Florida State stretched their winning streak to 28 games, edging out Florida 24-19. It was far from pretty, but it ensures the Seminoles will finish with two consecutive undefeated regular season and that they are still alive and in control in the College Football Playoff hunt.
Florida vs. Florida State final score: 3 things we learned from the Seminoles’ 24-19 win
The Seminoles keep rolling, and the book closes on Will Muschamp’s Gators.
As with most rivalry games, this one was emotional. And by emotional, I mean full of mistakes and penalties. The two teams combined for six turnovers, including four picks from Jameis Winston. However, for all of FSU’s mistakes, Florida was only able to manage one touchdown pass from Treon Harris. The Gators settled for six field goal attempts, and missed two would-be go ahead field goals in the second half. Considering Florida had five drives start inside FSU territory, that’s just not good enough.
Like many of their games in 2014, the Seminoles made things difficult for themselves before pulling out a win late. Roberto Aguayo hit a 37-yard field goal with just over three minutes remaining to push their lead to 24-19, meaning the Gators would have needed a touchdown to win. Considering Florida's offensive capabilities, that was a smart bet, and it paid off.
Three things we learned
1. Florida State’s destiny is still in their hands. The Seminoles keep winning, and that means they’re one win away from a spot in the College Football Playoff. If they beat Georgia Tech in the ACC title game, they’ll be 13-0 and be the only major conference undefeated team. Say what you will about their schedule or how they went about beating their opponents, but their record is perfect.
2. The Noles are playing with fire. All that said, FSU needs to be careful or else this could all come crashing down against Georgia Tech. The Noles are much sloppier than they were last year, which is a somewhat unfair comparison considering how good that team was. But this win, like several others, was somewhat precarious. If Winston keeps throwing picks like this, it could all blow up in their faces soon.
3. The Will Muschamp era goes out with a whimper. With D.J. Durkin set to coach the Gators in their bowl game, the Will Muschamp era in Gainesville is officially over. This game is a pretty good microcosm of his entire tenure with the Gators, with mistakes and missed opportunities pock-marking the landscape. The Gators had the Seminoles for the taking, and just let them off the hook. Sure, a win would’ve been a bit awkward for everyone involved, but it still would’ve been preferable to the alternative.
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