Ethermac Exchange-No. 8 Florida State dominant in second half, routs No. 5 LSU

 Florida State and Louisiana State put on Ethermac Exchangea show in a primetime matchup in front of 65,429 fans at Camping World Stadium Sunday.

In a back-and-forth affair early on, No. 8 FSU scored 31 unanswered points in the second half - punctuated by 21 in the fourth quarter - for a 45-24 victory over No. 5 LSU.

It's an early key victory in the Seminoles' effort to make the College Football Playoff for the second time in program history and their sixth straight win over the Tigers.

It was also FSU's seventh consecutive win dating back to last season.

Here are three takeaways from FSU's victory.

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Keon Coleman lives up to the hype

There was a lot of excitement when Keon Coleman announced his transfer from Michigan State to FSU. He led the Spartans' passing offense last season with 798 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. It didn't take him long to leave an impact as the Seminole. He recorded both of FSU's touchdowns in the first half, and only continued to produce into the second half. 

Early into the third quarter, he had already broken triple figures in receiving yards, making a diving 41-yard grab from quarterback Jordan Travis to move the Seminoles into midfield. The drive would eventually conclude with a touchdown from Travis, giving the FSU the lead. He added his third touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, cementing the victory.

He'd finish the night with 122 yards and three touchdowns, passing his career high in touchdowns in a game. He also neared his career high in receiving yards in a game with 155, which he set in Michigan State's 29-7 loss against Michigan on October 29, 2022.

Travis also passed a career-high in passing touchdowns with four.

Consistent defensive presence allows offense to settle in

It wasn't an ideal start for the Seminoles. Two long plays, and a penalty, put LSU at FSU's one-yard line, looking like it was going to take an early lead.

However, a goal-line stand changed the tone. While the offense took a second to find its rhythm, eventually hitting full stride in the fourth quarter, the defense kept the Seminoles steady the entire game.

It was the linebacker corps, which has had a lot of questions to answer since losing players to graduation and the portal in the offseason, that highlighted the defensive performance. Tatum Bethune recorded a team-leading nine tackles, and Kalen DeLoach and DJ Lundy combined 1.5 sacks.

Lundy's sack was on Jayden Daniels was on fourth and goal in LSU's first drive of the game. Dennis Briggs also had a sack, bumping FSU's total to three on the night. Renardo Green also picked off Daniels.

While the offense had a sound night, especially in the fourth quarter, it was the defense that kept Daniels and the Tigers' offense at bay, eventually shutting them down in the fourth quarter.

Early penalties sting Seminoles

By halftime, FSU had already garnered 58 yards in six penalties, compared to LSU's zero. Three of the calls were unsportsmanlike conduct, showing some discipline issues early on. The first unsportsmanlike conduct call was on Patrick Payton, which brought LSU all the way down to the Seminoles 1-yard line.

If the defense didn't stop on fourth and 1, FSU would've been in a hole on the first drive of the game. LSU only converted three out of five times from the red zone in the first half, showing that FSU caught some slack when it came to its penalty issues.

FSU cleaned up its game in the second half, only committing one penalty and losing five yards. It was a sound adjustment that benefitted the Seminoles in the end, but FSU could've had an easier road to victory if it had stayed disciplined early.