FSU football squanders bowl eligibility in blowout loss to Florida
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GAINESVILLE – Florida State football’s season fittingly ended with a road loss to Florida here at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, extending the program’s losing streak away from home to 11 games and over two calendar years.
The Gators led wire-to-wire in front of 90,007 fans, winning 40-21 over the Seminoles.
FSU failed to reach the six-win mark and earn bowl eligibility at 5-7. It marks a disappointing end to a season that started with promise for FSU after a 3-0 start that included a win over No. 10 Alabama.
Florida scored 17 first-half points, with quarterback DJ Lagway throwing a pair of touchdowns and running back Jadan Baugh tallying 101 yards in the opening half. FSU made it a three-point game after Edwin Joseph picked off Lagway, and Tommy Castellanos scored on a three-yard keeper.
That was the closest the game would be in the second half as Florida outscored FSU 23-7 in the half.
Castellanos finished 17-for-27, for 240 yards, two touchdowns, a fumble and an interception on the final play of the game. He added 49 rushing yards and a score.
Wide receiver Lawayne McCoy recorded a career high of 117 yards and a touchdown.
The win was the first for Florida interim head coach Billy Gonzales. Here are three takeaways from the Seminoles‘ final loss of the season.
FSU’s offense remains lifeless on the road
FSU scored more than 14 points in a road game for only the second time this season, ending a run of four consecutive games with 14 points or less on the road.
The late touchdown pass from Castellanos to McCoy was the only score in the second half for the Seminoles.
The Seminoles won the pregame coin toss and elected to receive the football to start the game, a change to their typical decision to defer. Any hopes of that sparking something for the team on the road were quickly put to bed after a three-and-out to start the game.
With a scoreless first quarter against the Gators, the Seminoles finish the year without scoring a point in the first quarter in six road games.
Castellanos connected on a few explosive plays but was inconsistent for most of the night. He was sacked four times as the offensive line struggled to cope with the Gators’ defensive front, which also led to the 139 total rushing yards by FSU.
Duce Robinson finished the game with 53 yards. Robinson is now ninth all-time in single-season receiving yards in program history with 1,074.
Jadan Baugh carves up the Seminoles for a historic day on the ground
Baugh was a workhorse for the Gators as he accounted for 266 of Florida’s 272 total rushing yards. He outrushed the entire Seminoles team (167 yards) by himself, and he averaged seven yards per carry, while scoring a pair of touchdowns.
The sophomore running back crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the first half, and he got into the endzone for the first time in the third quarter, a 22-yard score that put Florida up 31-14. His second score came with 56 seconds left, putting Florida up 40-21.
FSU’s defense had no answer for the Gator running back, who racked up yards after contact and explosive runs with relative ease against a Seminoles defense that couldn’t keep up with the speedy sophomore.
His 38 carries were the most recorded by a sophomore in Florida history, and his 266 rushing yards were the second most rushing yards in a single game by a Gator in program history, trailing only Emmitt Smith, who recorded 316 yards in 1989.
Edwin Joseph’s interception not enough to save an abysmal defensive showing, more self-inflicted wounds
The interception from Joseph in the second quarter seemingly gave FSU life at the end of the first half, with the Castellanos touchdown after the turnover making the game 17-14 at halftime. However, the Seminoles allowed 199 second-half yards and 23 points on the way to a second consecutive loss.
Despite not having his best night, Lagway was able to come up with big completions when he needed them. He finished the night 15-for-24 passing to the tune of 168 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Three Florida receivers finished the game with 25 or more receiving yards, with 58 from J. Michael Sturdivant, a team high.
Florida completed its only fourth-down attempt and went 6-of-12 on third down.
Self-inflicted wounds were apparent again as the Seminoles accrued 28 penalty yards on four penalties in the game. Jake Weinberg missed a field goal for a fourth consecutive game with a 42-yard miss in the fourth quarter.
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football blown out by rival Florida to end disappointing season
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