DALLAS (FWAA) – The Florida State Seminoles
rolled up a 31-7 halftime lead and held on for a 31-28 win over
No. 5 North Carolina, scoring its first win over a top-five team
since 2014 and earning the Reveal Suits National Team of
the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 17, as
selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the second time for Florida State (2-3) to earn the Team
of the Week honor and first since 2013. All Division I FBS and FCS
schools are eligible to be selected. This is the 19th season for
the FWAA to award a Team of the Week.
The win gave first-year head coach Mike Norvell his first ACC
win at Florida State and handed North Carolina and FSU alumnus/head
coach Mack Brown its first loss. It also marked the first time for
FSU, as an unranked team, to beat a top-five team at home since
1965. The Seminoles’ last win over a ranked team overall was a 22-21
win over No. 22 Boston College on Nov. 17, 2018.
It was the FSU defense that cemented the win, containing UNC
to only 34 rushing yards in the second half and 184 overall; North
Carolina entered the game averaging 245 rushing yards per game.
FSU’s defense stopped UNC on downs at the FSU 41-yard line with
35 seconds remaining, and only one of UNC’s touchdowns came on the
ground.
Florida State kept it simple on offense as quarterback Jordan
Travis ran 16 times for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns
and running back La’Damian Webb added 12 carries for his career-best
of 109 yards. Travis' eight completions went for 191 yards and another
touchdown.
Special teams played a role as well when FSU blocked a punt following
UNC’s opening drive, with Travis scoring on a 23-yard keeper on
the next play. The Seminoles blocked another punt later and now
lead the nation with five blocked kicks this season.
Florida State travels to Louisville for a noon ET game Saturday
on RSN.
The Seminoles edged out four other worthy candidates this week.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of
Oct. 17 are:
• Arkansas (2-2): Quarterback Feleipe Franks
completed 21-of-34 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown to even
Arkansas' record on the season. Franks has thrown a touchdown
strike in each game and handed Treylon Burks a career-high for
receptions (11) and yards (137) with a touchdown. Burks also
ran for a career-high 46 yards (11.5 ypc). Franks' 55-yard TD
strike to Burks on the Hogs' first scoring drive finished a
season-long 95-yard drive.
• Kentucky (2-2): The Wildcats broke a 36-year,
17-game losing streak in Neyland Stadium in dominant fashion
with a 34-7 win over No. 18 Tennessee. Kentucky had not won
at Tennessee since Nov. 24, 1984. The 27-point win was its largest
margin of victory in the series since a 27-0 UK win in 1935
and its largest ever against a ranked opponent. The Wildcats
ran two interceptions back for touchdowns in the second quarter,
the second one an 85-yard return by Jamin Davis to give Kentucky
a 14-0 lead and set the tone. The 'Cats held the Vols to just
84 total yards in the second half while their SEC-leading running
game pounded out 159 yards in the last half.
• Memphis (2-1): The Tigers pulled off the
largest comeback in program history, rallying from a 21-point
deficit to beat UCF 50-49 and end a 13-game losing streak to
the Knights. Memphis trailed 35-14, but eventually rallied with
a nine-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to take the lead with 1:08
remaining to finish the 21-point comeback. Quarterback Brady
White threw for 486 yards and a career-high six touchdowns,
two of them to Calvin Austin, who had a career day with 151
receiving yards. UCF kicker Daniel Obarski missed a 40-yard
field goal with 19 seconds left.
• South Carolina (2-2): The Gamecocks snapped
an eight-game losing streak to Auburn, beating the Tigers for
the first time in 87 years, 30-22, in Columbia. The Gamecocks
rallied from an early 9-0 deficit, helped by a pair of Jaycee
Horn interceptions and a pass breakup that led to a third. Kevin
Harris ran for a pair of touchdowns for the Gamecocks.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com.
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