FSU keeps hopes for bowl bid, winning season alive
GAINESVILLE — The Florida State football team is one step closer to salvaging its disappointing season while UF’s rough year has mercifully come to an end.
The Seminoles won the battle of 4-6 teams, earning a 38-22 victory over the Gators in front of an announced crowd of 89,066 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday.
Florida State punished the only FBS team in the state having a worse season than its own, extending its reign in the rivalry with a fifth consecutive win over UF.
The Seminoles did not understate the significance of the victory.
The difference for FSU was its collective strive to salvage a season after one of the worst stretches in program history.
“We still got one more. This season isn’t over. We put ourselves in position to keep 40 and 35 alive, which is extremely important to all those kids that’s ever played here and will play here,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said referring to the Seminoles’ hopes of extending streaks of 40 straight winning seasons and 35 straight bowl trips.
FSU’s season will be remembered for starting with a No. 3 preseason ranking before losing star quarterback Deondre Francois to a season-ending knee injury. Then the Seminoles suffered last-minute losses to Louisville and Miami, ending a seven-game win streak against the in-state rival Hurricanes.
The worst loss of the season, a 35-3 blowout at Boston College, served as the turning point for the Seminoles.
Now FSU is one game away from keeping the nation’s longest bowl streak alive with next week’s season finale against LouisianaMonroe at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“The season how it started,no team in the country wants a start like that,” said sophomore cornerback Levonta Taylor, who had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown against the Gators. “But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Right now, strong.
First, FSU will celebrate its fourth consecutive win in the Swamp over UF.
The Seminoles have a ways to go before coming close to Florida’s record nine-game win streak over FSU from 1968-76, but they can relish the program’s longest win streak in the series over the Gators.
“In a year where everybody is saying is a washed year, those kids accomplished something that’s never been accomplished in Florida State history,” said Fisher, who has won seven of eight games against the Gators and improved to 14-2 against in-state schools as FSU’s coach.
“Those kids believed in what they had to do, they kept playing and fighting for we’re finishing it, and won five in a row, which has never been done. That’s a tremendous accomplish and a sign of [who] they are.”
FSU turned all four of UF quarterback Feleipe Franks’ turnovers into touchdowns. Two of them were defensive touchdowns, giving the Seminoles an edge during a matchup between offenses ranked 109th (UF) and 110th (FSU) entering the contest.
Seminoles quarterback James Blackman completed 10 of 21 passes for 128 yards, but he finished with touchdown passes to receivers Nyqwan Murray and Auden Tate. Running back Cam Akers added a rushing touchdown for the Seminoles, who took firm control of the game midway through the fourth quarter.
“We just want to keep the streak alive,” FSU receiver Ermon Lane said. “Everybody, now I can say that we’ve bought in, [we’re] doing what we’re told to do and we’re coachable.”
Florida State now turns its attention to ULM in a game that was rescheduled from its original Sept. 9 date due to Hurricane Irma and is focused on achieving its bowl goal.
“We’re going to do it. We’re determined,” FSU running back Jacques Patrick said. “A lot of people counted us out, but we play for each other and that’s all that matters.”