Home » Sports » NCAA College Football » FSU On The Rebound

FSU On The Rebound

© Chuck Bednar

Slowly but surely, Florida State is moving their way back into the Bowl Championship Series picture.

The No. 6 Seminoles have a 7-1 record, the top-ranked defense in the country (allowing only 214 yards per game going into the contest), and a potent offense led by Heisman candidate Peter Warrick. On Saturday, that winning formula combined to produce a 34-7 victory over No. 20 Georgia Tech and put FSU back in the hunt for the ACC title.

"Sooner or later, the best team is going to rise to the top," Seminoles quarterback Chris Weinke, who was 17-of-26 for 208 yards and stretched his streak without an interception to 175 passes, told reporters. "I think we're the best team in the ACC right now."

Warrick caught two touchdown passes from Weinke, and added a 16-yard scoring run on a reverse. Florida State turned a close game into a rout with a 24-point fourth quarter, which included a 60-yard touchdown run by Laveranues Coles.

The Yellow Jackets scored on their opening possession - capping an 18-play, 80-yard drive on its first possession with a 2-yard Phillip Rogers touchdown run. That woke up the Seminole 'D', which allowed Tech to cross midfield only twice more the rest of the game. The Yellow Jackets, averaging 415 yards per game, were held to only 199 by FSU.

The Seminoles are 51-2 in the ACC since joining the league in 1992, including seven straight victories over Tech. The Yellow Jackets have been outscored 255-30 by Florida State in the last six meetings.

Trailing onlu 10-7 in the third, Tech lost quarterback Joe Hamilton with a bruised left hip and had to leave the game. With Hamilton out of the game, redshirt freshman George Godsey took the reigns of the Yellow Jacket offense. The FSU defense pinned their ears back and charged, forcing Phillip Rogers to fumble on the next play. It was one of six Tech fumbles, three of which were turnovers.

Warrick caught six passes for 82 yards and ran three times for 21 more. His first score came on the last play of the first quarter, when the Seminoles faced 3rd-and-26 at the Georgia Tech 44 yard line. Warrick cut across the middle, snagged the Weinke offering and bolted down the right sideline for six. He added an 8-yard scoring reception and the touchdown run in the fourth quarter, helping to seal the win in the closing minutes.

As good as FSU looks right now, one can't help but wonder - what if they had beaten N.C. State?