Florida State Football: 5 Things We Learned from the Florida Game

The season finale for the Florida State Seminoles was a microcosm of their season in many ways. 

They showed tremendous promise on one side of the ball and shuddering thoughts due to inexplicable ineptitude on the other.

For whatever reason, they never had all cylinders firing consistently enough to deliver on the promise their season began with. 

In the end, the ‘Noles put the cap on a disappointing season by claiming their second consecutive state championship and knocking off the hated Florida Gators, 21-7, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. 

Here are five things we learned from the win over Florida.

5. Elite Defense

Aside from a pair of back-to-back losses to Clemson and Wake Forest earlier in the season, the ‘Noles defense has been stingy throughout the year. 

With that said, they may have saved their best performance for the hated Gators. 

The secondary grabbed three first-half interceptions off of Florida quarterback John Brantley before they knocked him out of the game late in the first-half. 

The defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, and the entire defense played a physical level of football that left their rivals battered and bruised. 

The defense even put the finishing touches on their signature effort early in the fourth quarter, with senior safety Terrance Parks nabbing a Jacoby Brissett pass and returning it 29 yards for a touchdown. 

4. Anemic Offense

As great as the defense was, the offense was its polar opposite at times. 

Numerous penalties, questionable play-calling and a lack of aggressiveness—despite excellent field position throughout the gamewere some of the factors leading to Jimbo Fisher’s offense mustering 95 yards of total offense against the Gators. 

Even though their strategy was to bleed the clock and punt, running back Jermaine Thomas’ fourth quarter fumble arguably cost the defense their opportunity for a shutout. 

For an offense struggling with short-yardage situations all season long, the one positive from this game is that they converted two early Gator turnovers into short touchdown drives.  

3. Punter's Paradise

Here’s a sobering realization for Seminoles fans that may confuse them even more: In their rivalry matchups against Miami and Florida, arguably their best player in both games was punter Shawn Powell. 

Powell, the nation’s leading punter in yards per punt and net punt average, pinned the Gators inside their own 20 five times and averaged almost 45 yards per punt in his nine attempts. 

With FSU’s defense performing at a high level, Powell furthered the Gators’ miseries by handcuffing an already limited offense and burying any chances of a comeback in the process. 

Powell was inexplicably left off of the list of finalists for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation’s top punter, which makes about as much sense as the BCS computer rankings system.  

2. Sweet Ending to a Sour Season

It’s no secret that Florida State fans expected to be playing in next weekend’s ACC Championship game. 

Instead, that reward will go to the Clemson Tigers for winning the Atlantic Division. 

However, Florida State managed to capture back-to-back mythical state championships by defeating rivals Miami and Florida this season. 

That accomplishment is significant because this is only the third time in school history it has happened, and the first time since 1998-99.   

1. State of Dominance

When Jimbo Fisher took over as head coach at FSU following the 2009 season, the ‘Noles were arguably the third best program in the state. 

After all, FSU lost to Miami, Florida and even South Florida in Bobby Bowden’s final season in Tallahassee. 

While the ‘Noles may have underachieved this season, Fisher has clearly established FSU as the dominant program in the state of Florida by winning all four of his matchups against the ‘Canes and Gators by a combined score of 120-50. 

FSU has some work to do before rejoining the nation’s elite, but they have already taken a significant step forward by reclaiming the Sunshine State.