mistake came near the end of the first quarter as receiver Kenny Shaw bobbled a wide open catch three times before it fell into the hands of a Murray state defender. The interception snapped QB EJ Manuel's streak of 129 pass attempts without an interception.

Key Stat: 45 The Seminoles totaled 45 rushing yards in the first quarter, a positive sign for a revamped offensive line. Last year, FSU struggled to block its weak competition at the start of the season. Chris Thompson led FSU with four carries for 23 yards.

Key Play: Florida State receiver Rashad Greene wasted no time filling the shoes of decorated former FSU punt return man Greg Reid, taking his first punt return of the season 47 yards for a touchdown. The score gave the Seminoles a quick 7-0 lead before the FSU offense even had to take the field.

Second Quarter

The skinny: Murray State was able to control the clock somewhat against FSU and muster 64 total yards and two field goal attempts. The Racers have possessed the ball for 17:20 of the first half against FSU's 12:40. However, the Seminoles put together a pair a five-play touchdown drives totaling 138 yards. They have amassed a balanced attack - 251 total yards with 149 passing and 102 rushing. Chris Thompson leads in rushing with six carries for 32 yards.

Key Stat: 2 FSU true freshman punter Cason Beatty has shown the ability to pin the opposition deep, dropping two punts inside the 20 in three attempts.

Key Play: From the Murray State 6, FSU QB EJ Manuel buys time by rolling to his left and finding Kenny Shaw in the endzone for the score. It gives Manuel his first passing touchdown of the season.

Third Quarter

The Skinny: The Seminoles plastered 20 points on the Racers behind a a 66-yard rushing quarter from James Wilder Jr. Pryor added his third touchdown of the night following a Murray State fumble caused by DE Bjeorn Werner on the Murray State 1. Pryor punched it in on the ensuing play, becoming the first FSU rusher with three touchdowns since Ty Jones did it against Virginia Tech in 2010.

Key Stat: 5 DE Bjoern Werner has five tackles for loss through three quarters, tied for the most in FSU history.

Key Play:Werner's forced fumble at the Murray State 1 was nabbed by defensive end Georgio Newberry, leading to Pryor's touchdown with 7:53 left in the quarter.

Fourth Quarter

The Skinny: Florida State coasted home with 21 more points in the fourth quarter. RB Debrale Smiley ran for two one-yard scores as the Seminoles ran 24 offensive plays for 161 total yards.

Key Stat: 40 Sophomore tailback James Wilder Jr. rushed seven times for 40 yards, exhibiting signature power for several missed tackles. Wilder scored once in the quarter, from seven yards out.

Key Play: Perhaps it wasn’t key, but the game was well out of hand when receiver Kelvin Benjamin flashed some of the athletic ability that Seminole fans have been salivating over. On a pass from third-string quarterback Jacob Coker, Benjamin made a wiggle move and burst forward for a gain of 16 yards.