Florida State will start Jordan Travis against Notre Dame on Saturday, making him FSU’s third different starting quarterback this season.
Coach Mike Norvell said Monday during his weekly news conference that Travis had earned the opportunity after his performance in a comeback win over Jacksonville State on Saturday.
Travis came in for struggling freshman Tate Rodemaker with the Seminoles trailing 14-0 and provided a spark, leading the Seminoles to five straight touchdown drives in the 41-24 victory.
Travis finished 12-of-17 for 210 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 48 yards and another score.
“Jordan, through that performance and the work that he’s put in, has established himself for the start this week and the opportunity to go out there and play the game the way he’s capable of playing,” Norvell said. “I’m excited about him being able to assume that role this week and go make the most of it.”
Travis, a redshirt sophomore, has been dealing with injuries since fall camp, one of the reasons he was not in the mix for the starting quarterback job when the season started. Even in the week leading up to the Jacksonville State game, Norvell estimated that Travis took only about 20 snaps all week as he worked to get healthy.
Veteran James Blackman started the year as the No. 1 quarterback, but after an ineffective performance in a blowout loss to Miami, Rodemaker replaced Blackman in the starting lineup last week.
Coaches have not specified the injuries Travis has dealt with, saying only that he has not been 100%. But when coaches asked him whether he was able to go on Saturday, he said yes and made the most of the opportunity.
“Jordan has really done a nice job; you can tell the work he did during quarantine and a lot of things he was able to do working on his own that was able to carry over,” Norvell said. “We’re excited about having him back, and some of the things he’s been able to do early in the season, even with limited repetition, speaks well to where his continued development can go and what he can be.”