SYRACUSE, N.Y. - There's what the offense did. There's what the defense did and when put together, it led to Florida State roaring to a 45-14 thumping of Syracuse on Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
FSU now improves to 8-3 overall and 5-3 in the ACC and will now turns its attention to next Saturday's game against in-state rival Florida at Doak Campbell Stadium.
A quick start against Boston College led to FSU taking a 45-7 win a week earlier. FSU replicated its efforts when it took a 14-0 lead after two possessions against Syracuse.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Deondre Francois threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Nyqwan Murray for a 7-0 with 11:07 left in the first quarter. FSU doubled its lead to 14-0 when Francois threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Travis Rudolph with 7:11 remaining.
Francois' two touchdowns set the stage for star junior tailback Dalvin Cook. In one game, Cook achieved the following:
*He rushed for four touchdowns.
*Broke the school's career rushing mark held by Warrick Dunn of 3,959 yards.
*Moved into a tie with Greg Allen for first in career rushing touchdowns with 44.
*Surpassed the 4,000-yard barrier and went from being ranked in the Top 10 to No. 3 all time for rushing yards by an ACC running back.
He finished the day with 227 yards to go with his touchdown. Cook's day, however, wasn't entirely perfect. He did have two fumbles and was shaken up early in the fourth quarter. Cook did not return but he did talk with teammates for the rest of the game.
For as relentless as Cook was, the same could be said for FSU's defense.
The Seminoles' pass rush accounted for eight sacks. Freshman defensive Brian Burns picked up 2.5 sacks while senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker finished with two.
Junior safety Ermon Lane, who began the year as a receiver, had his first career interception. Sophomore defensive back Tarvarus McFadden grabbed his nation-leading eighth interception of the season.
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