Move over Johnny Football. Make room for Jameis Football.
Jameis Winston had one of the more memorable games in Florida State history on Monday night, not just among freshmen but among its legendary quarterback lineage that includes two Heisman Trophy winners.
Winston led Florida State to a 41-13 victory over Pittsburgh at Heinz Field by pitching a near-perfect first half en route to the most efficient passing performance in school history.
Winston, a redshirt freshman from Hueytown, Ala., was 25-of-27 for 356 yards with four touchdown passes and one scoring run. His 92.6 completion percentage smashed the school record (minimum of 15 attempts) of Danny Kanell, who completed 87.5 percent (28-of-32) against North Carolina State in 1995.
Coach Jimbo Fisher tried to put Winston’s night in perspective.
“It’s one ball game, he’s played one game, that’s it,” Fisher said. “But he did a great job. As long as he keeps the process in mind and keeps working with great habits, everything will be fine.”
When asked if he was nervous, Winston said, “No nerves, just anxious. … Monday night football in a pro stadium, I was so pumped for that.”
He got plenty of help in the Seminoles’ opener.
“I knew the reason I was having a good night is because guys around me were having a better night than I was,” Winston said.
Nick O’Leary, the former Dwyer High standout, caught three of Winston’s touchdown tosses from 24, 2 and 10 yards, including the first two of the game. He was the first FSU player with three touchdown receptions since Greg Carr in 2006.
Fisher called it a “career game” for O’Leary, a junior who entered the game with four career TD catches.
“We knew we could get Nick the ball and when Nick gets one-on-one he’s tough to handle,” Fisher said.
O’Leary finished with four catches for 47 yards.
While the game started as a celebration of Pitt’s first game as an ACC member, the focus quickly turned to Winston and his college debut.
Winston, labeled a dark-horse Heisman candidate by some analysts before taking a snap, completed his first 11 passes and all but one of his 18 attempts in the first half for three touchdowns and 240 yards. He added a rushing touchdown from 5 yards.
Winston started the second half with a 42-yard pass to Kenny Shaw on the first play. That drive ended with freshman Roberto Aguayo’s first field goal, from 21 yards, to stretch FSU’s lead to 31-10.
While Winston was becoming a national sensation, his teammates took the performance in stride.
“We’ve been working since before camp,” Shaw said. “It’s nothing new from what we see every day.”
Said center Bryan Stork: “I knew he had it because I watched him play baseball. He’s a clutch kind of kid.”
Rashad Greene, a junior, had a touchdown among his team-high eight catches for 126 yards. He now has 103 career receptions. Kelvin Benjamin, the sophomore from Glades Central, had five receptions for 73 yards.
Winston “distributed the ball equally across the board,” Fisher said. “He was making decisions. Not pre-determining his reads.”
The Panthers had been pointing to their ACC debut and first Labor Day game since it was announced in February. That emotion carried them early as Pitt drove 80 yards to take a 7-0 lead just more than four minutes into the game.
But as Winston started rolling, the FSU contingent of the 65,500 in attendance started taking over.
Pittsburgh unveiled its new quarterback, senior Tom Savage, who sat out the last two seasons after transferring twice.
Savage’s highlight was when he hit Manasseh Garner for a 4-yard score to cap that initial drive, giving Savage the distinction of being the only player with a touchdown pass for and against Pittsburgh. He threw two touchdown passes against the Panthers while playing for Rutgers in 2009 and ‘10.
Savage was 15-of-27 for 201 yards, but threw two interceptions that turned into 14 FSU points.
Defensive backs made both of FSU’s interceptions.
True freshman Jalen Ramsey had his first pick on the second defensive series. Savage was pressured by linebacker Telvin Smith on the play.
Terrence Brooks’ interception late in the half led to a 23-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Greene, giving FSU a 28-10 lead with 38 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
After scoring on its first drive, Pittsburgh had just 165 total yards and two field goals in the next 50 minutes.
“That’s what I like about our team,” Fisher said. “We got hit in the mouth and responded and we finished and kept playing as a team.”
Noteworthy: Junior offensive guard Tre Jackson left the game early in the second quarter with an injured left ankle and did not return. He was replaced by sophomore Ruben Carter.
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