WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – It had only been two games, but it felt like an eternity. For Florida State’s fans. For the coaches. And certainly for the players.
The first celebration started as soon as junior wide receiver Auden Tate hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass with 53 seconds remaining. The second one erupted when sophomore safety Derwin James batted down Wake Forest’s final pass as time expired.
But the third one … the third one was special. It took place in the visitors’ locker room after the Seminoles had secured a 26-19 victory to hand the Demon Deacons (4-1) their first loss of the season.
More importantly, it came after FSU’s first win since an Orange Bowl victory against Michigan in late December.
“Ah man, it felt so great. It was electric,” said sophomore defensive back Kyle Meyers, who recorded a crucial second-quarter interception and also forced a fumble. “This team has been practicing so hard. We’ve been pushing so hard. We told ourselves it’s going to come as long as we just come out here and execute. That’s what we did, and I’m happy to walk out of here with a win.”
For awhile Saturday, it looked as if it might not happen.
The Seminoles, who started the season 0-2 for the first time since 1989 with losses to No. 1 Alabama and N.C. State, found themselves trailing by nine points, 12-3, early in the second quarter. To make matters worse, the injuries were piling up for a team that already was short-handed.
Starting left tackle Derrick Kelly was sidelined by a leg injury on the Seminoles’ first drive; he would never return. Starting guards Landon Dickerson and Cole Minshew also had to leave the game for stretches with injuries of their own.
Starting middle linebacker Ro’Derrick Hoskins missed the entire game with a pinched nerve in his neck. And several Seminoles -- including Tate (shoulder) and linebacker Matthew Thomas (back), both of whom left the N.C. State game with injuries and were questionable this week -- played through pain.
“Man, that’s what that feels like,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said of the victorious postgame locker room. “That’s what this locker room feels like … you can never take anything for granted. How special winning is. And how hard it is.”
With true freshman James Blackman making his second career start at quarterback and the offensive line in disarray, the Seminoles looked ragged for long stretches. Wake Forest’s defense sacked Blackman five times and racked up a total of 17 tackles for loss.
