Ryan Fitzgerald’s 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left in the game helped No.13 Florida State escape with a 35-32 win over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando on Thursday.
The game was tightly contested throughout as the teams slowly figured each other out and turned on the offense in the second half. However, an Oklahoma fumble in the fourth quarter gave Florida State an extra possession, and the Seminoles converted with a touchdown.
With just over three minutes remaining in a 32-32 game, Florida State drove down the field to take the lead. Needing only a field goal to stay alive, Oklahoma had another chance to respond.
The Sooners came up with a couple of catches, but penalties impeded that progress, and the offense could not regroup as the clock expired on Florida State’s seventh sack of the night.
WHAT TO KNOW
The loss means Oklahoma finishes the season with a 6-7 record — its first losing season since a 5-6 mark in 1998.
Four Oklahoma starters opted out of this game to concentrate on entering the NFL: defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, running back Eric Gray, and offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Anton Harrison.
This is Florida State’s first bowl win under head coach Mike Norvell and its first since the 2017 Independence Bowl. The win also secures FSU’s first 10-win season since 2016.
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis was named Most Valuable Player after throwing for 418 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Johnny Wilson had 202 receiving yards on the night.
BY THE NUMBERS
This was the fourth time Oklahoma and Florida State had played in a bowl game. Oklahoma now leads the all-time postseason series 3-2 and holds a 6-2 advantage over the Seminoles overall.
Even with Gray sitting out, the Oklahoma rushing offense had an impressive night. The Sooners gained 253 yards on the ground, and Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes each surpassed the 100-yard mark.
Florida State tallied 587 yards of offense. It finishes the season with the 13th-best rushing offense and 29th-ranked passing offense.
WHO SAID
Norvell told the Associated Press he plans to use this win as a springboard for the future of Florida State football.
“I know what we had to come through as a program. It was hard. And we know what’s ahead. And it’s going to be work. There’s no limits to what we can accomplish, and I’m going to push them until we get to ultimately where I know we can go.”
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables knows Oklahoma fans have higher expectations for its program and is focused on getting there the right way.
“It’s a performance-based profession. People [on the outside] are going to judge us based on that,” he said after the game. “Winning is incredibly important and that’s the standard and the expectations that are here at Oklahoma, but how we do what we do matters.”
