Blocked extra point preserves FSU’s victory over LSU

NEW ORLEANS – Jordan Travis threw two touchdown passes and Florida State blocked an LSU extra point that would have forced overtime with no time remaining as the Seminoles prevailed 24-23 in the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff on Sunday night in the Caesars Superdome.

FSU (2-0) seemed in command after taking a 24-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but Jayden Daniels led an improbable comeback for the Tigers in their first game under new head coach Brian Kelly.

But Daniels’ second touchdown pass to Jaray Jenkins in the final 4:07 went for naught when Shyheim Brown blocked Damian Ramos’ extra point.

“We just have to learn how to play the game the right way for four quarters,” Kelly said. “We didn’t tackle very well, we didn’t get off the field on third down, we had two turnovers in our punt return game. Anytime you have those situations you’re setting yourself up for a long night.

“What we need to do better is to play with a sense of urgency. We have to coach better and I’m accountable for that.”

Daniels threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jenkins to get the Tigers within seven points.

LSU forced a three and out, but Malik Nabers fumbled the punt and FSU recovered at the Tigers eight. It was the second lost fumble by Nabers near the LSU goal line.

But the Tigers got the ball back on a fumble recovery at the one with 1:20 left.

Daniels had a pair of seven-yard completions before rushing for 14 yards. He had completions of 13 and 10 before being sacked for a 5-yard loss. Along the way LSU used its final two timeouts.

A 24-yard run by Daniels and a spike were followed by a 10-yard completion and 17-yarder to freshman tight end Mason Taylor, who was marked out of bounds at the two with one second left.

After a lengthy replay review, it was determined that Taylor was tackled in bounds after making a first down, which would have stopped the clock temporarily. By rule that allowed the Tigers to run one untimed down.

After a Seminoles timeout Daniels threw a touchdown pass to Jenkins in the back of the end zone, provoking a roar from the LSU fans inside the sold-out building.

Those cheers were quickly replaced by a similar roar from the FSU fans that comprised nearly half of the crowd of more than 68,000 when Brown’s block preserved the Seminoles’ victory.

It was the second one of Ramos’ kicks that was blocked, joining a 30-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter.

Both blocks came from the left side of the LSU formation. Kelly said the Tigers changed personnel after the first block “and that didn’t work either.”

Daniels, a transfer from Arizona State whose status as the No. 1 quarterback after a preseason battle with Garrett Nussmeier wasn’t known until a few hours before kickoff, passed for 209 yards and rushed for 114.

Some of the runs were designed, some were not as the Seminoles routinely got into the LSU backfield to disrupt Daniels in the pocket.

“When he did sit in the pocket,” Kelly said, “he showed great patience and was able to make good decisions.”

Travis completed 20 of 32 for 260 yards and two touchdowns to Ontaria Wilson and the Seminoles converted 11 of 17 third downs. Wilson had seven catches for 102 yards.

On the first possession of the second half, FSU drove to the LSU 10 before stalling. Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 25-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead.

On the Seminoles’ next possession Travis threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Wilson for a 17-3 lead.

LSU responded with its best drive of the game marching 82 yards in 11 plays as Noah Cain ran 1 yard for touchdown on fourth down. That cut the FSU lead to 17-10 at the end of the third quarter.

The Seminoles answered with DJ Lundy’s 1-yard touchdown run for a 24-10 lead with 9:04 left.

Then came the improbable comeback in which LSU did all the hard stuff, but couldn’t finish the easiest part.

“What we did well is we battled,” Kelly said. “Proud that we battled. We have to coach better, have to have them ready.”

On the game’s first possession LSU drove to a first-and-goal at the FSU, but a bad snap pushed them back and Ramos kicked a 36-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead that stood up through the end of the first quarter.

On the fourth play of the second quarter, FSU rank a trick play that ended with Travis throwing a 39-yard touchdown pass to Wilson for a 7-3 lead.

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