FSU battles for 35-32 Cheez-it Bowl win over Oklahoma
ORLANDO, FL – The Oklahoma Sooners were visitors to the Florida State Seminoles on the 2022 Cheez-it Bowl at Camping world stadium on Thursday.
The game turned out to be an offensive thriller with FSU winning out 53-32 in the fourth quarter.
The Seminoles battles back from a 14-3 deficit in the second quarter of the game.
The Seminoles bulled though the Sooner defense for 587 yards of total offense with FSU QB throwing and rushing for 468 yards in the game.
The FSU defense sacked Oklahoma QB Dylan Gabriel 6 times in the game.
The 13 ranked Seminoles were favorites against the Sooners in this match up.
Florida State began the game with a 9 play drive for 70 yardds that finally stalled in the red zone, were they had to settle for a field goal.
That was all of the nose for for Seminole offense for the first half as the Sooners defense took over.
Gabriel was here to make his return to Orlando count. He was the former QB for the local UCF Knights before entering the transfer portal and winding up at the helm of Oklahoma.
He was having little difficulty driving the ball for two early touchdowns, one rushing and one on a 22 yd pass to Jamil Farouq in the first quarter for an early 14-3 lead for the Sooners.
Oklahoma did get into the end zone at the beginning of the second quarter, but the play was called back on a penalty. Florida State managed to shut down Oklahoma on that drive, and the resulting field goal attempt was wide left, leaving them at a 14-3 score at the 12 minute mark of the 2nd quarter.
FSU managed to gain some ground on a drive that ended with a Jordan Travis pass to Ontańa Wilson for a touchdown. The Seminoles also converted the two point conversion to take the score to 14-11 at the 9:47 mark in the 2nd half.
The Sooners return with a 41 yd field goal with :15 left on the 2nd quarter to make it a 17-11 game.
FSU Managed to try a 54 yard kick that was just short in the final seconds of the half.
Starting the second half, the Seminoles managed to got on a 15 play, 94 yard drive in 4:56 for a touchdown, making the score 18-17 with a FSU lead. the drive culminated with a 1 yd keeper run by Trashaun Ward for the score.
In the fourth quarter, the Sooners drove down the field on spectacular plays by Gabriel and Mims, who completed a 31 yd pass to the Florida State 40 yd line, followed by runs by Jovante Barnes, Jalil Farouq, and Gavin Sawchuk, taking th Sooners to the red zone, where Sawchuk scampered 15 yds for a touchdown. Oklahoma made th two point conversion, making the scored 25-18 with 13:22 left in the 4th quarter.
With 11:05 left tin the game, Florida State’s Treshaun Ward scampered for a 38 yd touchdown, and the extra point, tying the game at 25 each. the Knowles went 75 yards in 6 minutes, taking only 2:17 to do it.
Florida State recovered a fumble by Sawchuk in the 10th minute of the 4th.
The Noles drove 68 yards for a Touchdown pass from Travis to Douglas, and with the extra point, the Seminoles went up 32-18 with a little over 7 minutes left in the fourth.
The Sooners marched right back up the field and scored a tying touchdown with 3:37 left on a Jovantae Barnes run for 12 yds for the score.
FSU isn’t done. The Seminoles fought back and made a 6 play drive for 61 yards and the game winning field goal, making the score 35-32 and :55 seconds left on the clock.
Oklahoma struggled to move the ball, and the game ended with the Seminoles forcing Gabriel to throw an incomplete pass to Sawchuk to End the game.
Jordan Travis was voted the MVP of the game, with him going 27-38 for 418 yards and two touchdowns, plus rushing for 50 yards on seven attempts.
“I’m so proud of our team,” said Seminoles Head Coach Mike Norvell “with all that they’ve had to work though and all that they’ve been through, not only thought the course of this season, but for all of those have been with us through it all, it was very special to finish the season with our tenth win.”
“With all of the ups and downs, they continued to fight and continued to believe, and do the things necessary to finish the game and secure that tenth win.”
Oklahoma ends the season with a 6-7 record, while Florida State comes home with a championship and a 10-3 record for 2022.