2012 Florida State Seminoles football team

Previous season

Florida State ended the 2011 season with a 9–4 record (5–3 in ACC play). They were led by head coach Jimbo Fisher in his second year of head coaching. The Seminoles lost two starters on offense (Offensive Tackle Zebrie Sanders and WR Bert Reed), three on defense (Linebacker Nigel Bradham, Safety Terrance Parks, and Cornerback Mike Harris), and one special teams player (Punter Shawn Powell). All six of Florida State's departing players are currently on NFL rosters.

Forthcoming season

After the completion of the 2011 season, the Seminoles signed a highly rated recruiting class in February 2012 and completed spring practice the following April. With seventeen returning starters from the previous season, Florida State entered their 2012 campaign ranked as the number seven team in the nation and as a favorite to win the Atlantic Division and compete for the ACC championship and possibly a national title.

Pre-season

Before the start of the season, the Seminoles were scheduled to play the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 8, but the game was canceled by the Mountaineers so they could make room for their nine-game Big 12 schedule. With the late cancellation, Florida State was forced to add another Football Championship Subdivision team to its schedule. Because of this, Florida State needed an additional win to be eligible for a bowl game.

On August 1, 2012, Florida State kicked senior cornerback and punt return specialist Greg Reid off the team. Coach Fisher announced Reid's dismissal for what he described as a violation of team rules. The dismissal came three weeks after Reid was charged with marijuana possession after being stopped by a Georgia state trooper near his home in Valdosta, Georgia.

Former Penn State tight end Kevin Haplea also transferred to Florida State in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.

Spring Game

The annual 'Garnet and Gold Game' was held on April 14 at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium and the garnet team was victorious, winning by a score of 35–20. The game was televised on ESPNU with former FSU player Danny Kanell as commentator.

Post-season

Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops left his position at Florida State to take the job as head coach at Kentucky. D. J. Eliot left his position as defensive ends coach to assist Stoops at Kentucky as defensive coordinator. Eddie Gran, who served as runningback coach and special teams coordinator as well as associate head coach, also left the staff to serve as offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

Personnel

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is in his third year as the Seminoles' head coach. During his previous two years with Florida State, he has led the Seminoles to an overall record of 19 wins and 8 losses (19–8). Mark Stoops and James Coley returned to their positions as coordinators.

Key losses

OT Zebrie Sanders

WR Bert Reed

LB Nigel Bradham

S Terrance Parks

S Mike Harris

P Shawn Powell

CB Greg Reid (dismissed from team)

Transfers

TE Kevin Haplea

Media

Florida State football is broadcast on the Florida State University Seminoles Radio Network and the games are called by Gene Deckerhoff.

Rankings

Entering the 2012 season, Florida State was ranked No. 7 in both the AP and Coaches' Preseason Polls. ESPN ranked the Seminoles number seven before the season. Florida State was ranked No. 9 in the first Harris Poll. In the initial BCS poll, Florida State was ranked No. 14. Florida State finished the season ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 8 in the Coaches' Poll.

*Source: ESPN.com: 2012 NCAA Football Rankings

Murray State

Series Tied: 0 – 0

Pregame Line: Lines are not released when an FCS team plays an FBS team.

To open the season, Florida State faced an FCS opponent, the Murray State Racers. This game was the first between the two teams. Coming into the game, Florida State held a 17–0 record against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

Florida State dominated the Racers throughout the game, winning 69–3. Florida State opened the scoring and scored 14 points in the first quarter, with Rashad Greene returning a 47-yard punt return from kicker Dustin Hopkins and a 1-yard touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor. Florida State added another fourteen points in the second quarter as the result of an 18-yard touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor and a 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. Murray State scored its first and only points near the end of the first half on a 28-yd field goal. In the third quarter, Florida State scored 20 points. James Wilder, Jr. had a 9-yd touchdown run, Dustin Hopkins kicked a 23-yd field goal, Lonnie Pryor had a 1-yd touchdown run, and Dustin Hopkins kicked another 30-yd field goal. Florida State scored another 21 points in the fourth quarter with a 7-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. and two 1-yd touchdown runs from Debrale Smiley.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 188 yards and one touchdown; James Wilder, Jr. led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns; Kenny Shaw led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. Xavier Rhodes recorded one interception and Karlos Williams returned a punt for a touchdown. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals. The Seminoles totaled 606 yards of offense in the game, with 285 rushing yards and 321 passing yards while holding Murray State to 156 total yards of offense.

Savannah State

Series Tied: 0 – 0

Pregame Line: Lines are not released when an FCS team plays an FBS team.

For their second game of the season, Florida State faced another FCS team, the Savannah State Tigers. This was also be the first meeting between these teams. Prior to the game, the Seminoles were installed as 70 1/2 point favorites, reportedly making Savannah State the biggest underdogs in any college football game ever.

Florida State held the Tigers scoreless, winning 55–0. Florida State opened the scoring and scored 35 points in the first quarter, with a 61-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith, a 6-yard touchdown run from Chris Thompson, an 8-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Greg Dent, a 9-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kelvin Benjamin, and a 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Florida State added another thirteen points in the second quarter as the result of a 19-yard touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. and another 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. with a subsequent failed point-after-attempt from kicker Dustin Hopkins, ending his streak of 145 consecutive extra point attempts. Florida State scored another seven points in the third quarter as the result of a 19-yd touchdown pass from Jacob Coker to Kelvin Benjamin.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 161 yards and three touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 7 carries for 69 yards and one touchdown; Rodney Smith led the team in receiving with 3 receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown. The Seminoles totaled 413 yards of offense in the game, with 167 rushing yards and 246 passing yards while holding Savannah State to just 28 total yards of offense.

The game was delayed in the second quarter, used a running clock after halftime and later called with 8:49 left in the third due to weather.

Wake Forest

Florida State Leads Series: 23 – 6 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU −21.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Florida State opened ACC play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The teams last met the previous season with Wake Forest upsetting the Seminoles 35–30 in Winston-Salem. Florida State has struggled against Wake Forest recently, losing four out of the last six before this game.

Florida State shutout a team for the second week in a row by holding Wake Forest scoreless for the second time in three years and winning 52–0. Despite a sluggish start, Florida State scored first with a 16-yd rushing touchdown from E.J. Manuel late in the first quarter. Another touchdown in the first quarter came from Rashad Greene with a 60-yd punt return. After a fourteen-point first quarter, the Seminoles scored twenty-four more points in the second with a 74-yd touchdown run and an 80-yd touchdown run from Chris Thompson, a field goal from Dustin Hopkins, and a 20-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith. Florida State dominated the second half of the game as well. The Seminoles added seven points in the third quarter with a 17-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. They finished off the game with seven points in the fourth quarter courtesy of an 18-yd touchdown run from Debrale Smiley.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 176 yards and two touchdowns; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 9 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns; Kelvin Benjamin led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 44 yards. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted one field goal. The Seminoles totaled 612 yards of offense in the game, with 385 rushing yards and 227 passing yards while holding Wake Forest to 126 total yards of offense. The victory improved Florida State's all-time record against the Deacons to 24–6–1.

Clemson

Florida State Leads Series: 17 – 8

Pregame Line: FSU −9.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Following its meeting with Wake Forest, Florida State hosted the Clemson Tigers in a key division game. Clemson defeated Florida State the previous season 35–30 at Death Valley en route to the Atlantic Division title and an ACC Championship. The winner of this game has represented the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship Game for the past three years with Clemson winning the division title in 2009, Florida State winning the division title in 2010 and Clemson taking the division title the following year. ESPN's College Gameday was on the campus of Florida State University for the game. The program previously visited the school for a game against Oklahoma during the 2011 season. It is their eighth time hosting and the show's twenty-fourth appearance at an FSU game.

Florida State won the game 49–37 after trailing by seven at halftime and erasing a fourteen-point deficit in the second half. Clemson struck first when, during the first drive of the game, Tajh Boyd hooked up with Deandre Hopkins for a 60-yd touchdown pass. Florida State responded with a 13-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor. The game then went back and forth throughout the first half with Clemson scoring on a 6-yd touchdown run from Andre Ellington and Florida State scoring with a James Wilder, Jr. 5-yd touchdown run. Clemson took the lead again with a 17-yd touchdown pass from Tajh Boyd to Brandon Ford after capitalizing on an FSU turnover. Clemson went into halftime with the lead. Florida State had many miscues that kept them from points, including two fumbles, two missed field goals, and a questionable 4th down call that kept them from leading.

In the second half, Clemson extended their lead to fourteen when Boyd connected to Sammy Watkins on a bubble screen who then threw the ball to Andre Ellington for a 52-yd touchdown. Florida State then took control of the game, as the Seminoles went on a 35–3 run. First, they scored on a 4-yd touchdown run from Chris Thompson. The defense, who had struggled containing the Tigers in the first half, held Clemson to a field goal which made it a ten-point game. Florida State then closed in on the lead with a 9-yd pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene. They then finally took the lead at the end of the third quarter with a 29-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith. This was followed by back-to-back touchdowns from Florida State with a 5-yd run from James Wilder, Jr. and a 27-yd run from Chris Thompson. Clemson scored one more touchdown late in the game with a 3-yd touchdown pass from Tajh Boyd to Brandon Ford on fourth down. They then attempted a two-point conversion which failed after a high snap. Florida State then ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel had a career-best performance with 102 yards rushing, 380 yards passing along with 2 touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown. He became the first Florida State player since Charlie Ward in 1992 to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a game. Because of this accomplishment, Manuel was named the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week. E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 380 yards and two touchdowns; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing, with 15 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and receiving, with 8 receptions for 79 yards. Dustin Hopkins unsuccessfully attempted two field goals. The Seminoles totaled 667 yards of offense in the game, with 287 rushing yards and 380 passing yards while holding Clemson's high powered offense to 426 total yards of offense. The victory improved Florida State's all-time record against the Tigers to 18–8.

South Florida

Series Tied: 1 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU −8.5, FSU −17 (Vegas odds)

In the first road game of the season, the Seminoles traveled to Tampa, Florida take on in-state foes, the South Florida Bulls. This was only the second meeting between these teams. The teams previously met during the 2009 season in Tallahassee where South Florida defeated Florida State 17–7.

Florida State won the game 30–17 despite a sluggish start. South Florida got on the board first with a 32-yd field goal from Maikon Bonani. Florida State took the lead with a 10-yd touchdown run from Rashad Greene. At the end of the first quarter, the Seminoles held a slim four point lead. They extended their lead in the second quarter with two field goals from Dustin Hopkins, a 6-yd field goal and a 23-yd field goal, after previously missing a field goal in the first quarter. Florida State carried a ten-point lead into the half.

At the start of the second half, USF closed the gap with a 1-yd touchdown run from B.J. Daniels. Florida State responded with a 1-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to tight end Kevin Haplea and later extended their lead again with a 23-yd field goal from Hopkins. At the end of the third quarter, the Seminoles capitalized on a South Florida turnover when Christian Jones had a 12-yd fumble return to give the 'Noles their largest lead of the game. The Bulls would score again in the fourth quarter with B.J. Daniels 3-yd touchdown run, but FSU was able to preserve the thirteen point victory.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel had another impressive performance going 19/25 with 1 touchdown, no interceptions and 251 total yards of offense. Manuel led the team in passing with 242 yards and one touchdown; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 17 carries for 74 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 2 receptions for 71 yards. Dustin Hopkins made two out of three field goals. The Seminoles totaled 425 yards of offense in the game, with 183 rushing yards and 242 passing yards while holding South Florida to 268 total yards of offense. The victory evened Florida State's all-time record against the Bulls at 1–1.

NC State

Florida State Leads Series: 22 – 10

Pregame Line: FSU −7.5, FSU −10 (Vegas odds)

Following its trip to South Florida, Florida State traveled to Raleigh for their first ACC road game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Florida State shutout NC State 34–0 during the previous meeting in Tallahassee. The two schools have split their meetings over the past ten years, with Florida State winning five and N.C. State winning five and both teams have split the last two with N.C. State winning at home in 2010 and Florida State winning at home in 2011.

Florida State lost to the NC State Wolfpack, 17–16. Florida State dominated the first half of the game, building a 16–0 lead by halftime. The Seminoles scored first with a 49-yd field goal from kicker Dustin Hopkins which put FSU up by three in the first quarter. They followed that up in the second quarter with a 4-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary to give them a ten-point lead. Two more field goals, of 45 and 20 yards respectively, extended that lead to sixteen.

After controlling the first two quarters, the momentum shifted in the next two quarters as Florida State failed to score in the second half. NC State scored their first points of the game with a 27-yd field goal. This was followed up by a 24-yd touchdown pass from Mike Glennon to put the Wolfpack within six. A subsequent drive by the Seminoles ended with a sack that put them out of field goal range. NC State blocked the punt and were able to score on a fourth down touchdown to give them the lead with just sixteen seconds remaining in the game. Florida State was unable to score on their next possession and NC State upset the Seminoles and gave them their first loss of the season.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 218 yards and one touchdown; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 25 carries for 141 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 60 yards. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted three field goals. Despite losing, the Seminoles outgained NC State with 343 yards of offense in the game, with 125 rushing yards and 218 passing yards while holding the Wolfpack to 325 total yards of offense. The loss brought Florida State's all-time record against the Wolfpack to 22–11.

Boston College

Florida State Leads Series: 6 – 4

Pregame Line: FSU −23.5 FSU −24 (Vegas odds)

After two straight road games, the Seminoles returned home to face the Boston College Eagles. Florida State won the game by a score of 38–7 in Chestnut Hill the previous season. Florida State has won the last two games in this series.

Florida State rebounded from a loss and defeated Boston College, 51–7. The Noles dominated the game from start to finish. The Seminoles scored first early in the game with a 77-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. This was followed up by a 2-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor to give FSU a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Scoring was opened in the second quarter with a 7-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. on a pass from E.J. Manuel. They would build a four possession lead with 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kelvin Benjamin. The Eagles got on the board with an 18-yd touchdown pass from Chase Rettig to Bobby Swiggert. Florida State would extend the lead with a 51-yd field goal from kicker Dustin Hopkins, giving the Seminoles a twenty-four point lead at the half.

Florida State went on to control the second half of the game as well, holding Boston College scoreless in both the third and fourth quarters. In the third quarter, Florida State scored twice with a 3-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor and a 26-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State would also score another two times in the fourth quarter with a 12-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to James Wilder, Jr. and a 38-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins.

E.J. Manuel had another career-best night with 439 passing yards becoming the first Florida State quarterback to have over 400 passing yards in one game since Chris Weinke in 2000. With this game, Dustin Hopkins became the all-time scoring leading at Florida State as well as in the Atlantic Coast Conference. E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 439 yards and four touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 8 carries for 70 yards; Kenny Shaw led the team in receiving with 2 receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted three field goals. The Seminoles totaled 649 yards of offense in the game, with 201 rushing yards and 448 passing yards while holding the Eagles to 225 total yards of offense. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Eagles to 7–4.

Miami (FL)

Miami Leads Series: 31 – 25

Pregame Line: FSU −10, FSU −7 (Vegas odds)

Florida State hit the road once again to face off against conference rival, the Miami Hurricanes. Florida State won the previous meeting between the two by a score of 23–19 in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have won three of the last four and three straight on the road against the Hurricanes.

Florida State beat Miami for a third straight time, 33–20. Miami struck first, scoring the first ten points of the game, the first seven off of a Florida State fumble and the other three on a botched punt. Florida State would then go on to score thirteen unanswered in the first half, courtesy of a 33-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins, a 17-yd run from James Wilder, Jr. to tie the game, and another 46-yd field goal as time expired. The Seminoles carried a three-point lead into halftime.

Florida State opened the second half with a 35-yd field goal to increase their lead to six. Miami responded with a 27-yd field goal of their own to cut the lead back down to three. The Seminoles then took control of the game in the fourth quarter with a 3-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman, a 48-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins, and another 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. The Hurricanes would score the final points of the game with an 8-yd touchdown pass from Stephen Morris to Rashawn Scott. Florida State got the ball back and ran the clock to maintain a thirteen-point win over their rival.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 229 yards; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 7 receptions for 49 yards. Tyler Hunter recorded one interception. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted four out of five field goals. The Seminoles totaled 447 yards of offense in the game, with 218 rushing yards and 229 passing yards while holding the Hurricanes to 258 total yards of offense. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Hurricanes to 26–31.

Due to questionable calls, the officiating crew for this game was reprimanded by commissioner John Swofford and the head official was suspended for one game because of a failure to properly administer the 10-second runoff rule at the end of the first half.

Duke

Florida State Leads Series: 17 – 0

Pregame Line: FSU −28.5, FSU −35 (Vegas odds)

After its trip to Miami, Florida State returned home for a homecoming game against the Duke Blue Devils. The Seminoles and the Blue Devils previously met last season in Durham where the Seminoles won by a score of 41–16. Duke has never defeated Florida State in football. As part of homecoming festivities, the Homecoming Chief and Princess were recognized along with alumni being honored.

Florida State kept their unbeaten streak against Duke going with a 48-7 win over the Blue Devils. Florida State led the game from start to finish. The first score came from a 13-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene to give the Seminoles the early lead. They then scored on a 75-yd punt returned for a touchdown by Tyler Hunter and then added to that lead with a 26-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State continued their control of the game in the second quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. capping off a three play drive and a 9-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Duke got on the board with their first score of the game courtesy of a 3-yd toudown run from Jela Duncan. The Seminoles had a twenty-four point lead at the half.

Florida State dominated the second half by holding Duke scoreless. The Seminoles received the ball to open the half and took advantage by scoring a 14-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. They would score again in the third quarter with a 35-yd touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin from E.J. Manuel. The last score of the game came from Dustin Hopkins who set a new career-long, first set in 2010, with a 56-yd field goal.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 282 yards and two touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns; Rodney Smith led the team in receiving with 3 receptions for 112 yards. On special teams, Tyler Hunter returned a punt for a touchdown and Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals, including the longest of his career. With this game, kicker Dustin Hopkins became the Atlantic Coast Conference career field goal leader and tied with Sebatian Janikowski for the second longest kick in school history only trailing a 60-yd field goal from Gary Cismesia. The Seminoles totaled 560 yards of offense in the game, with 261 rushing yards and 299 passing yards while holding the Hurricanes to 232 total yards of offense. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Blue Devils to 18–0.

Virginia Tech

Florida State Leads Series: 22 – 12 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU −1, Virginia Tech −7 (Vegas odds)

Florida State had a bye before traveling to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in a Thursday night clash. Florida State and Virginia Tech had not met in the regular season since 2008, when the Seminoles defeated the Hokies 30-20 in Tallahassee. The teams previously met in the 2010 ACC Championship Game where Virginia Tech defeated Florida State 44–33. Coming into this game, Florida State had won thirteen of the last fifteen against Virginia Tech.

Florida State rallied to defeat Virginia Tech by a score of 28-22. Florida State opened up the scoring first with a 52-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins to put the Noles up by three. Virginia Tech responded with a 35-yd field goal of their own to tie the game. In the second quarter, Florida State settled for another 45-yd field goal to once again give them a three-point lead. Late in the quarter, Virginia Tech took the lead for the first time with a 4-yd touchdown pass from Logan Thomas to Corey Fuller. The Seminoles scored again on a 25-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene to take back the lead. Florida State led by three points at the half.

Florida State struck first in the second half as well courtesy of a 10-yd touchdown from Greg Dent on a pass from E.J. Manuel to give the Seminoles their largest lead of the game. The Hokies then scored a touchdown of their own with a 5-yd run from Logan Thomas to get back within three. Florida State entered the final quarter with a slim lead. The lead slimmed even more as a penalty called on Devonta Freeman in the endzone resulted in a safety which cut the lead to one. The Hokies took the lead on a 21-yd touchdown run from Cody Journell with two minutes left. Trailing by two, the Seminoles, led by their quarterback, put together an 8-play, 68 yd game-winning drive that resulted in a 39-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene and a subsequent two-point conversion. The drive gave Florida State a six-point lead with forty seconds left in the game. The game ended with Virginia Tech driving down the field with just seconds remaining on the clock. Tyler Hunter made a key interception in the red zone to prevent Tech from scoring and secure a victory for the Seminoles.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 326 yards and three touchdowns while also recording one interception; Lonnie Pryor led the team in rushing with 5 carries for 22 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals. The Seminoles were outgained by the Hokies, totaling 311 yards of offense, with 326 passing yards but -15 rushing yards, whike the Hokies had 385 total yards of offense although they were held to just 87 rushing yards . Florida State struggled mightily on rushing attempts throughout the game with the fourth worst rushing performance in school history. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Hokies to 23–12–1.

Maryland

Florida State Leads Series: 20 – 2

Pregame Line: FSU −18.5, FSU −27 (Vegas odds)

After its game against Virginia Tech, Florida State hit the road for the last time to play the Maryland Terrapins. Florida State won the last game played between the two by a score of 41-16 in Tallahassee.

Florida State ended conference play with a 41-14 win over the Terrapins. Florida State routed Maryland during the first half of the game. On their first possession, the Seminoles drove down the field and scored with a 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Immediately after, they capitalized on a Maryland fumble to go up by two scores with a 10-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary. In the second quarter, Florida State extended their lead with two field goals from Dustin Hopkins, a 26-yd field goal and a 40-yd field goal, and a 30-yd touchdown pass to Rashad Greene from E.J. Manuel to make it a four score lead. The Seminoles led by twenty-seven points at halftime while the Terps remained scoreless at the half.

Maryland scored their first points of the game early in the third quarter with a 33-yd touchdown pass from Shawn Petty to Kevin Dorsey to cut the Seminole lead to twenty. Florida State responded with a 2-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman, his second touchdown of the day. Going into the fourth quarter, Florida State held a sizeable lead. The lead was extended courtesy of James Wilder, Jr. with a 22-yd touchdown run. Maryland's only other score would come in the final seconds with another 42-yd touchdown pass from Shawn Petty to Kevin Dorsey following a State turnover.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 144 yards and two touchdowns while also recording one interception, Clint Trickett also entered the game and recorded 16 yards; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 16 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals, making him the all-time NCAA scoring leader with 448 points. The Seminoles totaled 397 yards of offense in the game, with 237 rushing yards and 160 passing yards, while holding the Terrapins to 170 total yards of offense. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Terrapins to 21–2.

Florida

Florida Leads Series: 33 – 21 – 2

Pregame Line: FSU −7.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Florida State returned home for their annual rivalry game with the Florida Gators in the regular season finale. Last season, Florida State was victorious with a 21-7 win over their rival in Gainesville. This was the second consecutive victory for the Seminoles after a win the previous season in Tallahassee that snapped a six-game losing streak to the Gators.

Florida State suffered their second loss of the season and ended the regular season with a 37-26 loss to Florida, their first loss in the series since 2009 and the first loss in the series for coach Jimbo Fisher. Florida State couldn't overcome a five turnover game, their worst ball protection performance so far. Florida scored first with a 39-yd field goal from Caleb Sturgis which was followed up with another 45-yd field goal in the second quarter. The Gators then scored on a Florida State turnover with a 9-yd touchdown run from Mike Gillislee. The Seminoles got on the board at the end of the second quarter with 50-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida held a ten-point lead at halftime, a half that included several turnovers from the Noles.

Florida State scored on their first possession of the second half with a 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary to bring the Seminoles within three of the Gators. They would then take the lead with a 1-yd touchdown run from E.J. Manuel following a Florida fumble. The lead was extended with a 53- yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State held a seven-point lead heading into the final quarter. Florida would pull within four with a 32-yd field goal from Caleb Sturgis. The Gators then took the lead once again with a 37- yd touchdown run from Mike Gillislee. Their lead was extended courtesy of a 14-yd pass from Jeff Driskel to Quinton Dunbar and a 32-yd touchdown run from Matt Jones. Florida State wouldn't score again until the last seconds of the game with a 22-yd touchdown run from E.J. Manuel.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 182 yards and one touchdown while also recording three interceptions, Clint Trickett also entered the game because of Manuel's injury and recorded 6 yards; E.J. Manuel also led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 5 receptions for 64 yards. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals. The Seminoles totaled 300 yards of offense in the game, with 112 rushing yards and 188 passing yards, and were outgained by the Gators who totaled 394 total yards of offense. The loss brought Florida State's all-time record against the Gators to 21-34-2 and 11-13-1 at Doak.

ACC Championship: Georgia Tech

Florida State Leads Series: 12 – 9 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU -14

By virtue of winning the Atlantic Division, Florida State clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game and played for the conference title in Charlotte. This is the Seminoles' third appearance in the conference championship game and their fourth division title. They have won the division title twice in the last three years. Florida State has a 1-1 record in this game.

Florida State faced the Coastal Division champion, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech was named champions of the Coastal Division due to Miami self imposing a post-season ban and North Carolina being under NCAA sanctions making both teams ineligible. These two teams last met during the 2009 season. In that meeting, the Yellow Jackets won 49-44 in Tallahassee. Georgia Tech has won two straight in the series, but Florida State has won eight of the last ten.

Florida State captured the ACC title with a 21-15 win over Georgia Tech. Florida State built up an early lead and would never relinquish it. The Seminoles forced Georgia Tech to punt on the first possession of the game and then went on to score on their own first possession with a 3-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. This would be followed up with a 16-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. in the second quarter. Georgia Tech put their first points on the board with a 27-yd field goal from Chris Turner to cut the Seminoles lead to eleven. Florida State would go on to score again courtesy of another 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. Before halftime, Georgia Tech kicked a 47-yd field goal to give the Yellow Jacekets three more points. The Seminoles went into the half with a 21-6 lead.

After dominating the first two quarters, Florida State was held scoreless during the last two quarters. Georgia Tech would add more points in the third quarter with a 36-yd field goal from Chris Tanner and in the fourth quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run from Tevin Washington to pull them within six of the lead; a subsequent two-point conversion failed. Georgia Tech would get the ball back and were driving down the field in the final minutes until Karlos Williams intercepted the ball in their own territory which enabled the Seminoles to take a knee and claim a win over the Yellow Jackets.

E.J. Manuel, who became just the seventh quarterback in school history to total over 3,000 yards, led the team in passing with 134 yards while recording one interception; James Wilder, Jr. led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 9 receptions for 82 yards. Rodney Smith tied the school record of 38 straight games with a reception. On special teams, no field goals were attempted and there were no punts returned for any touchdowns. James Wilder, Jr. was named the most-valuable player. With this game, FSU rushed for over 2,500 yards and passed for over 3,000 yards on the season, becoming only the second FSU team to accomplish this. The Seminoles totaled 328 yards of offense in the game, with 194 rushing yards and 134 passing yards, while holding the Yellow Jackets and their triple option to 301 total yards of offense. This game set a record for the Noles as they scored 36 rushing touchdowns which marks a new school record, beating the previous record of 35 set in 1995. The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Yellow Jackets to 13–9–1 and also gave Florida State its first ACC title since the 2005 season, as well as its first BCS bid since that season as well.

Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois

Pregame Line: FSU -13.5

Florida State went to a bowl game for the 31st straight season, which is the current longest streak in the nation and the third longest streak in college football history. By virtue of winning the ACC championship, Florida State received an automatic bid to a BCS Bowl. This marks the Seminoles first BCS bowl appearance since the 2006 Orange Bowl, a game they lost in overtime. Florida State has a 1-5 record in BCS games and a 3-5 record in the Orange Bowl.

The Seminoles faced the Northern Illinois Huskies of the MAC. The Huskies received an automatic at-large bid because they finished ranked in the top 16 and ahead of an automatic qualifying conference champion, becoming the first non-automatic qualifying team to get a BCS bid with a loss. Florida State came into this game ranked thirteenth in the country, while Northern Illinois came into this game ranked sixteenth. Florida State was designated home team, while Northern Illinois was designated visiting team.

Florida State won its first orange bowl in twelve years with a 31-10 win over the Huskies of Northern Illinois. Florida State never trailed in the game. The Seminoles scored in the first quarter with a 60-yd touchdown run from eventual MVP Lonnie Pryor to give them an early seven to zero lead. Northern Illinois responded later in the first quarter with a 25-yd field goal from Matthew Sims to cut the lead to four. Late in the second quarter, Florida State built up their lead with a 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene. Florida State led by eleven at the half.

After halftime, Florida State made it a two possession game with a 25-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins, making him the NCAA leader in field goals made with 88. The Huskies would pull within one possession with an 11-yd touchdown pass from Jordan Lynch to Martel Moore. Going into the final quarter, the Seminoles held a seven-point lead. Florida State would go on to score fourteen points in the fourth quarter courtesy of a 9-yd touchdown run from E.J. Manuel and a 37-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 291 yards and a touchdown as he became just the second quarterback in college football history to 4-0 in bowl games throughout a career; Lonnie Pryor led the team in rushing with 5 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns; Kenny Shaw led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 61 yards. Dustin Hopkins successfully completed one out of two field goals. The Seminoles totaled 534 yards of offense in the game, with 243 rushing yards and 291 passing yards, while holding the Huskies to 259 total yards of offense. This game brought Florida State's record in BCS games to 2-5. It brought their record in the Orange Bowl to 4-5.

Awards

College Football Performance Award (Elite Specialist)

Maxwell Award

Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Bednarik Award

Bronko Nagurski Trophy

Lou Groza Award

Dustin Hopkins

Outland Trophy

Jim Thorpe Award

Rotary Lombardi Award

Butkus Award

Biletnikoff Award

Davey O'Brien Award

Walter Camp Award

In addition to pre-season watchlists, four Florida State players were added to the lists after the season began:

Chris Thompson (Maxwell Award)

Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Carradine (Bednarik Award)

E.J. Manuel (Manning Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year)

Finalists

Davey O'Brien Award (semifinalist)

Maxwell Award (semifinalist)

Johnny Unitas Award (semifinalist)

Chuck Bednarik Award (semifinalist)

Lou Groza Award (semifinalist)

Broyles Award (semifinalist)

Wuerffel Trophy (finalist)

Johnny Unitas Award (finalist)

Bronko Nagurski Trophy (finalist)

Lou Groza Award (finalist)

Ted Hendricks Award (finalist)

Defensive Coordinator of the Year (finalist)

Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award (finalist)

Honors

Bjoern Werner, Chris Thompson, Cornellius Carradine, E.J. Manuel, Menelik Watson, Lamarcus Joyner, Dustin Hopkins, Telvin Smith, Christian Jones, Ronald Darby, and Rashad Greene have all been honored with ACC Player of the Week recognitions for their respective games.

All-ACC teams

Sixteen players from Florida State were voted on for All-ACC selections.

First Team Offense
Dustin Hopkins (K)

Second Team Offense
E.J. Manuel (QB)
Chris Thompson (RB)
Cameron Erving (OT)
Tre' Jackson (OG)
Bryan Stork (C)

First Team Defense
Bjoern Werner (DE)
Cornellius Carradine (DE)
Xavier Rhodes (CB)
Lamarcus Joyner (S)

Second Team Defense
Everett Dawkins (DT)
Christian Jones (LB)

Honorable Mentions
Timmy Jernigan (DT)
Anthony McCloud (DT)
Menelik Watson (OT)
Vince Williams (LB)

Coaches All-ACC

Eighteen players from Florida State were voted on for Coaches All-ACC selections.

Second Team Offense
E.J. Manuel (QB)
Chris Thompson (RB)
Tre' Jackson (G)
Bryan Stork (C)

Honorable Mentions (Offense)
Rashad Greene (WR)
Nick O'Leary (TE)
Cameron Erving (T)
Menelik Watson (T)
Josue Matías (G)

First Team Defense
Cornellius Carradine (DE)
Bjoern Werner (DE)
Xavier Rhodes (CB)
Lamarcus Joyner (S)

Second Team Defense
Timmy Jernigan (DT)
Everett Dawkins (DT)
Christian Jones (LB)

Honorable Mentions (Defense)
Anthony McCloud, Sr. (DT)

First Team Special Teams
Dustin Hopkins (K)

Defensive Player of the Year
Bjoern Werner (DE)

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Ronald Darby (CB)

Coach of the Year Runner-Up
Jimbo Fisher

All-Americans

Four Florida State players have been honored with All-American selections.

Bjoern Werner (consensus)

Dustin Hopkins

Rashad Greene

Coenellius Carradine

Conference awards

ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year

ACC Defensive Player of the Year

Brian Piccolo Award

NFL draft

Eleven players would go on and be drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, which was the most for any university in the 2013 draft and the most in FSU history for a given year, besting the previous school record of 10 in 1995.

Three more players would go on to sign as free agents: Lonnie Pryor signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars while Rodney Smith and Anthony McCloud signed with the Minnesota Vikings.