SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 6, 2014
No. 2 Florida State 37, No. 12 Georgia Tech 35: Jameis Winston threw for three touchdowns and freshman Dalvin Cook set career highs with 31 carries for 177 yards as the Seminoles topped the Yellow Jackets in the ACC championship game at Charlotte, N.C.
Winston was 21-of-30 for 309 yards for Florida State (13-0), which extended the longest winning streak in school history to 29 games and appears to be in solid position to qualify for the inaugural College Football Playoff when the top four teams are announced Sunday. Rashad Greene contributed 123 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions while Nick O'Leary also caught a TD pass for the Seminoles, who were ranked fourth in last week's CFP rankings.
Georgia Tech (10-3) made things interesting late when Justin Thomas (8-of-14 for 134 yards) found Darren Waller for a 25-yard TD with 1:47 left, but Florida State easily recovered the onside kick and Cook ran out the clock. Thomas led the Yellow Jackets with 104 yards on the ground while Synjyn Days scored three touchdowns as part of a 19-carry, 67-yard performance.
Georgia Tech scored three first-half touchdowns - a pair of 1-yard runs by Days and a 4-yard plunge by Zach Laskey - although each time Florida State answered with a touchdown in less than three minutes. Winston's 44-yard pass to Greene made it 21-21 with 5:40 left in the first half and the Yellow Jackets stalled near midfield before Winston brought the Seminoles into the red zone, capped by a 9-yard strike to Greene with 30 seconds to go.
Days plunged in from 1 yard out to tie things at 28-28, capping a 14-play drive to open the second half, but the Seminoles promptly responded with Roberto Aguayo's 33-yard field goal. Georgia Tech punted on its next possession and Aguayo booted a 32-yarder before the Yellow Jackets turned it over on downs near midfield, leading to a 28-yarder by Aguayo with with 4:28 left.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cook contributed five catches for 43 yards for the Seminoles, who have won seven games by single digits - including their last four. ... Winston, who threw four interceptions in last week's win over Florida, had not enjoyed an interception-free performance since Florida State's win over Syracuse on Oct. 11 ... Georgia Tech had its five-game winning streak snapped despite holding the ball for nearly 35 minutes.