Seminoles find good fortune of their own
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Notre Dame’s storied history is filled with dramatic finishes, and for a brief moment the Fighting Irish appeared to have added to their lore with an improbable victory Saturday night against No. 2 Florida State.
But what looked to be a 2yard touchdown pass on 4th down in the final seconds did not count. A penalty flag lay near the goal line, where a wide receiver had run into Seminoles safety Jalen Ramsey — a pick play of sorts that had allowed Corey Robinson to run into the end zone.
With the penalty pushing Notre Dame back to its 18-yard line, Everett Golson threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by Jacob Pugh in the end zone, giving the Seminoles a 31-27 victory over the fifthranked Irish and setting off a wild celebration by the fans at Doak Campbell Stadium.
“We execute that play every day. And we do it legally and that’s the way we coach it,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. “We don’t coach illegal plays. C.J. (Prosise) did exactly what he’s supposed to do.
Robinson added, “I didn’t see the pass interference. I thought we got it.”
Florida State improved to 7-0 and extended its winning streak to 23 games. But Notre Dame (6-1) is the last ranked team on its schedule, perhaps marking the Seminoles’ last chance to make a decisive impression on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
“This team has heart, it has soul, it’s a family,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said. “It believes in each other, it sticks together and there’s something special in this group of guys.”
On Notre Dame’s final drive, a 3rd-down sack by Florida State’s Terrance Smith put Notre Dame in a 4th-and-18 situation near midfield with opportunities running thin.
But when Golson (31-of-52, 313 yards and three touchdowns) hit Robinson for a 20yard gain and a first down, the Irish seemed poised to pull off a dramatic rally.
Quarterback Jameis Winston, 23-of-31 passing for 273 yards and two touchdowns, however, helped the Seminoles hang on.
Florida State used Karlos Williams’ second short scoring run to take its first lead at 31-27 with 7:39 to play, setting the stage for the nerve-racking finish.
The reigning Heisman winner drove the Seminoles to touchdowns on three of their first four second-half drives, each taking a minimum of seven plays. He spread the ball around and hit big plays to receivers Rashad Greene, Travis Rudolph and Jesus Wilson.
Williams called Winston’s work “poetry in motion.”