Florida State players and coaches were confident that despite Chris Thompson’s season-ending knee injury, the Seminoles still would have a strong running game.
In the first game since losing Thompson, Devonta Freeman ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns and James Wilder Jr. added 70 yards and a touchdown in the 48-7 rout of Duke. The sophomores were part of a ground attack that ran for 261 yards.
“I didn’t even know I had 100 yards until after the game,” Freeman said. “I wanted to get 100 yards, but I basically just wanted to do whatever it would take to win the game.”
Usually, that means run the ball consistently. FSU (8-1, 5-1 ACC) has surpassed 200 rushing yards in six of its nine games. The Seminoles’ worst rushing output was just 125 yards in the loss at N.C. State.
Going into the bye week, FSU has run for 2,111 yards and 29 touchdowns in nine games. That by far eclipses the Seminoles’ totals from 13 games last season (1,458 yards and 20 touchdowns).
Despite losing its leading rusher in Thompson, Wilder and Freeman are running strong behind an offensive line that continues to create running lanes.
“I feel like I did great, the offensive line had holes open the whole time,” Wilder said. “We were up to the safeties I think nearly every play.”
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