Florida State (3-3, 1-2 ACC) snapped Duke's (3-3, 1-1) modest three game winning streak, and in the process won their first game in over a month Saturday afternoon, taking out some early season frustrations in a 41-16 bludgeoning of the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium.
It was the Seminoles first victory since a cakewalk 62-10 win over Charleston Southern on September 10. Florida State is now 17-0 all time against Duke.
Once ranked fifth in the country, Florida State had fallen hard and fast in recent weeks thanks to losses to Oklahoma, Clemson and Wake Forest. Quarterback E.J. Manuel, injured for most of that tough stretch, played well against the Blue Devils, completing nine of 14 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. He had three completions of over 50 yards in the first quarter, helping Florida State establish an early 24-3 lead that they would not relinquish.
The much-maligned Seminoles defense also stepped up Saturday, sacking Duke quarterback Sean Renfree five times while also knocking down numerous other pass attempts at the line.
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