Florida vs. FSU: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Florida Cup
The Florida State Seminoles overcame an early 9-0 deficit and three first-quarter interceptions from Jameis Winston to defeat in-state rival Florida, 24-19, in the 2014 Florida Cup at home in Doak Campbell Stadium.
Winston's performance was perhaps the worst of his career, as he completed just 12 of 24 passes for 125 yards, two touchdowns and four total picks. It's not often teams overcome a disastrous performance like the one Winston had on Saturday night, per ESPN Stats and Info:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
True freshman running back Dalvin Cook did most of the dirty work on offense for the 'Noles, picking up 144 rushing yards on 24 carries. He took on the lead back role after Karlos Williams left the game with a concussion, per ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach:
The Gators stayed in the game thanks to cornerback Brian Poole, who picked off Winston twice, and kicker Austin Hardin, who made four of six field goals, although both of his two misfires prevented Florida from taking a late lead.
Here is a look at the quarter-by-quarter score from the contest:
| Florida | 9 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 19 |
| FSU | 7 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
This year's edition of the Florida Cup wasn't the titanic contest of seasons past. The Gators, playing with a lame-duck coach in Will Muschamp, have waded through a disappointing campaign that saw a competent defense get routinely undone by a fitful, error-prone offense.
The Seminoles once again played down to their competition—a nasty trend that should have some fans on edge heading into the ACC title game against Georgia Tech Dec. 6, which could very well be a must-win game for Florida State after a less-than-convincing run to the College Football Playoff.
Winston was out of sorts right from the beginning. He threw his first interception on just the fourth play of the game from scrimmage. Florida safety Jabari Gorman jumped a slant route and made a tumbling catch to procure the turnover.
The Gators couldn't move the ball, but Hardin split the uprights for what would be his first of four made field goals on the night.
Winston was just getting started with the charitable throws. He short-circuited the Seminoles' very next drive, with Quincy Wilson coming up with a stellar, bobbling interception, as shown by Bleacher Report:
The Gators managed just 26 yards on 10 plays and ended up with another Hardin field goal for an early 6-0 lead.
Florida State punted on its next possession, and Gators quarterback Treon Harris would finally get some offense going by hitting Brandon Powell for a 42-yard gain. However, the drive would stall out yet again and end in, say it with me now, a Hardin field goal.
Winston threw his third pick of the quarter on the ensuing possession, this one going to Poole. Gatorzone.com's Scott Carter encapsulated the quarterback's forgettable first quarter:
This time, however, the interception would lead directly to points for Florida State. Defensive back Terrance Smith picked off Harris on the very next play and returned it 94 yards for an interception. ESPN provided a look:
Winston got his act together in the second quarter. He tossed two touchdown passes to tight end Nick O'Leary in the frame, giving the Seminoles a 21-9 lead with just more than two minutes to go until the half.
Cook did well to get the running game going and provided Winston with a solid foundation from which he could run the offense and calm his own nerves. ESPN's Danny Kanell came up with an apt comparison for Cook's shifty moves:
Florida's offense found it tough to move the ball either through the air or on the ground in the second quarter. Harris' second interception of the night was sandwiched between Winston's two touchdown throws, and running back Matt Jones had little room to gallop.
The Gators would get a nice stroke of luck just before the half, as Seminoles punter Cason Beatty had to scramble on a punt play and coughed up the football. Harris would complete a 15-yard pass to Clay Burton to make the score 21-16 at the half.
Florida started off the second half with an 11-play, 44-yard drive that ended in a Hardin field goal, cutting the Seminoles' lead to just two points.
After an exchange of punts, Florida State found itself in good position to extend its lead after driving to midfield. Unfortunately, Winston fired a low, off-target pass right into Poole's path, giving a flash of hope to the Gators.
The Cauldron's Andy Glockner summed up Winston's erratic play perfectly:
Hardin, who had been so reliable up to this point in the game, would miss his field-goal chance just before the start of the fourth quarter. The Seminoles' next drive ended on a disastrous fake-punt call, which put the Gators in excellent field position on their opponent's 34-yard line.
Alas, the offense couldn't come up with a touchdown drive, and Hardin would miss once again, which drew a fist pump of relief from Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher.
The Seminoles would go on a 55-yard, clock-killing drive, capped off by a 37-yard Roberto Aguayo field goal for a 24-19 lead they would not relinquish.
Harris was off the mark on the Gators' last-ditch drive, missing on all six of his pass attempts. The Seminoles got the ball back with 1:42 remaining and ran out the clock on a Beatty punt at the death. CBS Sports' Damon Amendolara summed up Harris' incompetence:
The Seminoles have done little to inspire confidence in most observers this season, but their ability to stay composed late in games is one of the few things about this team that is not in question.
Of course, Coach Fisher doesn't understand the need for anyone to doubt his team's bona fides.
"We're undefeated. We finish every game. Everybody else in the country has not finished at least one game. We've finished every one of them. Isn't that the object?" he said prior to Saturday, via the Orlando Sentinel's Brendan Sonnone.
He has a point. As the only undefeated team from a Power Five conference, the Seminoles don't really have to answer to anyone, even if the shaky win over the Gators left plenty of questions surrounding this team unanswered. Like it or not, this team is playoff-bound with a win over Georgia Tech in the ACC title contest.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
