Florida State at Florida: Five Plays That Changed The Game As Seminoles Triumph Over Gators

Which key plays were vital in Florida State's comeback in Gainesville?

The weight of the world rests upon Florida State’s shoulders. They carry the pressure of an undefeated season, a conference championship game appearance, and a potential College Football Playoff berth. Those were the pressures they’ve carried around all season. Those came standard. Now, however, that pressure has been intensified. Following the loss of star quarterback Jordan Travis, the eyes of an entire nation are now glued to the Florida State Seminoles just waiting for them to make a mistake. One minor slip-up and everyone is ready to cast out the ‘Noles and fully hop off the bandwagon. The nation watched the Seminoles intently as they traveled to a hostile Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and took on their bitter rival, the Florida Gators.

Florida came out of the gate packing a punch. The Gators delivered blow after blow to a Seminole team that looked outmatched and unprepared for life without Jordan Travis. However, just as things seemed to be getting out of reach for Mike Norvell’s squad, they showed signs of life. The defense began to contain the Gators. The offense started to move the ball through the air and on the ground. Slowly but surely, the Seminoles were climbing out of the hole their sluggish start had left them in. Following the halftime break, FSU’s playmakers sprung to life, and the likes of Trey Benson, Jared Verse, Johnny Wilson, and more helped to push the ‘Noles over the edge. It was stressful; it was sloppy; it was a great many things for the Seminoles. But, at the end of the day, it was a victory.

Let’s take a look at a handful of plays that changed the course of the game but ultimately resulted in Florida State completing its regular season undefeated. Then, we’ll move on to the final task at hand: a conference championship showdown against Louisville and a potential playoff berth on the other side. 

Honorable Mention: Florida Scores First After Controversial Penalty

We begin the list with perhaps the most impactful (and potentially the worst) penalty of the entire season.

Florida’s offense, led by true freshman quarterback Max Brown, was finding relative success to open the game. The Gators’ opening drive saw Brown lead the team into field goal range, but kicker Trey Smack missed from 48 to keep the game knotted up at zero. Meanwhile, Florida State’s offense was unable to find that same level of success. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker delivered a pop pass to tight end Jaheim Bell for a nice gain on first down, but a rush by running back Trey Benson for a loss of 11 yards all but stalled the drive. Two plays later, the ‘Noles punted the ball back to Florida; the first of many in the opening moments of the contest.

Taking over at their own 30-yard line, the Gator offense continued to push the ball with ease against the Florida State defense. The combination of running back Montrell Johnson Jr. on the ground and Max Brown’s proficiency through the air was keeping the Seminoles on their toes. Time and again, the Gators were forced with a third down, and time and again, they found ways to convert it. Eventually, Florida surged deep into FSU territory thanks to a 24-yard pass from Brown to receiver Hayden Hansen and a 13-yard pass to running back Trevor Etienne. That field position was further bolstered by an offside penalty against Florida State, and before long, the Gators were working with a fresh set of downs inside the FSU 5-yard line.

Despite having their backs against the wall, the Seminole defense was determined to keep the Gators out of the end zone, and they nearly did. Defensive linemen Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, whose names would continually come up over the course of the game, brought Brown down for a 7-yard loss on 1st & Goal. Etienne rushed for a loss of 1 on second down, which forced Florida into a 3rd & Goal from the 9-yard line. Brown took the snap from the shotgun, but before he even had an opportunity to take his drop, FSU defensive back Akeem Dent already had him wrapped up for an instant sack to force fourth down.

The blitzing Dent sprinted into the backfield untouched and successfully kept the Gators out of the end zone, at least that’s what everyone thought. While Dent was celebrating his sack, one official threw his flag onto the field. The call: unnecessary roughness on Akeem Dent. The result of the play would be a fresh set of downs and a handful of yardage handed back to the Gators. Head coach Mike Norvell was livid, and rightfully so. Nothing about the tackle evoked anything out of the ordinary, and two plays later the Gators capitalized with a touchdown on the controversial penalty. Long after the drive had ended, Norvell was still letting the referee have it. Florida State was playing from behind early in this game, and it felt entirely unjustified.

1. Tate Rodemaker Connects With Johnny Wilson On Impressive Throw To Set Up TD

Things were looking rather grim for the Seminoles in the early moments of Saturday’s rivalry. Following Florida’s 5-yard touchdown run to open up the scoring, the ‘Noles rattled off three consecutive scoreless drives. All the while, the Gators extended their lead, tacking on a field goal and a safety to bring the score to 12-0. Quarterback Tate Rodemaker and the Florida State offense had no answers. Through four possessions, the Seminoles had recorded 0 total yards of offense thanks to a mix of minimal gains and large losses. Suffice it to say, the fifth-ranked ‘Noles appeared to be headed for a monumental upset at the hands of their bitter rival.

As the first half was coming to a close, Florida State’s offense was presented with an opportunity to ignite a significant point swing. A score before the half combined with a score on the first possession following the break would surely bring the Seminoles out of the double-digit deficit they were facing. Rodemaker and the ‘Noles started the drive backed up on their own 10-yard line. Trey Benson kicked things off with a 16-yard gain on the ground. A 15-yard penalty and an ejection for spitting were issued against the Gators on the very same play, and the Seminoles were quickly out of their own red zone. On 2nd & 10 from the FSU 39, Rodemaker finally got things going through the air with a 29-yard pass over the middle to tight end Jaheim Bell. Working in Florida territory, running back Lawrance Toafili rushed for his own gain of 16 yards followed by a 1-yard rush on the ensuing play. Six plays into the drive, FSU was in the red zone and threatening to score.

Rodemaker’s pass on second down, however, fell incomplete. As a result, the Seminoles were looking at 3rd & 9. With so few opportunities in scoring position up until this point and trailing by twelve, the ‘Noles could not afford to leave with just a field goal. On 3rd & 9, Rodemaker took the snap and rolled to his left. After a few paces, Rodemaker squared his shoulders and lofted a ball to the left sideline just beyond the first down marker. Before the ball sailed out of bounds, wide receiver Johnny Wilson extended both arms, tapped his toes, and reeled in the catch for a 14-yard gain to set FSU up with 1st & Goal. The commentators praised Rodemaker’s anticipatory pass, and the pitch and catch was perhaps a confidence booster for the newly appointed starting quarterback. Not only was the pass impressive but it was necessary. The conversion on third down allowed Trey Benson to punch the ball in for a touchdown and finally put the ‘Noles on the scoreboard. With mere seconds remaining in the half, the game was well within reach for Florida State as they headed to the break trailing 12-7. 

2. Trey Benson's 36 Yard Rushing TD Gives FSU Its First Lead

Fueled by the momentum of their first-half scoring drive, the Seminole offense took the field to open up the second half of play. Rodemaker, who appeared to be infused with confidence in the passing game, made quick work of the Florida secondary. On the third play from scrimmage, he connected with Wilson for a 12-yard gain immediately followed by a 24-yard catch and run by wide receiver Keon Coleman. Two plays later, Rodemaker handed the ball off to Benson in the backfield. The back worked his way left, shed a would-be tackler in the backfield, and hit a hole between the tackles. Before long, Benson was in the open field and off to the races down the sideline. He outpaced the last remaining Florida defender in the process and crossed the goal line for the 36-yard rushing touchdown. The 6-play, 75-yard drive had roused the otherwise drowsy offense and resulted in Florida State’s first lead of the night.

3. Ja’Khi Douglas Converts On 4th & 3 Which Leads To Ryan Fitzgerald's Go-Ahead FG

The Gators immediately responded with a field goal of their own to take the lead back, but things quickly went silent for both sides. Scoring opportunities were few and far between as neither team was able to mount a sustained drive throughout the remainder of the third quarter. Instead, both teams combined for a series of four consecutive punts; the last coming from the Gators as the third quarter came to a close. Returner Keon Coleman gave the Seminoles favorable field position after he took the Florida punt return all the way down to the FSU 43. Down 15-14, the Seminoles were going to have their best starting field position of the day with an opportunity to take the lead in the final quarter.

The Rodemaker-led offense worked meticulously to creep into enemy territory. Their efforts were assisted by a favorable pass interference call on the second play from scrimmage, but the Florida defense was able to respond in time to force FSU into a fourth-down scenario on the edge of field goal range. Understanding the gravity of the drive, Norvell elected to go for it on 4th & 3. Florida sent the blitz as Rodemaker dropped back to pass. He quickly planted his foot in the ground and delivered a strike over the middle to receiver Ja’Khi Douglas. With a defensive back draped completely over him, Douglas reeled in the pass beyond the yard marker to convert the fourth down and give the ‘Noles a fresh set of downs just outside of the red zone. The Seminoles were still in business.

FSU’s offense kept chugging along, slowly but surely. After six plays, the ‘Noles eventually made it down to the 2-yard line before the Gators stuffed the Benson run to prevent the score. Groza Award semifinalist Ryan Fitzgerald came on to kick the field goal and give the lead back to the Seminoles, albeit just a 2-point lead. There was no time for celebration, however, because one problem remained: the time. There was plenty of time still left for the Gators to wipe away FSU’s 2-point lead and pull off an upset for the ages. 

4. Trey Benson  Completes The Hat Trick On A 26 Yard TD Scamper

Despite their early struggles, the Florida State defense returned to form and put a clamp on the Florida offense, and they were only amping things up as the fourth quarter dragged on. Following the Fitzgerald field goal, the FSU defense contained any semblance of an offensive attack forcing Florida into their third consecutive punt. The Seminole offense had the opportunity to add an insurance score with just over 5 minutes left in the game. To everyone’s surprise, however, an undisciplined Florida team was going to help get them there.

Two plays into the drive, Florida was called for a pass interference on FSU wide receiver Keon Coleman. That was the first 15 yards. Three plays later, two Florida defenders delivered a vicious hit (with targeting) to a sliding Tate Rodemaker. That was the second 15-yard penalty. With Rodemaker forced to sit out a few plays to go through concussion protocol, true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn entered the game. His pass on first down was batted down at the line, but he broke free for a 7-yard rush on the ensuing play. However, Florida was flagged on that play as well for an offside penalty, which gave the ‘Noles another five yards. The combination of scrimmage and penalty yardage took the ‘Noles all the way down to the Florida 28-yard line with 2:48 left in the contest.

Mere plays later, Rodemaker returned to the game just in time for 3rd & 3. Benson received the handoff from Rodemaker and pinballed his way through the teeth of the defense. The running back bounced off defenders and shed arm tackles before stumbling down to the goal line and being pushed across by a Gator. Benson was in for his third rushing touchdown of the night, completing the 7-play, 66-yard drive to give the Seminoles a more comfortable 24-15 lead in the final minutes. Along with his hat trick, Benson tallied 19 carries for 95 yards on the ground.

5. Kalen DeLoach Intercepts Brown To Put The Nail In The Coffin

With just under 3 minutes remaining, Florida was determined to claw back into this game. Unfortunately for them, the Florida State defense had dialed up the pressure and had wrangled all facets of the Gator offense. By the game’s end, four different ‘Noles had recorded sacks, two of which recorded multiple sacks in the same game. Similarly, nine different Seminoles combined for a total of 11 TFLs on the day. The Gators were playing from behind the sticks, and FSU’s defensive line had a lot to do with that. The likes of Payton, Fiske, Lovett, Farmer, and Verse were putting on a showcase. Nonetheless, true freshman Max Brown returned to the field in hopes of leading a monumental comeback. Defensive end Jared Verse had other ideas.

Verse absolutely took over on that final drive. He stormed into the backfield and brought the quarterback down for a sack on two separate occasions. On one of them, he physically bullied the offensive lineman tasked with guarding him and pushed him right into Brown for a sack. It’s a clip that has made the rounds on social media and will all the way through draft night. Due to Verse’s performance, the Gators were faced with 4th & 20 from their own 15-yard line. Brown dropped back to pass and heaved one last desperation throw, but it did not end up at its intended target. Instead, linebacker Kalen DeLoach intercepted the pass and sealed Florida’s fate. The Seminoles were going to rule the day. 

It was far from Florida State’s best performance on Saturday, but they found a way to win when it mattered most. The ‘Noles traveled into a hostile environment with the utmost pressure laid upon them and left with a two-score victory over an in-state rival. Not to mention, they did so with a backup quarterback on one week’s notice. Norvell’s Seminoles continue to find ways to dig themselves out of a hole and leave games with another tally in the win column. They did it time and time again this season, and it yielded an undefeated, 12-0 season; just the fourth in program history. Florida State now has one game standing between them and a 13-win season, a conference championship, and a College Football Playoff berth. They’ll travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, in an attempt to defy the odds and silence the doubters. It’s Florida State versus the world, and it all comes down to this. 

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