Undoubtedly, Florida State would require an extraordinary endeavor to accomplish the seemingly unattainable and surprise the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl. But with so many starters and important reserves out of the lineup, the Seminoles were outmatched on both ends of the ball in the first half of the game, which went much worse than expected.
To make matters worse, several players who started for Florida State on Saturday afternoon have been sidelined due to injuries, which has forced the coaching staff to delve even deeper into its dwindling depth. Darius Washington, the starting left tackle for the Seminoles, was injured early in the first quarter.
Three more players were knocked out of the game as the hits persisted throughout the second frame. Robert Scott, a redshirt junior offensive lineman from Florida State who had taken Washington’s spot, appeared to be hurt. He was replaced in the game for the remainder of the first half by redshirt freshman Jaylen Early.
Injuries to starter cornerback Fentrell Cypress II and wide receiver Kentron Poitier also occurred in the second quarter. With the help of trainers, both players were forced to return to their locker rooms. It was unclear what was upsetting Cypress II, but Poitier appeared to have been smacked in the face and had a cloth over his nose.
Poitier was replaced by true freshman wide receiver Hykeem Williams, while Quindarrius Jones, a true freshman cornerback, took Cypress’s place. Poitier has caught four passes for 84 yards, tying him for the game’s most receiving yards. In the second quarter, he ran 55 yards to set up Florida State’s only field goal. Before exiting the game, Cypress recorded three tackles.
Starting left guard Casey Roddick hobbled back to the locker room before the offense took the court in the second half. He may have had an injury at some point during the season, but it’s unclear when it happened. He played little in the regular-season finale versus Florida. Veteran D’Mitri Emmanuel took Roddick’s spot, and Keiondre Jones took over.Together with the team, Scott and Cypress emerged from the tunnel to warm up for the second half. Scott ultimately returned to the game at left tackle. No one saw Poitier emerge from the tunnel.
Jones has made three tackles since entering the game, while Williams has caught one pass for nine yards.
Early in the third quarter, Florida State is behind 49-3. It’s not going to end soon enough.
