DALLAS (FWAA) The Florida State Seminoles rolled up a 31-7 halftime lead and held on for a 31-28 win over No. 5 North Carolina, scoring its first win over a top-five team since 2014 and earning the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 17, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the second time for Florida State (2-3) to earn the Team of the Week honor and first since 2013. All Division I FBS and FCS schools are eligible to be selected. This is the 19th season for the FWAA to award a Team of the Week.
The win gave first-year head coach Mike Norvell his first ACC win at Florida State and handed North Carolina and FSU alumnus/head coach Mack Brown its first loss. It also marked the first time for FSU, as an unranked team, to beat a top-five team at home since 1965. The Seminoles last win over a ranked team overall was a 22-21 win over No. 22 Boston College on Nov. 17, 2018.
It was the FSU defense that cemented the win, containing UNC to only 34 rushing yards in the second half and 184 overall; North Carolina entered the game averaging 245 rushing yards per game. FSUs defense stopped UNC on downs at the FSU 41-yard line with 35 seconds remaining, and only one of UNC·s touchdowns came on the ground.
Florida State kept it simple on offense as quarterback Jordan Travis ran 16 times for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns and running back LaDamian Webb added 12 carries for his career-best of 109 yards. Travis' eight completions went for 191 yards and another touchdown.
Special teams played a role as well when FSU blocked a punt following UNCs opening drive, with Travis scoring on a 23-yard keeper on the next play. The Seminoles blocked another punt later and now lead the nation with five blocked kicks this season.
Florida State travels to Louisville for a noon ET game Saturday on RSN.
The Seminoles edged out four other worthy candidates this week. The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 17 are:
Arkansas (2-2): Quarterback Feleipe Franks completed 21-of-34 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown to even Arkansas' record on the season. Franks has thrown a touchdown strike in each game and handed Treylon Burks a career-high for receptions (11) and yards (137) with a touchdown. Burks also ran for a career-high 46 yards (11.5 ypc). Franks' 55-yard TD strike to Burks on the Hogs' first scoring drive finished a season-long 95-yard drive.
Kentucky (2-2): The Wildcats broke a 36-year, 17-game losing streak in Neyland Stadium in dominant fashion with a 34-7 win over No. 18 Tennessee. Kentucky had not won at Tennessee since Nov. 24, 1984. The 27-point win was its largest margin of victory in the series since a 27-0 UK win in 1935 and its largest ever against a ranked opponent. The Wildcats ran two interceptions back for touchdowns in the second quarter, the second one an 85-yard return by Jamin Davis to give Kentucky a 14-0 lead and set the tone. The 'Cats held the Vols to just 84 total yards in the second half while their SEC-leading running game pounded out 159 yards in the last half.
Memphis (2-1): The Tigers pulled off the largest comeback in program history, rallying from a 21-point deficit to beat UCF 50-49 and end a 13-game losing streak to the Knights. Memphis trailed 35-14, but eventually rallied with a nine-play, 85-yard touchdown drive to take the lead with 1:08 remaining to finish the 21-point comeback. Quarterback Brady White threw for 486 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, two of them to Calvin Austin, who had a career day with 151 receiving yards. UCF kicker Daniel Obarski missed a 40-yard field goal with 19 seconds left.
South Carolina (2-2): The Gamecocks snapped an eight-game losing streak to Auburn, beating the Tigers for the first time in 87 years, 30-22, in Columbia. The Gamecocks rallied from an early 9-0 deficit, helped by a pair of Jaycee Horn interceptions and a pass breakup that led to a third. Kevin Harris ran for a pair of touchdowns for the Gamecocks.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football.
The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key
executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas
that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team.
For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson
at tiger@fwaa.com.