Jordan Travis Delights CFB Twitter as Florida State Beats Oklahoma in Cheez-It Bowl
Dec 30, 2022
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 29: Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (13) passes the ball during the Cheez-It Bowl between Oklahoma and Florida State on December 29, 2022 at Camping World Stadium, in Orlando FL. (Photo by Joe Petro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis completed 27 of 38 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns (one interception) and rushed for 50 yards en route to leading the Seminoles to a 35-32 win over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl on Thursday.
Travis lit up Orlando, Florida's Camping World Stadium and notably found wide receiver Johnny Wilson for eight catches and 202 yards. His touchdowns went to Ontaria Wilson in the second quarter and Markeston Douglas in the fourth.
The latter score gave FSU a 32-25 lead after the extra point. OU responded with a Jovantae Barnes 12-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game, but Travis then led FSU on a six-play, 61-yard drive capped by a Ryan Fitzgerald 32-yard field goal with 55 seconds left.
FSU's defense prevented OU from even getting one first down in response and ended the matchup with a sack of quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Travis was ultimately the star of the show, and his efforts helped overcome a stout OU rushing attack that amassed 253 yards and three scores.
I have kept very good track of every single thing that has ever been said about my brother on this app. Aye, @KennyDillingham, remember when the slogan was “Jordan Travis can’t throw???” How does it sound now??? Quite a bit different !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #NOLESONTOP
Jordan Travis’ mobility, arm talent and ability to create off platform is a lot of fun. Very curious to see how his draft eval goes when all is said and done.
Florida State finished 10-3, marking its first 10-win campaign since 2016. ESPN's Andrea Adelson noted how impressive of an accomplishment that was, especially considering that FSU had four straight losing seasons entering 2022.
Uh yeah you can see how badly Florida State wanted this one. They didn’t make it easy on themselves but their first 10-win season since 2016 is one of the most unexpected stories of this college football season. Full stop.
The days between Christmas and New Years are a blur. All the days run together, you're unsure what day of the week it is and you're wondering how many more...
4-Star WR Prospect Hykeem Williams Commits to FSU over Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M
Sep 23, 2022
Hykeem Williams, a 4-star wide receiver out of Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has decided to play college football at Florida State.
Williams announced his decision Friday, picking the Seminoles over other finalists, including Miami, Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M.
BREAKING: Five-Star WR Hykeem Williams (@tha_boikeem) has Committed to Florida State!
The 6’3 200 WR from Fort Lauderdale, FL chose the Seminoles over Texas A&M, Pitt, Miami, Alabama, and Georgia.
The 6'3", 200-pound Williams is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 26 overall prospect in the class of 2023. He is also the No. 5 wideout in the country and No. 6 overall prospect in Florida.
Williams received 35 offers and made visits to Florida State, Georgia and Pitt. 247Sports also listed Williams as having an interest in Texas A&M as well. Other schools that offered include Alabama, Auburn and Michigan.
Williams had 40 catches for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021. He also stars on the basketball court and averaged a double-double during his junior year.
Andrew Ivins of 247Sports provided a scouting report for Williams and compared him to Chicago Bears wide receiver N'Keal Harry, a former first-round pick:
"Figures to eventually emerge as an impact player at the Power 5 level given rare movement patterns and competitive drive (has been utilized throughout prep career as a pass rusher when needed). Will likely need some time to get adjusted to the everyday demands of the college game but should be viewed as a potential go-to target in a modern pro-style spread attack. NFL upside."
Williams has the potential to be a college superstar, especially given his size and ability to provide a big target for quarterbacks. A lengthy and productive NFL career certainly isn't out of the question, either, but for now, Williams looks ready to tear up college fields soon enough.
Opting to stay close to home, Williams has given Florida State's 2023 class a big boost. The Seminoles came into the day with the No. 19 recruiting class in the nation, per 247Sports composite rankings.
Head coach Mike Norvell hasn't brought Florida State up to the level of the nation's elite programs in recruiting, but his classes over the previous three seasons have been solid.
Since taking over the program in December 2019, Norvell has had the Seminoles ranked in the top 25 recruiting classes every year. The 2022 class was his highest-ranked thus far at No. 20 overall.
The results look to be paying off this season. Florida State is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2015, highlighted by a dramatic 24-23 win over LSU on Sept. 4.
Adding a playmaker with the potential that Williams boasts has the potential to open things up for the Seminoles offense starting next season.
The ACC is headlined by exceptional quarterbacks and stars on the defensive line, making the conference one of the most unpredictable in college football....
Mike Norvell, FSU Agree to 1-Year Contract Extension Through 2026
Dec 14, 2021
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: head coach Mike Norvell of the Florida State Seminoles looks on during the second quarter of a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Florida State announced that it has verbally agreed to a one-year contract extension with head football coach Mike Norvell, whose deal will now run through the 2026 season.
Norvell has coached FSU for two seasons, amassing an 8-13 (6-10 ACC) record along the way.
The Seminoles had an up-and-down 2021 campaign that included a near-upset over No. 5 Notre Dame on the road to start the year. FSU also scored wins over North Carolina and Miami.
On the flip side, the Tallahassee university also lost a last-second heartbreaker to FCS Jacksonville State, which finished its season 5-6.
However, FSU clearly improved as the year went on, finishing 5-3 in its final eight games after starting 0-4.
Norvell's original contract in 2019 was for $26.5 million over six years, per Chris Nee of Noles247.
The 40-year-old is overseeing a big rebuild at Florida State amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas native faced significant difficulties in his first year as head coach.
Per Nee, FSU only got three spring practices in during the 2020 offseason before COVID-19 shut down operations. In addition, Norvell oversaw the nation's youngest team with first- or second-year players constituting 75 percent of the roster.
Norvell had great success at Memphis before taking the FSU job, going 38-16 in four years there. The 2019 Memphis team went 12-2 and made a Cotton Bowl appearance.
Florida State will look to get 2022 off to a good start on Aug. 27 when it hosts Duquesne.
Video: Jacksonville State Beats Florida State on Hail Mary to Earn Stunning Upset
Sep 12, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Dejected Florida State Seminoles fans in the stands during the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Samford Bulldogs at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida on September 8th, 2018. (Photo by Logan Stanford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One week after losing an overtime thriller at home to Notre Dame, a rough start to the season for Florida State turned dismal.
Playing against FCS school Jacksonville State—a team that lost to UAB 31-0 last week—the Seminoles gave up a 59-yard Hail Mary touchdown as time expired to lose, 20-17. The play was stunning on a number of levels, but watching two defensive backs let a JSU receiver make a clean catch and then fail to attempt a tackle had Doak Campbell Stadium absolutely stunned.
It's the first time Florida State has lost to a non-FBS team since William & Mary defeated the Seminoles in 1959. It's also the eighth time this season an FCS team has upset an FBS team to begin the 2021 season. Florida State becomes just the third Power 5 program to suffer such a loss.
Making matters a little more painful is the fact that FSU paid $400,000 to schedule Jacksonville State.
A week ago, the Seminoles were just minutes away from knocking off the No. 9 team in the country with Notre Dame in Tallahassee. Now 0-2 on the year, Florida State faces a crucial test on the road at Wake Forest next weekend.
Jack Coan, No. 9 Notre Dame Stave Off McKenzie Milton, FSU's Upset Bid in OT
Sep 6, 2021
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (87) celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) against Florida State in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
No. 9 Notre Dame held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from host Florida State to beat the Seminoles 41-38 in overtime on Sunday evening from Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Notre Dame scored 21 straight third-quarter points to take a 38-20 lead, but FSU responded with 18 points, capped by a 43-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald.
During that span, FSU quarterback Jordan Travis left the field after his helmet came off, and McKenzie Milton came into the game. Milton, the former UCF star, suffered significant leg injuries in Nov. 2018. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 48 yards.
In overtime, Fitzgerald's 37-yard field goal sailed wide. That opened the door for Notre Dame, and Jonathan Doerer nailed a game-ending 41-yard field goal in overtime for the win.
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan tossed four touchdowns in his Fighting Irish debut after transferring from Wisconsin.
Notable Performances
Notre Dame QB Jack Coan: 26-of-35, 366 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Coan couldn't have done much better in his Notre Dame debut, completing 26-of-35 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He had one pick, but it was the result of a desperation Hail Mary heave at the end of regulation.
Coan was stellar, though. On a night where the defense struggled late and the running game couldn't get much of anything going, Notre Dame needing its passing attack to thrive.
The ex-Badger made sure of that.
He's already established a great rapport with tight end Michael Mayer, who finished as Notre Dame's leading receiver with nine catches and 120 yards. He opened the scoring with this 41-yarder:
There were other bright spots, too, such as Kyle Hamilton's two interceptions and Doerer's clutch field goals from 48 and 41 yards out.
But Coan's performance stands out the most as the Fighting Irish survived and advanced to Week 2 with a win.
FSU Nearly Pulls Off Miracle Comeback
The Seminoles were reeling with 4:37 left in the third quarter after Notre Dame's Chris Tyree plunged into the end zone from one yard out to help give his team a 38-20 edge.
To their credit, FSU never gave up, answering with a 15-play, 75-yard drive capped by an Andrew Parchment eight-yard touchdown catch. Treshaun Ward and Jashaun Corbin led a ground attack that accounted for 50 of those yards.
FSU then forced a Notre Dame punt and marched down the field yet again, this time for 88 yards on 12 plays. During this drive, Travis was forced to come out of the game, and Milton took over. It was remarkable to even see Milton on the field after he suffered horrific injuries just three years ago.
"Milton suffered a knee dislocation where the thigh bone and the lower leg bone were completely dislocated," Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel wrote after speaking with Dr. Bruce Levy, an orthopedic surgeon working out of the Mayo Clinic.
"He also tore ligaments in that knee as well as some tendons and damaged the main artery that feeds blood to the leg."
Milton's determination, resilience and perseverance led him all the way back to the football field, and he looked great in limited action. His first pass was complete for 22 yards to Ja'Khi Douglas, and he later connected with Keyshawn Helton for 15 yards on a 3rd-and-11. Ward carried the ball over the goal line from two yards out to help cut the lead to 38-35.
WELCOME BACK, MCKENZIE MILTON 👏
After almost three years away from football because of a devastating leg injury, he passes for a first down in his first play and goes 4-for-4 in a TD drive. pic.twitter.com/G8A2ipCNd7
After another Notre Dame punt, Milton led FSU 46 yards down the field in 10 plays, including a 12-yard pass to Darion Williamson on 3rd-and-2 from the Seminoles' own 37-yard line. Fitzgerald's field goal tied the game.
The Milton-led miracle finish and storybook ending didn't happen, but FSU could still enjoy a moral victory. They almost pulled off an 18-point comeback against a Top Ten team, doing so with a quarterback who overcame injuries that nearly ruined his football career.
There's a lot of fight in this Seminoles team, to the point where it looks like it will break a four-year cold spell of being outside the year's final Associated Press poll. Look for FSU to be a tough and pesky team for anyone to beat on a weekly basis.
What's Next?
Both teams will play at home on Saturday.
Notre Dame will host Toledo at 2:30 p.m. ET, and FSU will welcome Jacksonville State at 8 p.m.
Bobby Bowden to Be Honored by FSU With Helmet Tribute, Field Logo, More
Sep 1, 2021
CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 08: A view of a screen honoring Bobby Bowden during the NFL Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 08, 2021 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Florida State University will celebrate late coach Bobby Bowden with an on-field logo, a helmet decal and a patch on the polo shirts worn by coaches this season.
The university announced the tributes Wednesday. They will begin when the Seminoles kick off their 2021 season Sunday against Notre Dame.
A logo featuring Bowden's iconic hat and signature will be on each 25-yard line, and players' helmet bumpers will depict the signature. The polo patches will feature the helmet and signature logo as well.
Bowden presided over Florida State's football program from 1976 to 2009, winning two national championships and 12 ACC crowns. He left the program with a 315-98-4 record and is the second-winningest FBS coach in history, behind only Joe Paterno (409-136-3).
Bowden died earlier this month of pancreatic cancer. He was 91.
Bobby Bowden, Hall of Fame FSU Head Coach, Dies at Age 91
Aug 8, 2021
Retired Florida State coach Bobby Bowden applauds following a Rotary Club luncheon in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The 88-year-old Bowden was in Omaha to accept the Tom Osborne Legacy Award as part of the Outland Trophy banquet. Bowden coached Florida State from 1976-2009 and won national championships in 1993 and 1999. His Seminoles beat Osborne's Nebraska team 18-16 in the Orange Bowl after the 1993 season for the first of his two national championships. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Legendary Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden died Sunday.
He was 91.
Today we lost a legend but you never lose a legacy. Rest In Peace Coach Bowden pic.twitter.com/f7pQpUPqbJ
"I've always tried to serve God's purpose for my life, on and off the field, and I am prepared for what is to come," Bowden said in a statement announcing his illness. "My wife Ann and our family have been life's greatest blessing. I am at peace."
Bowden had been in declining health since being diagnosed with COVID-19 last October.
One of the most decorated coaches in college sports history, Bowden guided Florida State's football program from 1976 to 2009. The Seminoles went 315-98-4 under Bowden, winning two national championships and 12 ACC titles.
From 1987 to 2000, Florida State never won fewer than 10 games nor finished any lower than fifth in the final Associated Press poll.
"Coach Bowden built a football dynasty and raised the national profile of Florida State University, and he did it with dignity, class and a sense of humor," Florida State president John Thrasher said in a statement. "Although his accomplishments on the field are unmatched, his legacy will go far beyond football. His faith and family have always come first, and he is an incredible role model for his players and fans alike. He is beloved by the FSU family."
While Bowden's coaching resume speaks for itself, he was also known as a larger-than-life personality who embraced the spotlight of major college football. He was one of the most quotable coaches in sports history, offering both short quips that dug at opponents and long speeches that pushed his teams to the next level.
When Bowden was at Florida State and Steve Spurrier presided over Florida, there was no better rivalry in college football—and certainly none more entertaining.
"Coach Bowden coached a long time there," Spurrier said last month. "He made FSU football what it was. I was at Florida 12 years, and 11 of those years they were in the top four in the nation. We had to play them the last game of the season. I said how come Tennessee doesn't have to play these dudes the last game of the season like we do?!"
Bowden, who also coached for six seasons at West Virginia, retired after the 2009 season as the second-winningest coach in college football history, behind only Penn State's Joe Paterno. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
