
BUFFS LOSE, 47-7, TO FLORIDA STATE
September 20, 2003 | Football
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Chris Rix threw two long touchdown passes to Craphanso Thorpe, and Xavier Beitia kicked four field goals as No. 10 Florida State routed Colorado 47-7 on Saturday.
Although the Seminoles (4-0) couldn't get their running game untracked for the second straight week, Rix passed for a career-high 394 yards in three quarters, completing 30 of 39 attempts.
Thorpe, the Atlantic Coast Conference 100- and 200-meter champion, caught scoring passes of 56 and 37 yards and finished with 205 yards on eight catches -- both career bests.
P.K. Sam caught a career-high 10 passes for 119 yards.
The Seminoles led just 10-7 in the second quarter before breaking the game open with 37 straight points.
Aside from an 81-yard touchdown pass to speedster Jeremy Bloom, Colorado quarterback Erik Greenberg spent most of the game trying to avoid Florida State's pass rush led by end Kamerion Wimbley.
Colorado (2-2) managed only 39 yards in the second half and Greenberg, who finished 14-of-30 for 192 yards, was sacked four times. Brian Calhoun led Colorado with 118 yards on 21 carries.
Greg Jones scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Chauncey Davis' 31-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown a minute later gave Florida State a 40-7 lead.
Ryan Reynolds, who began the season as the fifth-team tailback, scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run with 3:10 left to complete the scoring.
Wimbley, a 230-pound sophomore, created havoc all afternoon for Colorado. He had seven tackles, including three for losses, broke up a pass, forced a fumble and recovered another fumble.
FloridaState has allowed only 30 points in its first four games.
Beitia's three first half-field goals and Rix's 37-yard touchdown pass to Thorpe helped the Seminoles to a 16-7 lead.
FloridaState took a 10-0 lead on the TD and Beitia's first field goal, a 20-yard chip shot.
Colorado pulled to 10-7 midway through the second quarter when Greenberg found Bloom at midfield and he outran the Seminoles secondary for an 81-yard scoring play.
Colorado's Kevin Eberhart missed two field-goal attempts in the first half, from 42 and 22 yards.