NCAAF

California Golden Bears at Florida State Seminoles

· NCAA - Football
Final
9 - 14

Florida State defense records seven sacks, Seminoles edge Cal for first win of 2024

California Golden Bears vs. Florida State Seminoles: Full Highlights

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.

Shorthanded Seminoles Florida State played without starting offensive tackles Jeremiah Byers and Robert Scott. Starting tailback Roydell Williams was also out.

The takeaway California: While the Bears picked up 422 offensive yards, they missed two field-goal attempts of under 40 yards. Pre-snap penalties often hurt Cal drives.

Florida State: The Seminoles were held to just 284 offensive yards, the fourth straight game they couldn’t surpass the 300-yard mark.

Up next Cal has a bye and plays host to No. 8 Miami on Oct. 5.

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

Seminoles: 58.8%
Golden Bears: 41.2%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

FSU TD 1st Period 7:47 Lawrance Toafili 2 Yd Run (Ryan Fitzgerald Kick)
CAL FG 2nd Period 10:10 Ryan Coe 25 Yd Field Goal
CAL FG 2nd Period 0:00 Ryan Coe 29 Yd Field Goal
CAL FG 3rd Period 1:30 Ryan Coe 51 Yd Field Goal
FSU TD 4th Period 11:08 Ja'Khi Douglas 36 Yd pass from DJ Uiagalelei (Ryan Fitzgerald Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/25.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCAL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/52.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originFSU
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

Game Information

Doak Campbell Stadium

Location: Tallahassee, FL
Attendance: 55,107 · Capacity:
Full Standings

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