The Jameis Winston-led Garnet squad triumphed over the Gold squad on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium by a score of 31-14. Unlike last year’s Spring Game where the senior captains picked the teams, it was the first team offense in Garnet vs. the first string defense in Gold with the second-teamers reversed.
The game played out like a glorified passing scrimmage with the main focus on building quarterback/receiver chemistry due to the injuries at running back and the plethora of talented but inexperienced receivers fighting to win the right to fill the voids left by the departed Kenny Shaw and potential first Round NFL Draft pick Kelvin Benjamin. With Jameis Winston no doubt exhausted from his grinding schedule of baseball, football and academic requirements coupled with the youth at receiver, it was the first team defense that shined early. Winston started slow, only completing four of his first 15 pass attempts, but finished strong with a final stat line of 27-for-56 passing for 396 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
With almost 60 pass attempts by Winston alone, the young receivers Isaiah Jones, Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield and Jesus “Bobo” Wilson got plenty of reps and all impressed. Winston looked a mix of rusty and self-admittedly bored, routinely throwing passes into double and triple coverage while his counterpart Sean Maguire, starting quarterback for the Gold squad, came out sharp completing 15 of 28 pass attempts for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It was also FSU fans’ first look at quarterback John Franklin III, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown while looking good in the two-minute drill.
As it was during FSU’s run of dominance in the late 80s and into the late 90s, Florida State once again has the luxury of having the best compete against the best, and the defense did not disappoint either. The first team defense in Gold forced two first half fumbles and an interceptions with cornerback P.J. Williams, linebacker Matthew Thomas, and safety Jalen Ramsey responsible respectively along with backup defensive back Lamarcus Brutus leading the way with seven tackles. For the second team defense in Garnet, it was led by linebacker E.J. Levenberry, who racked up a game-high eight tackles edging out fellow linebacker Reggie Northrup, who gobbled up six. Also at linebacker, redshirt freshman Ro’Derrick Hoskins added a pick-six of Maguire that he returned a lightning 63 yards.
On Special Teams it was a day to forget, with the squad’s Achilles’ heel Cason Beatty continuing to struggle. Beatty registered an 18-yard punt while kicker Roberto Aguayo uncharacteristically shanked a 50-yarder at the end of the first quarter. Aguayo did manage to convert a 37-yard kick later to give the Garnet team a 10-7 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
All in all it was a successful scrimmage for the ‘Noles and the FSU program, escaping with no major injuries and showcasing its elite talent in front of the roughly 40,000 fans that were on hand.
