FSU holds off Oklahoma, wins Cheez-It Bowl for 10th victory

No. 13 Florida State came into Thursday’s Cheez-It Bowl matchup as the obvious favorite (10 points at kick, according to DraftKings) with all the momentum, looking to cap off its best season since 2016 by reaching the same win total as that year.

Oklahoma, who stumbled to a 6-6 record just a few years removed from being a consistent College Football Playoff contender, didn’t get the memo, putting up a fight against the Seminoles in a game that went down to the wire.

The Sooners — who have foiled Florida State coronation attempts in a variety of ways over the past few decades — took a double-digit lead early on the Seminoles and maintained it until the third quarter, at which point the matchup turned into a back-and-forth slugfest of explosive plays and defensive stands.

Florida State finally took control of the game with a 38-yard touchdown rush from Treshaun Ward, giving the Seminoles a 32-25 lead and wiggle room when the Sooners eventually scored once more to tie things up.

With the clock ticking down, Travis found Johnny Wilson for a huge pass down field, a 58-yarder that led to Ryan Fitzgerald’s tie-breaking 32-yard field goal.

Oklahoma had one more shot at the win, but penalties for illegal procedure and holding threw a hitch in potential comeback plans.

FSU vs. Oklahoma final stats

35-32

Total yards

FSU: 587

Oklahoma: 496

Passing yards

FSU: 418

Oklahoma: 243

Rushing yards

FSU: 169

Oklahoma: 253

Yards per play

FSU: 8.2

Oklahoma: 5.9