TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It wasn’t quite the Game of the Century, but the first top-five matchup between No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 2 Florida State in two decades certainly lived up to the billing Saturday night.
The Seminoles prevailed 31-27 after running back Karlos Williams scored the go-ahead touchdown with 7:39 left in the fourth quarter to give them their first lead of the game and the defense held Notre Dame on a potential game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 23 games.
“This team has heart. There’s discipline. And there’s character here,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said during his live postgame interview on the field. “It’s a family. And this group … this group is something special right there.”
After picking up a fourth-and-18 with a little over a minute to play, Notre Dame appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds left when quarterback Everett Golson hit wideout Corey Robinson in the end zone, but the Irish were called for offensive pass interference.
Golson then threw an interception on fourth-and-goal from the 18-yard line as FSU freshman linebacker Jacob Pugh intercepted the pass.
Jacob Pugh's fourth quarter interception sealed the fate for Notre Dame. (Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sportsd it in the back of the end zone for his second pick of the game.
Reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston passed for 273 yards and two scores, including a remarkable 15-of-16 in the second half, and Williams scored twice after not starting the game or playing a snap in the first quarter.
Notre Dame kicker Kyle Brindza booted a 46-yard field goal that gave the Irish a 27-24 lead with 11:40 to go, but the defense couldn’t hold as the Irish fell to 1-17 against top-five opponents since 1999, including nine straight losses.
Linebacker Terrance Smith paced Florida State with 11 tackles. Defensive back Nate Andrews added 10.
Linebacker Luke Schmidt led the Irish defense with nine stops and a first-half pick.
Rashad Greene, who led the Seminoles with eight catches for 108 yards, helped tie the score at 17 on Florida State’s first drive of the second half when Winston found the senior for a 10-yard score.
It was Greene’s 26th touchdown of his career, putting him six away from tying the school record. Winston was 10-of-10 passing for 117 yards in the third quarter.
But Notre Dame answered on its first drive of the second half after Golson — who finished with 313 yards passing with three touchdown throws and two interceptions — kept several plays alive with dazzling scrambles.
The 83-yard march in seven plays ended with Golson throwing his third touchdown pass of the game as receiver William Fuller grabbed a pass from Golson and dashed 11 yards for the score to make it 24-17 Irish.
But the drive proved to be costly as Golson headed to the locker room after the score to seek medical treatment for what appeared to be a leg injury and didn’t return for roughly 20 minutes.
In the meantime, Florida State was answering Notre Dame’s score. Williams powered in for the Seminoles’ first rushing TD of the game from 2 yards, capping a seven-play, 75-yard march that came with 3:38 left in the third quarter.
With the score tied 24-24, Golson returned limping and far less mobile, going three-and-out on Notre Dame’s next drive. The teams went to the fourth quarter deadlocked at 24, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Notre Dame, which ran 50 plays in the first half and dominated time of possession 19:29 to 10:31, took a 17-10 lead into intermission.
The Irish opened the scoring on their third possession of the game in the first quarter, driving 84 yards in 12 plays and chewing 6:43 off the clock. They benefited from a fourth-down conversion and capped the march with a 1-yard touchdown pass on third down from Golson to Robinson for an early 7-0 lead.
FSU didn’t wait long to respond.
After Brindza booted the kickoff out of bounds, FSU started with great field position. Winston then drove the Seminoles 65 yards in four plays in 1:51 — all passes — and found true freshman wideout Travis Rudolph from 11 yards out to tie the game at 7-7.
Golson threw his fifth pick of the year on Notre Dame’s ensuing drive, this one deep in FSU territory as Pugh intercepted. But Winston was picked off on the Seminoles’ first play after the turnover by Irish linebacker Joe Schmidt. Forty-one seconds and two plays later, Golson put Notre Dame up 14-7 with his second TD pass to Robinson, this time from 9 yards.
Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo cut the lead to 14-10 on a 28-yard field with under five minutes to go before halftime, keeping the reigning Lou Groza Award winner perfect on the year.
Notre Dame scored last before halftime when Brindza nailed a 34-yarder with 39 seconds left in the second quarter to push the margin to 17-10.
NOTES: In the last Top 5 meeting between the two programs — dubbed the “Game of the Century” in 1993 when FSU was ranked No. 1 and Notre Dame was No. 2 — the Seminoles were given just 5,000 tickets to disperse to fans for the contest that had an announced crowd of 59.075. On Saturday, FSU returned the favor and allowed Notre Dame an allotment of just 5,250 tickets out of the more than 80,000 in attendance. … FSU was missing several key players coming into the game, including second-leading RB Mario Pender (ankle) starting OL Austin Barron (arm), DT Demarcus Christmas (ankle), LB Ukeme Eligwe (foot), backup QB Sean Maguire (hand) and TE Mavin Saunders (hamstring). … The Seminoles were also without a key member of their coaching staff for the game. Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Rick Trickett was unable to attend because of what Florida State called a “personal health issue.” … FSU starting RB Karlos Williams curiously didn’t play in the first quarter as freshman RB Dalvin Cook started the game. No reason was given for Williams’ absence. … Five of the seven games in the series between Florida State and Notre Dame have been decided by seven points or less. … Saturday marked Notre Dame’s first true road game of the season after four at home and two at neutral sites, but it was also the first of three in a row. The Irish have a bye next week before hitting the road Nov. 1 at Navy, followed by a huge test Nov. 8 at No. 17 Arizona State. … FSU also has a bye next week before returning to action Nov. 8 at home against Virginia. … FSU had three former stars and Pro Football Hall of Famers in town for the weekend: LB Derrick Brooks, OT Walter Jones and WR Fred Biletnikoff, who was attending his first Seminoles game in 40 years. … The Irish have a scheduling agreement to play 10 ACC teams in the next two years. FSU was their third ACC opponent of the season after also facing Syracuse and North Carolina.
