Florida State offensive lineman Keiondre Jones was not pleased with a discussion between broadcasters Greg McElroy and Sean McDonough during ESPN’s broadcast of the Sugar Bowl on Monday night.
In the game in question, Washington was able to come away with the 37-31 victory, despite losing star running back Dillon Johnson to an ankle injury with 47 seconds remaining. Johnson, whose injury was the latest in a series of them all season long, had to be carted off the field.
Dillon Johnson (Washington RB)
Appears to have suffered a right foot or ankle injury.
Initial thoughts are a high-ankle sprain, but with a history of recent foot injuries, it could be related to that as well. pic.twitter.com/Spz53LhbM9
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) January 2, 2024
Washington’s defense held steady and prevented Texas from scoring on their following, and final, possession to secure the victory and move on to the national championship game.
Matthew McConaughey watches the final play. #CFP pic.twitter.com/4OGRxLoCNj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 2, 2024
After the game, McDonough and McElroy praised Washington’s ability to constantly overcome adversity and injuries this season to remain undefeated.
“To have one of your own players get hurt,” said McDonough. “To stop the clock to put you in that situation where you are hanging on for dear life. That is the kind of the way their season has gone. But they always win.”
“They always find a way,” McElroy added. “It’s the most remarkable thing. You watch them offensively, defensively…when someone needs to make a play… It’s a resilient group that has a flair for the dramatic. At the same time, they have earned every single thing they have gotten and they are going to be a great possible champion.”
https://twitter.com/nole_atl/status/1742063890219819505
You could say those same things about Florida State, who overcame an injury to star quarterback Jordan Travis to end their regular season with an undefeated record and ACC Championship.
As we all know, Travis’s injury was held against them by the CFP committee, who infamously left them out of the top-four rankings in favor of one-loss Alabama and Texas.
Understandably, Jones was not happy to hear Washington being praised for the same things that Florida State was punished for. He took to social media to voice his displeasure.
“That’s actually sickening to hear,” posted Jones on X, formerly Twitter.
That’s actually sickening to hear. https://t.co/5zfefW4Dgy
— © (@keiondrejones) January 2, 2024
It had to be a real gut punch for Florida State players to hear that kind of discussion on ESPN, where so many of their pundits agreed with the assessment that they were undeserving of a playoff spot because their quarterback got injured.
Coupled with their 63-3 loss in the Orange Bowl at the hands of Georgia, what should have been an exciting December and January for the Seminoles ended up being a pretty depressing time.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.