TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Not much has come easy for the Florida State football in the first half of the season.
Not even a win against Wake Forest.
For two teams that led the Atlantic Coast Conference in turnover margin, Florida State committed four turnovers while Wake Forest turned the ball over three times.
But when FSU quarterback Deondre Francois settled down in the second half, like he has customarily done in his first season as a starter, the offense was able to propel the Seminoles to a 17-6 victory in front of an announced crowd of 77,102 in Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Francois completed 22-37 passes for 319 yards, and two total touchdowns, while receiver Travis Rudolph had a resurgent performance with 13 receptions for 238 yards, to help the Seminoles enter next week's bye with a chance to heal and prepare for a matchup against Clemson.
While Clemson was able to avoid an upset with an overtime win at home against N.C. State earlier in the day, FSU was able to avoid a serious injury to star junior running back Dalvin Cook, who temporarily left the game in the second quarter, but lost senior receiver Bobo Wilson with a right foot injury.
Cook caught a screen pass in the middle of the field from Francois, and fumbled the football after taking a hit from a Wake Forest defender and falling backwards. He walked off the field on his own after being consoled by FSU's training staff after the play.
In Cook's first drive returning from the injury, he drove FSU's offense to the 1-yard line to set up Francois' 2-yard run two plays later for the game's first touchdown.
Cook's three-game streak with at least 200 all-purpose yards was snapped, but he finished with 115 yards on 25 carries, with only one reception for 11 yards, and a touchdown-saving tackle after a Francois sack and fumble in the fourth quarter.
Francois hit Kermit Whitfield for an 18-yard gain over the middle, Rudolph for a 36-yard gain down the sideline, and threw it up to Auden Tate for an 11-yard touchdown in the third quarter for the game-deciding score.
But FSU's offense came up short on its remaining opportunities to put the game out of reach in the final quarter. Francois was sacked twice for a loss of 10 yards, the latter setting up Wake Forest for a 40-yard goal that Mike Weaver missed as it hit the left upright.
FSU's defense was able to limit Wake Forest to 197 yards of total offense before the final minute of the game, only 4 of 15 conversions on third down, with five sacks, seven tackles for loss and an interception.
Wake Forest games have not been kind to Cook, who first pulled his left hamstring against the Demon Deacons last season. Cook was hampered by hamstring and ankle injuries throughout his sophomore campaign after that game.
Cook and the rest of the Seminoles enter the bye week looking to rest for the final stretch of the season.
Wilson, who entered the game leading the Seminoles with 29 receptions, fell on the sidelines after being targeted for a pass from Francois, and was carted to the locker room. He was declared out with a foot injury before halftime, and seen on the sidelines wearing a boot with crutches in the second half.
Rudolph's career performance helped spell the Seminoles, and was three receptions and 22 yards shy of single-game records held by Ron Sellers in 1968.
