Gators' Season Ends with Loss to Seminoles

Saturday, November 25

Gainesville, FL

12pm

Florida Gators

4-7 , 3-5

Florida State

5-6 , 3-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Florida State

Florida

Senior running back Mark Thompson scored UF's first touchdown Saturday on a 10-yard run. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Gators' Season Ends with Loss to Seminoles

Saturday, November 25, 2017 | Football

Box Score

Florida loses six of its final seven games to finish 4-7.

By: UAA Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It was a one-score game heading into the fourth quarter, but the visiting Florida State Seminoles took control with a pair of touchdowns in the final period for a 38-22 win over Florida in the Fresh from Florida Sunshine Showdown.

Florida outgained FSU 280-216 but the Seminoles capitalized on the Gators' mistakes, scoring 28 points off four UF turnovers.

Florida State's defense opened the scoring in the first quarter when defensive lineman Brian Burns got free in the UF backfield and forced a fumble from quarterback Feleipe Franks. Seminoles linebacker Jacob Pugh recovered the ball and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown.

Florida responded quickly, using its defense as a spark. Senior Duke Dawson hauled in an interception on a tipped ball to set the Gators up at the FSU 24-yard line. The Gators tied the game after three consecutive runs by senior Mark Thompson got UF into the end zone.

The Seminoles took the lead again off another turnover, as Franks was intercepted early in the second quarter. FSU took the lead on James Blackman's 21-yard strike to Nyqwan Murray for the score. The visitors extended the lead on a 25-yard field goal from Ricky Aguayo with 7:47 left in the second quarter.

Levonta Taylor's second interception of the day resulted in another touchdown for Florida State after he returned it 18 yards for a 24-7 lead with 3:46 to go before halftime.

The Gators managed to close the half with a long touchdown drive, as Franks marched the team 74 yards and capped it off with a perfect throw to Brandon Powell for a 4-yard score before the half.

A 45-yard field goal from Eddy Pineiro in the third quarter cut the lead to eight, 24-16.

Florida State opened the fourth quarter with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive to take a 31-16 lead with 11:21 remaining in the game. Another UF turnover led to a Blackman's second touchdown pass of the game, a 3-yard completion to Auden Tate.

A late touchdown drive from Florida ended with another Franks-Powell connection (two-point conversion failed).