Fans turn focus to next season after Seminoles’ bowl win

Seminoles.com

ORLANDO – Next football season is nine months away but the pontificating about whether the FSU team will be in the national title chase has already started.

Talk of the Seminoles being a much better team in 2023 began immediately after Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 39-yard field goal to secure a 35-32 victory for FSU over Oklahoma at Camping World Stadium. Fitzgerald’s game-winning kick came with just 55 seconds left in the Cheez-It Bowl game last Thursday in Orlando.

In a game full of big plays on both sides of the ball, the Seminoles churned out 587 yards of total offense and recorded six quarterback sacks and 11 tackles for loss in the victory that secured a 10-win season and continues the national narrative of FSU as one of the hottest programs in the country.

FSU quarterback Jordan Travis, who was selected as Most Valuable Player, completed 27 of 38 passes for 418 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed two or more passes to six different receivers with Johnny Wilson having a great night with eight receptions for 202 yards. Treshaun Ward led all FSU rushers with 81 yards on 10 carries, and Travis had 50 on the ground.

Oklahoma had a pair of running backs go for over 100 yards each and quarterback Dillon Gabriel was 14 of 24 through the air with one touchdown.

Florida State opened the game with an impressive 75-yard, 13-play drive and took a 3-0 lead when Fitzgerald’s 22-yard field goal split the uprights with 11:26 left in the first quarter.

Oklahoma scored on the ensuing drive when Dillon Gabriel’s pass found Jalil Farooq in the end zone from 22 yards out to give the Sooners a 7-3 lead at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter.

The Seminole defense came up big later in the quarter after the offense failed to convert on fourth down, allowing Oklahoma to take over at the Seminoles’ 43-yard line. But Oklahoma’s three plays lost yards back to their 48-yard line and they were forced to punt.

The Sooners’ offense had a short field once again late in the first quarter setting up at FSU’s 49-yard line.  Eight plays later, Gabriel scored from eight yards out on a quarterback keeper around the right end to make it 14-3 OU with 14:31 left before the half.

A second fourth down conversion attempt by Florida State failed setting Oklahoma up at their own 43-yard line with 11:39 left.  After a 28-yard pass got the Sooners down to the 16, FSU’s defense stuffed the Sooner attack and forced a 28-yard field goal attempt that sailed wide left.

The defensive stand ignited the FSU sideline and the offense ripped off big chunks of yardage on its next drive with Travis hitting Ontaria Wilson with a perfectly placed 16-yard touchdown pass. The Seminoles went for two with tight end Wyatt Rector hitting tight end Brian Courtney for the conversion and a 14-11 score with 7:18 left in the half.  The drive covered 56 yards on six plays with the biggest plays being a pair of passes to Johnny Wilson of 14 and 23 yards.

Oklahoma drove 65 yards on seven plays on their final possession of the half extending their lead to 17-11 on a 41-yard field goal with 15 seconds left.

Travis completed 10-of-14 passes for 170 yards and one TD in the first half.  He also led the Seminoles in rushing with 34 yards on five carries. Johnny Wilson had 110 receiving yards on seven catches for his third 100-yard game of the season.

Florida State had a great start to the second half taking its first lead since its first possession in the game on a masterful 94-yard drive on its initial drive of the second half.  The Seminoles used 15 plays and nearly five minutes to take the 18-17 lead when Ward took the snap in the wildcat formation and plunged in from the one.

The Sooners, who were shut out during the third quarter, went up 25-18 with 13:22 left in the game on a Gavin Sawchuck touchdown run up the middle and a successful two-point conversion.

FSU bounced right back on its next drive capping a 75-yard scoring drive with a 38-yard touchdown run by Ward that tied the score at 25-25 with 11:05 left.

The Seminole defense came up with a huge play on Oklahoma’s next possession when Omarion Cooper’s hit on Sawchuck knocked the ball out and Jammie Robinson recovered it at the FSU 36.  Six plays later, Travis hit tight end Markeston Douglas with a 17-yard touchdown pass to put FSU up 32-25 with 7:22 left.

Oklahoma tied the score at 32-32 with 3:37 left on a 12-yard Jovantae Brown run that capped a nine-play, 75 yard drive, before FSU used up most of the clock to kick the game winner.