TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher longed for his football team to play in this type of game throughout its disappointing season.
After Hurricane Irma caused a three-week layoff between the first two games, forcing FSU to play 11 straight games to finish the regular season, Fisher believed the Seminoles needed a game like this earlier in the year to instill the confidence needed to carry them throughout the season.
After Saturday's blowout win of Delaware State, FSU hopes to ride the momentum and continuity gained to finish its trying season by continuing a long-standing tradition in the program's history.
FSU scored 56 points in the first half, and cruised to a 77-6 win over Delaware State for the fourth win of the season in front of an announced crowd of 70,599 people in Doak Campbell Stadium.
The Seminoles will need victories in next week's game at Florida and in the home finale against Louisiana Monroe, rescheduled to Dec. 2 because of Irma, to reach six wins for bowl eligibility and extend the nation's longest bowl game streak to 36 years.
FSU's opponent was glaringly inferior ? an FCS team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that entered the game after its third victory in the last three seasons and lost by 71 points to the Seminoles.
While Delaware State presented some challenges early, out-gaining FSU by 50 yards of total offense and scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Nyfease West in the first quarter, the contest got out of reach in a hurry.
Both teams agreed to reduce the third and fourth quarters to 10 minutes each after FSU entered halftime with a 56-6 lead.
The Seminoles scored offensive, defensive and special-teams touchdowns in the first quarter, highlighted by a scoop-and-score 43-yard touchdown by cornerback Tarvarus McFadden after a blocked field goal by defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas, and a pick-six from standout safety Derwin James for his first career touchdown.
The McFadden-Christmas touchdown was the first blocked field goal turned touchdown for the Seminoles since 2006, while James' pick-six was FSU's first since 2014.
Junior running back Jacques Patrick scored two rushing touchdowns on his three carries for 28 yards, freshman Cam Akers scored a rushing touchdown, and quarterback James Blackman finished 11 of 15 for 179 yards with three touchdown passes for the Seminoles.
Receiver Nyqwan Murray finished with four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown, while Auden Tate caught his sixth touchdown of the season on his lone reception, a 3-yarder. Fullback Gabe Nabers also hauled in his first career touchdown reception.
After Delaware State gained 128 yards of offense in the first quarter, compared to FSU's 78 yards, the Hornets netted just 43 yards the rest of the game.
The Seminoles used the second half to get a number of second- and third-string players game action.
Fifth-year running back Ryan Green led with 96 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns in the second half, his first touchdowns since FSU's 2013 national championship season.
Backup quarterback J.J. Cosentino also tossed a touchdown pass in relief of Blackman, connecting with walk-on receiver Justin Motlow for a 12-yard pass, the first of Motlow's career.
FSU will play at UF at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Nov. 25, with kickoff set for noon.
The 71-point win is FSU's second-largest margin of victory in program history, three points shy of a 74-0 win over Whiting Field in 1949.
