California Golden Bears at Florida State Seminoles
· NCAA - FootballFlorida State defense records seven sacks, Seminoles edge Cal for first win of 2024
Patrick Payton had three of Florida State’s seven sacks, the last when Marvin Jones Jr. and Edwin Joseph combined to sack Cal’s Fernando Mendoza on fourth down with 54 seconds left. The Bears had driven to the Florida State 23.
“We had to play with that relentless effort and not just worry about making the plays and stats,” Payton said. “I think the whole d-line and everybody made tremendous plays. Everybody played with that effort.”
The effort had often been lacking, or at least in question, during Florida State’s shaky start. The Seminoles opened in the preseason top 10, but they dropped three straight games.
On Saturday, they didn’t look like a top-10 team or even one worthy of contending for the ACC title. But the Seminoles (1-3, 1-2 ACC) were good enough against the Golden Bears.
“It’s been a tough first three weeks of the season, just disappointing in the beginning,” Florida State coach Mike Norvell said. “Going into this week, you say challenge, you say opportunity. We talked about bouncing back. We’re in control of that.”
Lawrance Toafili had season highs in carries (17) and yards (80) as well as a 2-yard touchdown. The senior was the Seminoles’ most consistent offensive option.
FSU’s DJ Uiagalelei was erratic, completing 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards but it was his touchdown pass to Douglas that gave the Seminoles the lead early in the fourth quarter. Uiagalelei led Florida State to just two touchdowns on 11 drives, hardly quieting the vocal critics.
But the Seminoles could enjoy a win in large part because Cal couldn’t finish drives with touchdowns. Ryan Coe made field-goal attempts from 51, 29 and 25 yards but also missed from 36 and 38 yards.
“We had plenty of opportunities,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “We did not capitalize on it. They did. We have to find ways to score points. Nine’s not enough. I don’t care who you’re playing.”
Mendoza completed 22 of 36 for a season-best 303 yards for Cal (3-1, 0-1). The Miami native also had an interception.
Cal running back Jaydn Ott returned after missing a game due to injury, picking up 73 yards on 13 carries.
Florida State: The Seminoles were held to just 284 offensive yards, the fourth straight game they couldn’t surpass the 300-yard mark.
Florida State plays at SMU on Saturday.
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How To Watch
How can I watch California Golden Bears vs. Florida State Seminoles?
- TV Channel: Golden Bears at Seminoles 2021 College Football, week 4, is broadcasted on ESPN2.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
TD | 1st Period 7:47 | Lawrance Toafili 2 Yd Run (Ryan Fitzgerald Kick) | |
FG | 2nd Period 10:10 | Ryan Coe 25 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 2nd Period 0:00 | Ryan Coe 29 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 3rd Period 1:30 | Ryan Coe 51 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 4th Period 11:08 | Ja'Khi Douglas 36 Yd pass from DJ Uiagalelei (Ryan Fitzgerald Kick) |
Statistics
CAL | FSU | |
---|---|---|
23 | 1st Downs | 17 |
5-15 | 3rd down efficiency | 7-17 |
1-2 | 4th down efficiency | 1-2 |
410 | Total Yards | 284 |
303 | Passing | 177 |
22/37 | Comp/Att | 16/27 |
8.2 | Yards per pass | 6.6 |
107 | Rushing | 107 |
37 | Rushing Attempts | 41 |
2.9 | Yards per rush | 2.6 |
10-55 | Penalties | 7-72 |
1 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
1 | Interceptions thrown | 1 |
29:19 | Possession | 30:41 |
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