FSU Seminoles

Anthony McCloud's face was drenched with sweat as he talked with reporters after Saturday's abridged 55-0 win over Savannah State.

EJ Manuel snuck up from behind and used his shirt sleeve to blot McCloud's head before joking about getting the senior defensive tackle back to work.

In truth, there wasn't much work for McCloud on Saturday. Timmy Jernigan started for the second consecutive game and McCloud played just six snaps in the game. But it was a nice chance to get back into the swing of things after missing all of fall camp and last week's opener because of a pectoral injury.

"It wasn't very long," McCloud said of his debut. "But I shook the rust off, and I'm thankful for that."

Coach Jimbo Fisher said McCloud turned in a good week of practice leading up to the game, and the senior said he was pleased with how he felt after his limited workload Saturday.

"It feels great," McCloud said. "I'm getting stronger every week. I'm going to be full-throttle, 100 percent for our next opponent."

The same should be true for tight end Nick O'Leary (thigh) and center Bryan Stork (neck), Fisher said.

Both starters were held out of Saturday's game because of nagging injuries, with Christo Kourtzidis and Kevin Haplea starting at tight end Saturday and sophomore Austin Barron starting at center.

Fisher said neither injury was a big concern, however, and that the weather and the opponent played a part in his decision to rest them.

"Those guys should definitely be back," Fisher said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State's blowout of Savannah State proceeded as expected through the bulk of the first half before lightning provided the Tigers with a merciful early conclusion.

The Seminoles scored on eight of nine possessions in the game, including their first seven, en route to a 55-0 win against overmatched Savannah State. EJ Manuel threw three touchdown passes and freshman Kelvin Benjamin hauled in two scores, and the Tigers mustered just 28 yards of offense.

The game was delayed twice by lightning, the first resulting in a decision to use a running clock the remainder of the game, and the second calling the proceedings to an end completely.

In its first two games of the season, Savannah State was outscored 139-0, having lost its opener to Oklahoma State 84-0.

Florida State, meanwhile, opens ACC play next week against Wake Forest, having taken its first two games by a combined score of 124-3.

It was over when: There was still 8:59 left in the third quarter. Really, it was over before it started, as Florida State had no trouble carving apart the Savannah State defense. But the real intrigue came when the players left the field for the second time due to a weather delay at about 8:52 p.m., and about 40 minutes later the game was officially called.

Game ball goes to: Manuel. He didn't get much playing time, but he certainly made the most of what little action he got. Manuel completed 11 of 13 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns -- just the second game of his career with three or more TD throws.

Stat of the game: 385. That was the total yardage difference between the two teams, despite the game ending 23 minutes early. Florida State racked up a whopping 413 yards of total offense before the weather forced an early finish, while Savannah State mustered a mere 28 yards in the game, including just nine via passing plays, as QB Antonio Bostick finished 2-of-15.

Unsung hero: Chris Thompson. The senior running back didn't see a ton of action, like all of FSU's starters, but he did pick up 44 yards on just four touches, including a 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It was Thompson's first touchdown since Sept. 10, 2011 against Charleston Southern. The senior broke his back three weeks later and missed the remainder of the 2011 season.

What we learned: Not a whole lot. Florida State's starters barely played. The second-stringers took only a few snaps in the second half. The third-stringers barely had a chance to get loose before the weather brought things to a halt. But if there's anything for coach Jimbo Fisher to take from this game, it's that his team lived up to expectations, looking incredibly sharp early rather than overlooking an obviously inferior opponent.

There was little doubt this would be a blowout, but the onslaught started early, and the bulk of Florida State's starters were off the field by the end of the first quarter.

The Seminoles breezed through the Savannah State defense, racking up 376 yards of total offense and scoring on their first seven drives while building a 48-0 halftime lead. The only thing that slowed Florida State's dominance was the weather, as lightning suspended play for nearly an hour late in the second quarter. Play resumed with an announcement that the rest of the game would be played with a running clock.

Stat of the half: It's hardly worth noting all the huge offensive numbers, as Savannah State hardly put up a fight against the Seminoles' first-stringers, who all had early seats on the bench. The most noteworthy number of the half was probably the one negative moment for Florida State, when senior kicker Dustin Hopkins had his streak of 145 consecutive successful PATs snapped with a miss following FSU's seventh touchdown of the game.

Player of the half: EJ Manuel only played the first quarter, but he made the most of his time. Manuel completed 11-of-13 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns before exiting in favor of Clint Trickett. It marked just the second time in Manuel's career he'd thrown for at least three touchdowns in a game.

What's working for FSU: Everything. Florida State's first four touchdowns required just 12 total plays, and the offense moved the ball at will. Defensively, the starters were virtually all on the sideline by the start of the second quarter, after holding Savannah State to minus-20 yards in the first.

What's not working for FSU: The weather. The stands were already only half full with rain throughout the day and a mismatch on the field dampening much in the way of fan enthusiasm. The combination of the lopsided score and the lightning delay in the second quarter emptied a majority of the fans.

Noteworthy: Freshman Kelvin Benjamin scored his first career touchdown, a 9-yard fade pass from Manuel in the first quarter. … Senior running back Chris Thompson scored his first touchdown in nearly a year in the first quarter. Thompson broke his back last October and missed the remainder of the season. … Junior receiver Willie Haulstead had his first reception since the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl. ... Tight end Nick O'Leary (thigh) and center Bryan Stork (neck) did not play in the first half. Austin Barron started at center and freshman Christo Kourtzidis and Penn State transfer Kevin Haplea both started at tight end. Kourtzidis made his first career catch in the second quarter. ... Defensive tackle Anthony McCloud got his first playing time of the season after missing the opener with a chest injury.

RecruitingNation caught up with Laremy Tunsil (Lake City, Fla./Columbia), the top ranked offensive lineman in the country, after his game on Thursday night. Tunsil gave an update on who the leaders are in his recruitment.

EJ Manuel threw 22 passes in Week 1, nearly all of them on target, but just one going for a touchdown.

By the middle of the third quarter, Manuel, along with nearly all of Florida State's other starters, was resting comfortably on the sideline as Clint Trickett and the second-stringers enjoyed mop-up duty against Murray State.

It was an abridged debut, but it was also a good bit more work that Oklahoma State's starters got in an 84-0 blowout of Savannah State.

With Wake Forest and the start of ACC play looming in another week, Jimbo Fisher is left with something of a quandary.

On one hand, Fisher understands the ugliness that occurred in Stillwater, Okla. last week, and he knows his team is equally capable of embarrassing Savannah State on Saturday. He has no interest in showing up another coach, disheartening other players or, worse yet, risking injury to his key performers in a game should be an easy win.

On the other hand, Manuel needs work, and the only way for him to get it might involve running up the score.

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The week began with the question of which of Florida State's freshman defensive ends would see his redshirt removed, but Jimbo Fisher ended up taking a different route.

Both Mario Edwards Jr. and Chris Casher will play in Saturday's game against Savannah State, and Fisher said the freshmen will be regulars in the defensive end rotation now that senior Brandon Jenkins is lost for the season.

"We're going to start playing them and getting them involved in things," Fisher said.

Edwards, the No. 1 recruit in the country a year ago, and Casher worked with the No. 3 defense during practice Thursday, but Fisher said both players will get regular reps on defense and special teams against Savannah State.

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Dave Hooker and the RecruitingNation regional writers deliver all the latest news and notes from around the nation in this week's edition of The Verbal Commitment podcast.