10/26/2019 football Edit

Seminoles, Akers (4 TDs) bounce back strong with 35-17 win over Syracuse

Ira Schoffel • TheOsceola

Managing Editor

Ira has covered Florida State for more than 15 years and college football for more than 25 years. He is a former sports editor and columnist at the Tallahassee Democrat and other outlets.

The Florida State football team needed that.

So did second-year head coach Willie Taggart.

With the Seminoles reeling after back-to-back losses and Taggart coming under fire from disgruntled fans, FSU delivered perhaps its best performance of the season Saturday against Syracuse.

Box Score: FSU 35, Syracuse 17

Playing before a crowd of 50,517 -- the smallest Homecoming crowd in decades -- the Seminoles cruised to a 35-17 victory. Florida State improved to 4-4 on the season and 3-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Syracuse fell to 3-5 and 0-4.

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Florida State linebacker Amari Gainer closes in for the tackle against Syracuse's Moe Neal. (Gene Williams/Warchant)

The story before the game was the news that graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook would be making his second start of the season at quarterback. But while Hornibrook delivered a solid performance, it was junior tailback Cam Akers who was the star of the show.

Alternating between running back and quarterback, Akers racked up 144 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries, and he also completed 2 of 3 passes for 26 more.

Akers, who was disappointed with himself after losing a costly fumble last week at Wake Forest, also was involved in a wild trick play that featured two laterals and a 54-yard completion to Tamorrion Terry.

Hornibrook completed 15 of 26 passes for 196 yards and improved to 2-0 as a starter. He helped lead the Seminoles to a 31-13 win over N.C. State in the Seminoles' last home game.

Florida State's defense played well enough for the Seminoles to open a 35-3 lead in the second half, but the Orange rallied for two late touchdowns.

FSU returns to action next Saturday against visiting Miami. The Seminoles need at least two victories in their final four games -- against UM, Boston College, Alabama State and Florida -- to become bowl eligible.

Stay connected with Warchant.com for complete coverage, including postgame video interviews.

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