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Compared to a week ago, it was a good deal for Savannah State - with a little help from bad weather.
Sixth-ranked Florida State won easily enough, 55-0 in a weather-shortened game, but that was 29 fewer points than the Tigers allowed last week at Oklahoma State and they were taking home $90,000 more than they pocketed in Stillwater, Okla.
Florida State didn't cover the nearly 70-point spread or even come close to the 84 points amassed last week by Oklahoma State. Mother Nature made sure of it.
The sixth-ranked Seminoles already had 55 though with a running game clock when a second round of heavy thundershowers and lightning sent the teams back to the locker room, this time for good.
''It's difficult,'' Savannah State coach Steve Davenport said afterward. ''I don't purport myself to be an 84-0, 55-0 coach, so there's an ego there that you're better than that.''
Savannah State, a Football Championship Subdivision school, has been outscored by a combined 139-0 in its first two games this season. It was beaten 84-0 at Oklahoma State last week. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member is collecting paychecks totaling $860,000 for the two games, which will help the athletic program meet its total budget of $5.1 million.
''It would be really good for my perspective at Savannah if those two teams play for the national championship and you guys call me for my evaluation of the game because I'm the only one who has seen them both,'' said Savannah State coach Steve Davenport said. ''But like I said before, it's really a helpless feeling. Those two program and those players are really, really tremendous players.
''We knew we were coming in a bit overmatched,'' Davenport said. ''Now we just hopefully got to get this thing turned around.'' How lopsided was it before the game was called? Florida State racked up 255 yards in the first quarter while Savannah State's offense went backward to the tune of 20 yards.
Savannah State trailed 35-0 by the time it picked up its first of three first downs in the game on a 12-yard pass from Antonio Bostick to Edward Lackey, Jr.
''It was frustrating, As a quarterback, you always want to move the ball,'' Bostick said. But across the board, we were a little bit outmatched.''
Bostick completed just two passes and loss yardage on the second one.
Sheldon Barnes ran for 34 yards for the Tigers.
''There has to be a winner and a loser in any competition,'' Savannah State defensive tackle Leroy Cumming said. ''Sometimes, the score is high, sometimes the score is low.''
But first they've got to score and keep their opponents lower.
''We just have to hopefully get this thing turned around,'' Davenport said with an eye toward their next game, Sept. 22 against North Carolina Central. ''It's my job to make sure these kids are ready to play.''
