No. 16 Duke football falls to No. 4 FSU as Riley Leonard sustains ankle injury

Florida State remains unbeaten in the Atlantic Coast Conference after a come-from-behind victory against Duke.

In a thrilling come-from-behind victory against a ranked opponent, the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles continued their dominant form in the second half of the season. This win solidified their status as the only unbeaten team in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Led by Jordan Travis, who accounted for three touchdowns, including a crucial 2-yard run early in the fourth quarter to give Florida State their first lead, the Seminoles overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat No. 16 Duke with a final score of 38-20 on Saturday night.

With this victory, Florida State extended their winning streak to 13 games and now sits alone at the top of the ACC standings after No. 10 North Carolina suffered a loss to Virginia.

Travis was the standout performer in this game, completing 27 of 36 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns against Duke's formidable defense. He also showcased his rushing ability, leading the team with 62 yards on the ground, including a crucial 40-yard run during the go-ahead 96-yard drive.

Head coach Mike Norvell praised Travis's performance, stating, "He was unbelievable. To see him take over in that game, it was special. It was a really cool moment there in the second half."

Travis continued to impress with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Lawrance Toafili, extending Florida State's streak of scoring at least 30 points to 13 games.

Reflecting on his performance, Travis expressed his enjoyment of the game and his renewed focus on having fun on the field. He credited his meeting with Coach Norvell for helping him regain his confidence and play freely.

Duke, on the other hand, experienced a collapse in this game, which could be attributed to the loss of their star quarterback Riley Leonard to a right ankle injury. Leonard, who returned after missing a game due to injury, was forced out of the game with less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Despite Leonard's efforts to convince team trainers that he could continue playing, Coach Mike Elko decided not to risk further injury and kept him on the sideline. Duke's offense struggled after Leonard's departure, managing only 35 yards for the remainder of the game with backup quarterback Henry Belin.

Elko explained his decision, saying, "He was begging me on the sideline to come back in. I didn't feel comfortable with where he was health-wise to move back, so we didn't do it."

Leonard finished the game with 7 completions on 16 attempts for 69 yards and an interception. Jaquez Moore led Duke's rushing attack with 110 yards and a touchdown, while Belin only completed one pass as Leonard's replacement.

Duke's left tackle Graham Barton acknowledged their lack of execution in the fourth quarter, stating, "Starting that fourth quarter, it was just a lack of execution. A lot of our mistakes were self-inflicted."

Duke had an opportunity to extend their lead to 23-17 in the third quarter with Leonard on the sideline, but instead opted to go for it on fourth-and-3 from the 4-yard line. Belin's pass in the end zone missed its target, allowing Florida State to take over and embark on a successful drive down the field.

Elko defended his decision, explaining, "We didn't feel like going up six was going to really help us. Their offense is too explosive. We were down there and playing that as a four-down situation."

Despite Duke's strong start, where they built their largest-ever lead against Florida State at 10-0, the game took a turn for the unexpected. Chandler Rivers of Duke returned an interception for a touchdown, followed by Deuce Spann returning the ensuing kickoff for a 99-yard score, injecting life into Doak Campbell Stadium.

However, Florida State managed to close the gap and entered halftime trailing 20-17. This was the third time this season that the Seminoles found themselves behind at the halfway mark, but just like before, they staged an impressive comeback led by Travis.

Norvell commended his team's resilience, stating, "Our guys showed up and made critical plays throughout the second half."

In summary, Florida State's victory over Duke solidified their position as the top team in the ACC. With their unbeaten record intact and impressive performances from Jordan Travis, the Seminoles are poised to maintain their No. 4 ranking in the upcoming AP college football poll.

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