Florida State Football: 3 lessons from win over rival Florida
By Zach Bigalke
1. Defense wins the day for Florida State in Gainesville on Saturday
It wasn’t a pretty day for the Florida State offense in Week 13. The Seminoles running game failed to manage even three yards per carry against the Gators. James Blackman struggled passing the ball, finishing 10-of-21 for 128 yards. He did throw two touchdown passes in the victory, but he also coughed up an interception and endured a couple of costly sacks.
On the road, Florida State prevailed thanks in large part to a stingy defense that kept the Gators in check and snagged a slew of key turnovers. They did an especially great job keeping Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks uncomfortable. By the end of the game, Franks had thrown three interceptions and lost a fumble.
When Franks coughed up the football on a Brian Burns sack early in the first quarter, Jacob Pugh scooped up the fumble and returned it for the first points of the game. The Seminoles defense added another touchdown when Levonta Taylor returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.
Florida never could get comfortable or settle into a rhythm, thanks to the efforts of the Florida State defense. Franks completed fewer than half of his passes, while the Gators backfield averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. It was an ugly performance on offense in both directions, but the FSU defense was the difference maker that allowed the Seminoles to prevail on Saturday.