Florida State came into the Swamp and got run over by No. 11 Florida as the Gators dominated to the tune of 40-17. The victory is the first over FSU in Gainesville since 2009 and is the second straight win over the Seminoles. With the win, Florida improved to 10-2 and will likely climb in the upcoming CFP rankings.
Kyle Trask was outstanding, going 30-for-41 for 343 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The Gators dominated just about every stat, out-gaining the Seminoles 467-250. FSU committed 13 penalties for 97 total yards, and the Gators scored on seven of 11 drives in the game.
Kadarius Toney (65 yards), Freddie Swain (62 yards, two touchdowns), and Van Jefferson (48 yards, two touchdowns) were outstanding in the win as the Gators combined for 390 yards passing.
The Gators opened the game with an 11-play, 75 yard touchdown drive capped off by Swain jetting 19 yards into the end zone off of the screen pass. Trask kept the drive alive with a quarterback keeper on 4th-and-1 from the FSU 21-yard line. Florida picked up four first downs on the drive, and Trask went 6-for-8 for 69 yards.
Florida State responded with a touchdown of their own after James Blackman connected with Tamorrion Terry for a huge 45-yard gain. The Seminoles used 4:20 off the clock as they drove 75-yards in 10 plays for the tying score.
From there, it was all Gators. Florida scored the next 23 points as they held the Seminoles to just 15 total yards and no points in the second quarter. FSU punted on four of their five possessions in the quarter, and the fifth was ended as the clock expired in the half. Florida controlled the game at the break, leading 30-7 thanks to Trask’s 266 yards and three touchdown passes in the air.
Dameon Pierce’s one-yard rush gave the Gators a lead they wouldn’t relinquish (with a missed PAT), Swain added another touchdown reception, and Van Jefferson hauled in a 13-yard pass to put the Gators up 27-7. Evan McPherson canned a 50-yard field goal with 10 seconds left on the clock to cap off the first half scoring.
Florida State opened the second half with a 48-yard field goal, but Florida responded with a touchdown to push the lead to 37-10. The Noles’ final score of the day would come on the ensuing drive as FSU got a 50-yard touchdown run from Cam Akers with just under five minutes left in the third quarter.
A 21-yard field goal from McPherson with four seconds off the clock in the final quarter closed out scoring, and the Gators would coast to the victory.
Next up, the Gators await their bowl game assignment.