Florida State University Athletics
Saturday, September 21
7:00 PM
Florida State
1-3 , 1-2
14
vs
9
California
3-1 , 0-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
California
0
6
3
0
9
Florida St.
7
0
0
7
14
Seminoles Down Cal
9/21/2024 11:19:00 PM | Football
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A fourth-quarter go-ahead touchdown and several late defensive stops helped lead the Florida State football team to a 14-9 victory over Cal on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 16-for-27 for 177 yards with one touchdown pass and surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in the win. He is one of four active players to reach the 10,000-yard mark.
Meanwhile, the defense had seven sacks, four in the fourth quarter, and 12 tackles for loss, five coming in the final 15 minutes. FSU added one interception.
As they picked up their first win of the season, the Seminoles had 284 total yards of offense, 177 through the air and 107 on the ground. The Bears, who suffered their first loss of the campaign and were playing their first-ever ACC contest, had 410 yards of offense, 303 passing and 107 rushing.
Ja'Khi Douglas had 86 receiving yards on four catches and scored FSU's fourth-quarter touchdown. Lawrance Toafili ran for 80 yards on 17 attempts and punched in the team's opening score, in the first quarter.
Defensively, Shyheim Brown led the team with 11 tackles, six solo, while Blake Nichelson had 11 total tackles. Patrick Payton posted a career-best three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Joshua Farmer also shared the team lead with a career-best 3.5 TFLs and Marvin Jones Jr. notched a pair of sacks in the win.
Additionally, Alex Mastromanno punted six times for 298 yards. He had a long of 56 and landed two inside the 20, including one at the two yard line in the second quarter.
The Seminoles took a 7-0 lead with 7:47 left in the first quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Toafili. The score punctuated an eight play, 60 yard drive that began with a 15-yard rush by Douglas and included a 16-yard pass from Uiagalelei to Jalen Brown.
A Cal field goal early in the second quarter, with 10:11 left, made it 7-3. FSU got a stop on 3rd and 7 on their own 12 yard line to limit the visitors to three. California's drive started with an interception at the Cal 11 yard line, the first time this season Florida State entered the red zone but failed to score.
Edwin Joseph recorded his first career interception at the Seminole 40 yard line with less than 90 seconds left in the first half. It was just the third turnover of the season for Cal, who came into the game with a +8 turnover margin, second-best in the nation. The Bears' interception late in the first half, which set up their first field goal, extended a streak of six consecutive games with at least one takeaway, and they have forced a turnover in 39 of their last 42 contests.
Following Joseph's pick, Florida State turned it over on downs with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter, and Cal used a five play, 51 yard drive to kick a 29 yard field goal as time expired.
With a 7-6 lead after 30 minutes, Florida State held a halftime lead for the first time this season.
The second half began with a 15-play, 57-yard Cal drive that lasted 5:11. On 3rd and 10 from the FSU 13, a sack by Payton for a loss of five yards set up a 36-yard field goal attempt. The kick was no good to keep it a 7-6 game.
The Seminole defense then forced their second three-and-out of the game, and they stopped the Bears on their next possession on the FSU 33. Cal then made the 51-yard field goal to take its first lead of the game, 9-7 with 1:30 to go in the third quarter.
Florida State quickly answered to regain the lead on its next drive. A 36-yard touchdown pass from Uiagalelei to Douglas capped the 12 play, 79 yard drive that took 5:16. The drive's second play was a 27-yard pass from Uiagalelei to Douglas, which officially moved Uiagalelei past the 10,000 career yardage plateau.
The touchdown pass with 11:08 left in regulation made it 14-9, FSU.
Cal responded with a long drive of its own and had 1st and 10 from the Florida State 12. However, a false start, a Payton sack for a loss of one and another false start set up 2nd and 20, and the Bears could only get a two-yard rush before a 38 yard field goal attempt.
Looking to cut the Florida State lead to two, the kick was no good with 6:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by five, the Bears got the ball back again with 4:38 left on their own 36. Just under three minutes and 52 yards later, the visitors were back on the FSU 12 yard line, with 2nd and 5 and 1:20 on the clock. A false start set Cal back five yards and a sack by Marvin Jones Jr. pushed the visitors back another six to set up 3rd and 16 from the 23. An incomplete pass was followed by another sack, by Joseph and Darrell Jackson Jr., for a loss of 12 yards and a turnover on downs.
With 54 seconds left, victory formation sealed the Seminoles' 14-9 win.
Up next, Florida State travels to Dallas to face another ACC newcomer in SMU. Kickoff on Saturday, September 28, is set for 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT, and the game will air on the ACC Network.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 16-for-27 for 177 yards with one touchdown pass and surpassed 10,000 career passing yards in the win. He is one of four active players to reach the 10,000-yard mark.
Meanwhile, the defense had seven sacks, four in the fourth quarter, and 12 tackles for loss, five coming in the final 15 minutes. FSU added one interception.
As they picked up their first win of the season, the Seminoles had 284 total yards of offense, 177 through the air and 107 on the ground. The Bears, who suffered their first loss of the campaign and were playing their first-ever ACC contest, had 410 yards of offense, 303 passing and 107 rushing.
Ja'Khi Douglas had 86 receiving yards on four catches and scored FSU's fourth-quarter touchdown. Lawrance Toafili ran for 80 yards on 17 attempts and punched in the team's opening score, in the first quarter.
Defensively, Shyheim Brown led the team with 11 tackles, six solo, while Blake Nichelson had 11 total tackles. Patrick Payton posted a career-best three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Joshua Farmer also shared the team lead with a career-best 3.5 TFLs and Marvin Jones Jr. notched a pair of sacks in the win.
Additionally, Alex Mastromanno punted six times for 298 yards. He had a long of 56 and landed two inside the 20, including one at the two yard line in the second quarter.
The Seminoles took a 7-0 lead with 7:47 left in the first quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Toafili. The score punctuated an eight play, 60 yard drive that began with a 15-yard rush by Douglas and included a 16-yard pass from Uiagalelei to Jalen Brown.
A Cal field goal early in the second quarter, with 10:11 left, made it 7-3. FSU got a stop on 3rd and 7 on their own 12 yard line to limit the visitors to three. California's drive started with an interception at the Cal 11 yard line, the first time this season Florida State entered the red zone but failed to score.
Edwin Joseph recorded his first career interception at the Seminole 40 yard line with less than 90 seconds left in the first half. It was just the third turnover of the season for Cal, who came into the game with a +8 turnover margin, second-best in the nation. The Bears' interception late in the first half, which set up their first field goal, extended a streak of six consecutive games with at least one takeaway, and they have forced a turnover in 39 of their last 42 contests.
Following Joseph's pick, Florida State turned it over on downs with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter, and Cal used a five play, 51 yard drive to kick a 29 yard field goal as time expired.
With a 7-6 lead after 30 minutes, Florida State held a halftime lead for the first time this season.
The second half began with a 15-play, 57-yard Cal drive that lasted 5:11. On 3rd and 10 from the FSU 13, a sack by Payton for a loss of five yards set up a 36-yard field goal attempt. The kick was no good to keep it a 7-6 game.
The Seminole defense then forced their second three-and-out of the game, and they stopped the Bears on their next possession on the FSU 33. Cal then made the 51-yard field goal to take its first lead of the game, 9-7 with 1:30 to go in the third quarter.
Florida State quickly answered to regain the lead on its next drive. A 36-yard touchdown pass from Uiagalelei to Douglas capped the 12 play, 79 yard drive that took 5:16. The drive's second play was a 27-yard pass from Uiagalelei to Douglas, which officially moved Uiagalelei past the 10,000 career yardage plateau.
The touchdown pass with 11:08 left in regulation made it 14-9, FSU.
Cal responded with a long drive of its own and had 1st and 10 from the Florida State 12. However, a false start, a Payton sack for a loss of one and another false start set up 2nd and 20, and the Bears could only get a two-yard rush before a 38 yard field goal attempt.
Looking to cut the Florida State lead to two, the kick was no good with 6:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by five, the Bears got the ball back again with 4:38 left on their own 36. Just under three minutes and 52 yards later, the visitors were back on the FSU 12 yard line, with 2nd and 5 and 1:20 on the clock. A false start set Cal back five yards and a sack by Marvin Jones Jr. pushed the visitors back another six to set up 3rd and 16 from the 23. An incomplete pass was followed by another sack, by Joseph and Darrell Jackson Jr., for a loss of 12 yards and a turnover on downs.
With 54 seconds left, victory formation sealed the Seminoles' 14-9 win.
Up next, Florida State travels to Dallas to face another ACC newcomer in SMU. Kickoff on Saturday, September 28, is set for 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT, and the game will air on the ACC Network.
Team Stats
CAL
FSU
Total Yards
410
284
Pass Yards
303
177
Rushing Yards
107
107
Penalty Yards
55
72
1st Downs
23
17
3rd Downs
5
7
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
29:19
30:41
1st Quarter
CAL 0, FSU 7
FSU - Toafili,Lawrance 2 yd run (Fitzgerald,Ryan kick), 8 plays, 60 yards, TOP 02:56
2nd Quarter
CAL 3, FSU 7
CAL - Coe,Ryan 25 yd field goal 6 plays, 68 yards, TOP 02:42
CAL 6, FSU 7
CAL - Coe,Ryan 29 yd field goal 5 plays, 51 yards, TOP 00:23
3rd Quarter
CAL 9, FSU 7
CAL - Coe,Ryan 51 yd field goal 8 plays, 42 yards, TOP 02:46
4th Quarter
CAL 9, FSU 14
FSU - Douglas,Ja'Khi 36 yd pass from Uiagalelei,DJ (Fitzgerald,Ryan kick) 12 plays, 79 yards, TOP 05:16
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
16
TD
1
YDS
177
INT
1
Players Mentioned
WR
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DB
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WR
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DL
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DL
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DL
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DB
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P
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LB
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DL
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RB
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