The No. 4 Florida Gators came roaring back in the fourth quarter with 24 unanswered points to defeat the No. 10 Florida St. Seminoles, 37-26, on Saturday night in Tallahassee. The Seminoles were plagued by turnovers, losing two fumbles and throwing three interceptions.
Florida vs. Florida State 2012 final score: Gators rally to beat Seminoles, 37-26
The Florida Gators rallied to beat their rival Florida State Seminoles by 11 points and finish their season 11-1.
Mike Ehrmann
The No. 4 Gators finish the season 11-1 overall, and while they will not play in the SEC title game, they will wait to see their BCS fate. If No. 1 Notre Dame loses to USC, all bets are off, and thus:
UF coach Will Muschamp: "Fight on. I've always been a real big Lane Kiffin fan."
— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) November 25, 2012
An ugly win? Well:
UF coach Will Muschamp: "I think it was a really sexy win. I was gonna come in here with my shirt off."
— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) November 25, 2012
Mike Gillislee had 140 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries to lead the Gators. Jeff Driskel completed 15 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown. For Florida State, EJ Manuel led the way, passing for 182 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 54 yards and two scores.
After Florida led 13-3 at the half, the game swung wildly in the second half, with the Seminoles dominating the third quarter. The Seminoles scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to jump on top, 20-13, heading into the final 15 minutes, but from there on out it was all Gators. Florida retook the lead with 11:01 left in the game on a 37-yard run by Gillislee after a Manuel fumble.
Quinton Dunbar caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with seven minutes left in the game to put the Gators ahead, 30-20. The visitors put any comeback out of reach on a 32-yard touchdown by Matt Jones with just over 2:30 left to play.
Box Score Hero: Gillislee was a workhorse for Florida, carrying 24 times for a game-high 140 yards and two touchdowns.
Rankings Ramifications: The Gators will wait to see if they rise in the rankings after Notre Dame plays tonight.
But Did They Cover? Florida State was a seven-point favorite.
For More On This Game: For more on Gators football, visit Florida blog Alligator Army, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills. For more on FSU football, visit Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay has plenty on both schools.
Next Week's Schedule: Florida State will face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets next Saturday in the ACC Championship game in Charlotte, N.C. Florida will not play in the SEC title game, but a bowl game is in their future and they will wait to see where they fit in the postseason picture.
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