Gators QB Chris Leak fumbles the ball in the second quarter, leading to a field goal by FSU.
Zook and his players react to a missed field-goal attempt in the third quarter.
[Times photo: James Borchuck]
FSU CB Bryant McFadden intercepts a pass intended for Florida WR Jemalle Cornelius in the second quarter.
[Times photo: James Borchuck]
TALLAHASSEE - One constant this season in Florida State's otherwise anemic offense - its ground game - was all but ignored in Florida's 20-13 win over the Seminoles on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium.
While tailbacks Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker, who combine for 169.2 yards rushing per game, were forgotten in the first half, the Seminoles were forced into third-and-long situations (FSU was 1-of-15 on third-down conversions) and relied on quarterback Wyatt Sexton to throw deep. He had limited success as FSU fell behind 10-3 at halftime.
The Seminoles started their first drive of the game at their 34 and put Sexton into dropback mode. The first-down pass to Chauncey Stovall ricocheted off his chest as he crossed the middle. Passes on second and third downs were also incomplete.
On Florida State's next possession, Sexton completed 1 of 3 passes for 6 yards, and the Seminoles were forced to punt again.
"I thought we were going to come out and run immediately," Washington said. "We came out in the first drive and started throwing the ball."
Those three-and-outs were a microcosm of the Seminoles' problems with the pass-first game plan.
By halftime, FSU had only eight rushes, and four were Sexton scrambles precipitated by spotty pass protection. Washington had three carries for minus-4 yards, and Booker didn't touch the ball out of the backfield.
The Seminoles had zero net rushing yards at the half.
"Put that stat in your paper, will you?" coach Bobby Bowden said after the game.
Even as the Seminoles offense opened up in the third - FSU gained 148 yards in the quarter after totaling 88 in the first half - the backs were still largely ignored. Booker had three carries for 12 yards, and Washington's five runs included a 10-yard gain, FSU's longest running play of the game.
"When we don't get the chance to get athletes the ball and make plays, that's what happens," Washington said. "We don't get the chance to run the ball, that's what happens."
Booker finished with five carries for 25 yards and Washington had 11 yards on eight rushes as the Seminoles were forced to return to the air in mounting a Chris Rix-led fourth-quarter comeback.
"Every time we ran the ball it was second and long," Bowden said. "It was easier to throw against them than run."
The Gators went into the game giving up more than 156 rushing yards a game, but they held FSU to 34, its fewest of the season.
"Teams ran the ball successfully against them (the Gators), so I feel like we could have taken advantage of that a little more than we attempted to," Sexton said.
