Quarterback Surprises Coach, LSU : Seminoles Avoid Worst Start Since 1976 With 31-21 Win

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden is known for using plays that other people haven’t seen, but his quarterback came up with a couple Saturday night that even he hadn’t envisioned.

Peter Tom Willis hit Terry Anthony with a 32-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and ran seven yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead Florida State to a 31-21 victory over 21st-ranked Louisiana State.

“He made plays tonight that we haven’t practiced,” Bowden said. “He made plays I didn’t know he had in him.”

Bowden used fake reverses and a guard-around in his two losses this year and tried a fake punt on his first series. The Seminoles finally settled down and rolled up 522 yards total offense.

Florida State (1-2) avoided its first 0-3 start since 1976. Louisiana State’s 0-2 start is the worst for the Tigers since 1981.

Florida State was ranked No.6 in the preseason poll and Louisiana State was No. 7. But the Seminoles dropped out of the rankings after losses to Southern Mississippi and Clemson. Louisiana State fell to No. 21 after a loss to Texas A&M.;

“This was a great win to stop the bleeding,” Bowden said. “We were about to lose three in a row, and I was about to get used to it. I didn’t want that to happen.”

Willis completed 25 of 35 passes for 301 yards, including one that Bowden had never seen before--an off-balance 21-yard third-down completion to Dexter Carter to keep alive the drive to the clinching touchdown.

Dropping back from his own 47, Willis was under pressure and had to run to his right. He threw back across the middle off his back foot and hit Carter at the Louisiana State 26. Three plays later, Edgar Bennett went over from the seven, completing a 21-point second half for the Seminoles.

David Browndyke kicked field goals of 32 yards in the first quarter and 40 yards in the second quarter, and Tom Hodson hit Eddie Fuller on a one-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, then hit Calvin Windom for a two-point conversion to pull the Tigers to 17-14 in the third quarter.

Fuller ran four yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to give Louisiana State a 21-17 lead that lasted nearly three minutes.

Willis capped a 73-yard drive with his seven-yard touchdown run, and Bennett scored his touchdown to clinch it.