ATLANTA -- Dirk Koetter got a game ball after his debut as an NFL head coach.Jameis Winston made it all possible.The second-year quarterback bounced back from an early interception to throw four touchdowns passes, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-24 victory Sunday over the Atlanta Falcons in a season-opening matchup between NFC South rivals.Good guys win, quipped Koetter , still dripping with Gatorade after a victory splashing. Lets do it 15 more times this year.That might be far-fetched, but at least the Bucs can boast of a winning record for the first time since the 2012 season, when they started 6-4.Winston presented his new coach with the game ball.It was very important that we made him feel the moment was special, not only for him but for us, the quarterback said.Winston was 23 of 33 for 281 yards, using just about every weapon at his disposal. He hooked up with receiver Mike Evans, running back Charles Sims III and tight ends Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Brandon Myers on scoring plays.The Falcons grabbed a 10-3 lead late in the first quarter after Winstons pass for Vincent Jackson was picked off by Desmond Trufant, who returned it 13 yards to the Tampa Bay 9. Jackson broke outside on the route, while Winstons throw went to the inside.But Winston shook off that miscue with a 4-yard TD pass to Myers, and went to work again with less than two minutes to go in the first half.After a third-down conversion to Jackson, Winston dumped off a short throw to Sims, who did the rest. He faked out two defenders -- cutting right while they both tumbled the turf -- and broke two more tackles on the way to a 23-yard touchdown that put Tampa Bay ahead for good.The Buccaneers scored on their first two possessions of the second half, pushing the lead to 31-13.The Falcons didnt quit in their final season opener at the Georgia Dome before moving next door to $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Matt Ryan , looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 season in which the Falcons missed the playoffs for the third year in a row, hooked up with Julio Jones on a 25-yard touchdown and tacked on a two-point conversion.But Atlanta wound up settling for three field goals by Matt Bryant.We had four trips into the red zone and came away with one touchdown, Ryan said. Weve got to be much better.ATLANTA TIESKoetter was offensive coordinator of the Falcons from 2012-14, and his defensive coordinator is former Atlanta head coach Mike Smith .Its weird to see the people on the other side, Koetter said. But thats the nature of the NFL.Smith was the winningest coach in Falcons history, nearly leading Atlanta to the Super Bowl during the 2012 season. That was followed by two straight losing seasons and his firing.INJURY REPORTTampa Bay backup linebacker Jacquies Smith was carted to the locker room with a right knee injury and didnt return. He was hurt covering a punt in the first quarter.UNDISCIPLINED FALCONSSome big penalties cost the home team in the third quarter. Offensive guard Chris Chester was called for unnecessary roughness, knocking the Falcons out of field-goal range.On Tampa Bays ensuing possession, cornerback Robert Alford was also flagged for a personal foul after the Falcons had forced an incomplete pass on third down. The Bucs went on to score a touchdown.FANTASY WATCHWR Mohamed Sanu got off to a strong start with the Falcons. He set up a field goal with a 59-yard grab and hauled in a 5-yard TD pass, finishing with five receptions for 80 yards. He also caught a two-point conversion. ... RB Devonta Freeman was held to 20 yards rushing on 11 carries. ... Evans had five catches for 99 yards.WORTH NOTINGThe Falcons failed to sack Winston, while Ryan was sacked three times . ... Tampa Bays last season-opening win also came in 2012.UP NEXTBuccaneers: Tampa Bay travels to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.Falcons: Atlanta also heads west next Sunday to meet the Oakland Raiders, who opened with a 35-34 win over New Orleans.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap Nuggets Jerseys . 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Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Its been a month since Syracuse coach Dino Babers delivered a stirring postgame locker room speech that went viral on social media after the most important victory of his first year with the Orange.But since that upset win over then-No. 17 Virginia Tech, Our house! has become Their house. Syracuse lost its next home game -- 35-20 last week to North Carolina State to fall to 2/3 in the Carrier Dome. Now, the Orange have a chance to reclaim their house and send their seniors out with a victory when they close their home schedule on Saturday against No. 17 Florida State (7-3, 4-3 ACC, No. 17 CFP).Its an important game for both teams.The Seminoles have won four of five and are striving to keep the momentum going to reach an upper-tier bowl game, while the Orange (4-6, 2-4 ACC) are simply trying to qualify for the postseason with only two games left in the regular season.I dont settle for anything. Im not going to settle, Babers said. So, there is no bone in my body that says, hey, Im looking forward to next year. My whole task is finding ... a way to win now. And if we cant, then at least we know we did everything we can possibly do.Syracuse has been hit hard by injuries, and starting quarterback Eric Dungey tops the list. Sidelined by a hard shoulder-head hit two weeks ago in a 54-0 loss at Clemson, he was listed as questionable against N.C. State, did not play, and was still awaiting results of a second battery of tests. Hes listed as doubtful for Florida State.The Seminoles arent taking any chances.Weve got to anticipate Dungey will play, Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. You have to anticipate for Dungey to play, and you have to look at the other guys and prepare for them. It makes it difficult.Other things to know when No. 17 Florida State plays at Syracuse on Saturday:COOKS CORNER: FSU tailback Dalvin Cook needs just 19 yards to eclipse Warrick Dunns 20-year-old record (3,959 yards) and become the schools career leading rusher. He also needs 59 yard to reach 4,000, which would make him the sixth back in ACC history to accomplish the feat and the first as a junior.Ive been thinking about it all week. Theyve been reminding me in the locker room, Cook said. HHopefully, we get it over with fast.ddddddddddddCook has 19 career 100-yard games, and the first came two years ago in the Carrier Dome against the Orange. He rushed for 122 yards and one TD on 23 carries and still calls it his coming-out game.SUPER SUB: Last year Syracuse walk-on QB Zack Mahoney started four games in place of Dungey, who suffered at least one concussion and was hit hard several times. Mahoney played so well, especially against LSU and Clemson, that he was awarded a scholarship for this season. He did OK against the Wolfpack, finishing 13 of 24 for 190 yards and one touchdown with an interception.I think Zack played extremely well, Babers said. Its not about what Zack does for our football team. Its what the other 21 guys have to do. Anytime you lose a person of Erics caliber, you dont expect the back-up guy to come up and play at that same level.DEFENSE RULES: FSU is coming off a dominant defensive performance in a 45-7 win over Boston College . The starters held BC scoreless and allowed just 86 total yards (57 rushing, 29 passing), and three first downs while forcing nine straight 3-and-outs.I think we have a high ceiling, LB Matthew Thomas said. We go out there, play how we want to play. Syracuse, they shouldnt score on us if we do what we want to do, so its all on us.RECEIVERS EMERGING: Auden Tate (101 yards vs. Boston College) and Nyqwan Murray (153 yards vs. N.C. State) have started to emerge as viable passing options in the Seminoles offense. With Jesus Wilson out for the remainder of the season, both sophomores have seen their snaps increase and could have big games against a Syracuse secondary that is 13th in passing defense in the ACC. Florida State has had four players with 100-yard receiving games this season.RED ZOeys[/url] ' ' '