In one of the most anticipated match-ups of the early college football season, the Florida State Seminoles fell to the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 23-13 on Saturday in a game filled with penalties and turnovers.
The Seminoles (2-1) committed three turnovers—two of which came on tipped balls that were intercepted—and had numerous big plays called back thanks to six penalties that cost FSU 57 yards.
“I thought we just played a very hard fought, competitive football game,” said FSU coach Jimbo Fisher. “I thought we played with tremendous toughness. We gave great effort- had a lot of pride in the way we competed. We have to look at ourselves and correct some of the mistakes we have and look at some of the missed opportunities- some of the plays we had called back.”
The Sooners (2-0) opened the game with a methodical, 15-play drive that covered 80 yards and took 6:25 off the clock. OU converted two third downs on the drive, and looked like they were on their way to a high-scoring evening.
After a Dustin Hopkins field goal on FSU’s first drive made the score 7-3, the Seminoles had some of the wind taken out of their sails when sophomore wide receiver Kenny Shaw took a punishing blow from two OU defenders. Shaw was motionless on the ground for several minutes, and the record crowd of 84, 392 fans inside of Doak Campbell Stadium held their collective breath as the Orlando native was carted off the field on a stretcher. Shaw was taken to the hospital for x-rays and returned to the sidelines later in the evening, but didn’t return to the game. FSU was already without starting wide-outs Bert Reed and Willie Haulstead.
Two plays after Shaw’s injury, FSU quarterback EJ Manuel tried to float a pass to one of his backs but had it intercepted by Sooner linebacker Tom Wort, who tipped the ball to himself.
The second half was all about backup quarterback Clint Trickett. The redshirt freshman was forced into action after Manuel took a shot to his left shoulder and was taken into the locker room.
Trickett continued his chemistry with receiver Rashad Greene—who he connected with for three touchdowns in the first two games—when he found the freshman for a 56-yard touchdown to knot the game at 13-13 with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Sooners answered on their next drive, taking the ball 83 yards over eight plays to take the lead back for good.
Sooners quarterback Landry Jones connected with Kenny Stills on a 37-yard touchdown that would prove to be the game-winner. The Sooners tacked on a field goal for good measure after another tipped pass from Trickett turned into an interception, and Seminoles could not mount another scoring drive.
The Seminoles’ defense turned in a completely different performance than they did a year ago, limiting Jones, who threw for 380 yards and four scores in last season’s match, to 199 yards and one score while forcing two interceptions.
“I’m disappointed with the loss, but we had a great opportunity—we had some chances to win that football game,” Fisher said. “I’m also very encouraged that our kids can compete at the highest level. How we rebound from this and we don’t let one loss become two and we start our conference level on the road next week at Clemson- that’s going to be a great environment.”