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Andrea Adelson, ESPN senior writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Playing behind quarterback Brock Glenn, No. 4 Florida State won the ACC Championship on Saturday night, beating Louisville 16-6 in what the Seminoles hope will be enough to earn them a spot in the College Football Playoff.
There’s no denying that Florida State is missing veteran Jordan Travis, who will miss the season with a leg injury. They were also without backup Tate Rodemaker, who exited Saturday’s game with a concussion.
Without them, Glenn got the start and looked like a true freshman entering the school in January, going 8 of 21 for 55 yards. However, Florida State overcame injuries to its best quarterbacks to win its first ACC Tournament title since 2014 — a triumphant moment for coach Mike Norvell, who took the program at rock bottom in 2020 and built it all the way back up.
The fact that Florida State won this title without Travis — its team leader who was instrumental in turning the program around — is a testament to the work the entire team has done to get the program to this moment. As the final moments passed, the crowd began chanting “FSU! FSU!”
Will that be enough for the qualifying committee?
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said he believes it should be so.
“Finishing the regular season undefeated and now winning the ACC Football Championship is a historic accomplishment,” he told ESPN. “There is no doubt that Florida State is among the top four teams in the country and has earned a spot in the College Football Playoffs. History has shown that the CFP committee consistently honors undefeated Power 5 champions, like Florida State. It has been a great year for “For the FFA and the entire ACC, we have the utmost confidence in the committee and expect that the FFA will be recognized as one of the four best and most deserving teams among the qualifying participants.”
The Seminoles’ offense struggled to move the ball on Saturday — the most effective play being a Wildcat run with backup running back Lawrence Toafelli, who finished with a game-high 118 yards and a touchdown to provide the spark the Seminoles needed.
While all the focus will be on quarterback — and whether Florida State is good enough at that position to deserve a playoff spot — perhaps the committee will take a look at what the Seminoles did defensively in this game. Florida State was stifling, overwhelming Louisville’s offensive line for most of the game. The Seminoles finished with a season-high seven sacks, 14 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries, and nine pass breakups on their way to shutting down one of the best rushing attacks in the ACC.
Defensive tackle Braden Fisk — who a Louisville assistant indicated during pregame warmups was the player he was most worried about — had nine tackles, a career-high three sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries.
Louisville had its chances but failed to capitalize. Sixth-year quarterback Jack Plummer struggled mightily, sacking receivers while going 14-of-36 for 111 yards and an interception.
Twice in the second half Louisville possessed the ball inside Florida State’s 15-yard line. The Cards twice failed to score touchdowns. On the first down, Louisville got down to No. 7, but Jamari Thrash was tackled for a 9-yard loss and settled for a field goal. The second time around, Louisville was set up in a great position after pressuring punter Alex Mastromanno, who couldn’t even punt the ball and had to drop to the ground to cover the punt. Louisville started at the Florida State 12. But Tatum Bethune intercepted Plummer in the end zone to end that drive.
Louisville’s defense had its chance, too. Twice on the same drive in the third quarter with Florida State leading 10-0, Louisville dropped interceptions that would have given the offense prime field position inside the Florida State 30. Jaylen Alderman and Ben Perry had the ball in their hands but couldn’t make it safe.
Florida State has the fewest turnovers in the entire country this season with five. Even with a new quarterback, the Seminoles somehow avoided giving up the ball.
Now, it’s a waiting game for the ACC champions. There has never been an undefeated Power 5 champion left out of the playoffs. Even with a third-string quarterback, Florida State did enough to finish 13-0 — with two wins over SEC opponents. Its defense made a resounding statement not only on Saturday night, but last week in the win over Florida as well.
“It’s never been done before,” the NFL’s Michael Alford told ESPN, referring to the possibility of disqualifying the undefeated Power 5 champion. “That would be tragic for the system we have. Here we are, one of the best teams in the country. We’ve beaten every opponent before us. We played one of the toughest schedules in the country. If this team doesn’t deserve it, then no one does.”
Florida State defensive end Jared Fiers warned after that game what would happen if the Seminoles defense gave a full effort.
“When will we play the perfect game where we reach our full potential?” He said. “If we do that, I’m sorry to anyone in the country, they’re going to have to get it.”
The defense showed its full potential on Saturday night, yet there is concern it may not be enough for the selection committee.
Florida State may not have Travis, but they have a team that has committed to themselves to finish for him.
Will the committee allow her to do so?
