Florida State vs. North Alabama: Five Plays That Changed The Game As Seminoles Overcome Deficit
Saturday’s final home game was supposed to be a day of celebration and reflection for the Florida State football program. From Senior Day festivities to the retirement of Jameis Winston’s jersey to the 10th-anniversary celebration of the 2013 national championship team and more, the ‘Noles were prepared to close their 2023 home schedule in front of a sold-out crowd that was itching to send their ‘Noles into the postseason on a high. The scriptwriters in Hollywood could not have written a more perfect day, a more perfect ending to the 2023 season, and a more perfect send-off for so many seniors who were instrumental in the turnaround of the football program. Spirits were high and the energy was higher as Osceola and Renegade rode out to midfield and planted the spear in Bobby Bowden Field for the final time in 2023. No one was prepared for what came next.
Shortly after kickoff, however, the stadium fell silent as despair and uncertainty clouded the air. The day’s celebrations were tainted by the season-ending injury suffered by starting quarterback Jordan Travis in the first quarter of Saturday’s contest. The faces of those hands were painted with misery and dread as their star quarterback was carted off of the field and into an ambulance. Travis would not get his Hollywood ending, and Seminole fans immediately feared that they would not get their undefeated season. Trailing 13-0, FSU needed to compose itself and find a way forward without their once Heisman hopeful. Inspired by the loss of their leader, Florida State’s entire roster rose to the occasion and proceeded to put forth a high-spirited performance en route to a 58-13 rout of the Lions.
Let’s take a look at some of the high-flying, action-packed plays from Saturday’s beatdown of North Alabama. Then, we shift focus to the final showdown of the regular season against the Florida Gators and the preparations Norvell and his ‘Noles are making to #FinishFor13.
1. DB Jarrian Jones Strip Sacks UNA QB Noah Walters Deep In Lions territory
On a night reserved for celebration and reflection, the Florida State Seminoles were not having a first quarter to remember. North Alabama came out of the gate strong, looking to pull off the upset of a lifetime. The Lions jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the early moment of the game, and the little FCS team from North Alabama appeared to be making the ‘Noles sweat. FSU’s first-quarter woes were exacerbated further when star quarterback Jordan Travis went down with a season-ending leg injury. As Travis was carted off of the field and loaded into an ambulance, a grim reality set in for Florida State: they were down 13-0 and would have to finish the rest of the game (and the rest of the season) without their leader on offense. The troubles reared their ugly head after the Seminoles were stuffed on the goal line and forced to settle for a field goal on just their third offensive drive of the game. North Alabama was not concerned with Florida State’s personnel issues. They were boasting a 13-3 lead and hanging tough with the fourth-ranked team in the country.
The loss of Travis sparked something among the Florida State players; something visibly noticeable in their demeanor and intensity of play. Despite giving up 13 points on North Alabama’s opening drives, the FSU defense turned things up a notch. After scoring the field goal, the Seminoles forced the Lions to punt. The Rodemaker-led offense was unable to sustain a drive of their own and punted the ball back to North Alabama, but that didn’t last very long. On 3rd & 9 from his own 23-yard line, North Alabama quarterback Noah Walters dropped back to pass. Shortly after the snap, two Seminole defenders were already deep in the backfield providing pressure. On the quarterback’s right was defensive lineman Jared Verse, who had blazed past his blocker and nearly brought Walters down on his own. Luckily for Verse, defensive back Jarrian Jones was storming in from the quarterback’s left, and after Walters escaped the outstretched arms of Verse, Jones was there to clean him up.
Jones bear-hugged the quarterback the moment he came within reach. As he did so, the ball was lodged free from Walter’s hands and bounced around on the turf. Jones was the first to notice the fumble, and he scooped the ball up before being brought down around the UNA 7-yard line. The turnover was the first of many on the night for both Jones and the Seminole defense. More importantly, it breathed life into a previously shell-shocked Doak Campbell Stadium crowd, bringing the Seminole faithful back to their feet. Two plays later, running back Trey Benson punched the ball into the end zone for a touchdown, and Florida State was officially in business.
2. Lawrance Toafili Rushes 17 yards Into The End Zone (And Into The Outstretched Arms Of The 2013 National Championship Team)
Following the Florida State touchdown, UNA still boasted a 13-10 lead. However, the drive that immediately ensued was an unsuccessful one for the Lions. Florida State’s defense was playing some spirited football, and the contributions of defensive lineman Braden Fiske forced UNA to punt after a 3-play, -11 yard drive. The Seminole offense responded with a sustained drive of their own that saw quarterback Tate Rodemaker complete 2 passes for a total gain of 21 yards and saw running back Caziah Holmes carry the ball twice for a gain of 16 yards and 1 touchdown. The rushing touchdown from Holmes gave the ‘Noles their first lead of the game at the 5:04 mark of the 2nd quarter, and they never looked back.
The remainder of the half was more of the same for both teams. North Alabama was running into the brick wall that was the FSU defense while the offense was finding its groove. With just over one minute remaining in the first half, the Rodemaker-led offense returned to the field once more. The quarterback opened the drive with a 14-yard connection to wide receiver Johnny Wilson. Rodemaker then followed that up with a 49-yard gain through the air to tight end Jaheim Bell. Just like that, the Seminoles were working deep in UNA territory, and less than thirty seconds had come off of the clock. On 1st & 10 from the UNA 17-yard line, Rodemaker tried to find another connection through the air, but the ball fell incomplete and stopped the clock.
With less than a minute remaining in the half, Rodemaker snapped the ball and immediately handed it off to running back Lawrance Toafili. Toafili worked his way to the sideline and weaved through the second layer of the Lion defense. He emerged on the other side of the 10-yard line completely untouched and beat the last remaining defender in a foot race to the goal line. Toafili made his way into the end zone where he was immediately swarmed by members of Florida State’s 2013 national championship team, who were in attendance for their 10th anniversary celebration. The 17-yard rushing touchdown followed by the celebration involving the 2013 national championship team caused Doak Campbell Stadium to roar to life. The once somber atmosphere was anything but as the ‘Noles extended their lead to 24-13 before the halftime break.
3. CJ Campbell's 70-yard TD Run
Following a Keon Coleman touchdown, North Alabama’s offense returned to the field once more to endure the onslaught of defensive prowess exhibited by the Seminoles. In layman’s terms: the ‘Noles were imposing their will. The pass on first down went for a gain of 2 yards; the pass on second down lost 2 yards for the offense; and the pass on third down was broken up by FSU defensive back Azareye’h Thomas. The Lions’ first drive since the interception was a 3-play, 0 yard showing. Stuck in their own territory, the Lions punted the ball back to return man Keon Coleman, and the Florida State offense set up shop from their own 30-yard line.
On 1st & 10, Rodemaker handed the ball off to running back CJ Campbell Jr. The redshirt sophomore running back surged through the interior of the offensive line, made it out to the second level, shed an arm tackle from the safety, and turned on the afterburners as he crossed midfield. No one would catch Campbell Jr. on his way to the end zone for a 70-yard touchdown run. It took all but one play for the ‘Noles to tack on another score and make it a 45-13 game. In just two total plays, FSU’s offense had found the end zone twice. Suffice it to say, the offensive onslaught was in full swing.
Campbell’s 70-yard scamper was the icing on the cake for a prolific day on the ground from FSU’s offense. By the game’s end, Florida State's combined rushing attack eclipsed 248 yards and 5 touchdowns from 9 different rushers. Campbell himself finished the day as FSU's leading rusher with 3 carries for 78 yards and one touchdown.
4. Brock Glenn Scores First Collegiate TD Run
With the defense all but locking up the UNA offense and the game well in hand, Norvell subbed out his starters, but he did not call off the dogs. Instead, it was true freshman quarterback Brock Glenn’s turn to helm the Seminole offense. Glenn’s first drive resulted in a turnover on downs after a pass attempt to wide receiver Destyn Hill fell incomplete, but the young quarterback was undeterred. Upon his return to the field, Glenn began his march downfield. Slowly but surely, the true freshman, along with running back Samuel Singleton Jr., pushed the ball ever deeper into Lions territory. On 3rd & 8 from the 50-yard line, Glenn threw a perfectly placed ball 28 yards downfield into the arms of wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs.
Singleton Jr. was called upon to inch the ball closer to the end zone. Eventually, the offense earned a fresh set of downs at the Lion 11-yard line. Facing 1st & 10 deep in the red zone, Glenn snapped the ball and motioned to hand the ball to his running back. Instead, the quarterback faked the exchange and kept it for himself. He took off into a full sprint, shed a would-be tackler, and waltzed into the end zone for the first rushing touchdown of his collegiate career. With the 11-yard touchdown run, the true freshman quarterback completed a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the closing moments of Saturday’s game.
5. FSU Blocks Last-Second FG, Quindarrius Jones Returns It 50 Yards For A TD
Up until their final drive of the game, the North Alabama offense was having a miserable second half. Florida State’s defense held UNA’s offense to a total of -14 yards over the course of roughly 18 plays in the second half. Meanwhile, the ‘Noles had rattled off 58 unanswered points and extinguished all hope of an upset at the hands of another FCS team. However, the Lions had some life in the waning moments of the game, and they appeared to be hellbent on leaving with more than a 13-point showing.
For the first time since the first half, the UNA Lions charged into Florida State territory by hammering their ground game. Run after run, North Alabama pushed forward, but the clock was ticking all the while. Eventually, the Lions reached the Florida State 33-yard line with just under 30 seconds remaining in the contest. Surprisingly, the Lions, who were down 52-13 at this point, began to focus on clock management and burned one of their timeouts. Their offense ran three more plays for a gain of 5 yards, presenting them with a 4th & 5. Once again, rather than electing to let the time expire on an already lopsided affair, the Lions called their third and final timeout. With nine seconds remaining in a 52-13 game, North Alabama lined up their field goal unit to tack on three points. The Florida State defense had other ideas.
North Alabama snapped the ball. The holder was unable to field the snap cleanly before the kicker put toe to leather. The ball was immediately blocked by the Seminoles and ricocheted back to the FSU 40-yard line. The ball continued to bounce around before FSU defender Quindarrius Jones was able to secure it on the opposite side of the 50. Jones stiff-armed the nearest Lion and proceeded to return the ball down the sideline and into the end zone for a touchdown as the clock expired. Florida State’s final play in its final home game of the 2023 season was an electrifying blocked FG, 50-yard touchdown return.
Honorable Mention: DB Jarrian Jones' INT Leads To A WR Keon Coleman TD
After the halftime fanfare from the Chiefs and the celebration of the 2013 national championship team came to pass, the Florida State Seminoles and North Alabama Lions went right back to work. The offenses traded a handful of empty drives to open up the quarter, but the numbers tell two drastically different stories. The Seminoles were pushing the ball downfield and stringing together positive plays, which ultimately resulted in a 12-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a Rodemaker screen pass to Holmes for a 26-yard touchdown.
On the other sideline, however, the Lions were unsuccessful in testing the FSU defense. Through their first three drives of the second half, North Alabama’s offense had run 9 plays for a total of -3 yards. On that third drive, Lions quarterback Noah Walters attempted to deliver a strike to his receiver on 3rd & 9. Instead, the ball tipped off of his intended target’s arms and bounced into the nearby defender, none other than FSU defensive back Jarrian Jones. With Jones’ second turnover of the evening, the Seminole offense inherited favorable field position around the UNA 24-yard line. One play later, Rodemaker lofted a ball into the hands of a wide-open Keon Coleman in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown connection.
One 14-point swing later, the ‘Noles held a comfortable 38-13 lead early in the third quarter. Rodemaker’s day through the air was done following Coleman’s score. He finished with 13 completions on 23 attempts for 217 yards and 2 TDs. Coleman also reeled in 3 receptions for 53 yards and 1 TD on the day.
Despite a crushing first quarter, Florida State finished its game (and its home schedule) on a high note, cruising to a 58-13 victory over the North Alabama Lions. It’s a convincing victory that warrants celebration and excitement, especially as the 2023 season comes to a close. Yet, as fans left Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday night, the celebrations were more tame than usual. This win had extracted a heavy toll. One that has the potential to derail their goals for the postseason. But, if the response showcased by the team during Saturday’s game is acting to go off of, Norvell’s guys are more than prepared to take on the challenges ahead.
For now, the Seminoles moved to 11-0 on the season, and their hopes of both an ACC Championship and Playoff berth are still alive. On the immediate horizon, however, a bitter matchup with the school down in Gainesville is what stands in FSU's way.
READ MORE: Florida State Hopped By Washington Huskies In Latest College Football Playoff Rankings
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