2012 Florida State Seminoles football team

The 2012 Florida State Seminoles football team (variously Florida State or FSU) represents Florida State University in the sport of American football during the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. Florida State competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Seminoles are led by third year head coach Jimbo Fisher and play their home games at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. They are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, playing in the Atlantic Division.

It is the Seminoles' 21st season as a member of the ACC and its eighth in the ACC Atlantic Division.

Previous season
Florida State ended the 2011 season with a 9–4 record (5–3 in ACC play). They were led by head coach Jimbo Fisher in his second year of head coaching. The Seminoles lost two starters on offense (Offensive Tackle Zebrie Sanders and WR Bert Reed), three on defense (Linebacker Nigel Bradham, Safety Terrance Parks, and Cornerback Mike Harris), and one special teams player (Punter Shawn Powell). All six of Florida State's departing players are currently on NFL rosters.

Forthcoming season
After the completion of the 2011 season, the Seminoles signed a highly rated recruiting class in February 2012 and completed spring practice the following April. With seventeen returning starters from the previous season, Florida State entered their 2012 campaign ranked as the number seven team in the nation and as a favorite to win the Atlantic Division and compete for the ACC championship and possibly a national title.

Pre-season
Before the start of the season, the Seminoles were scheduled to play the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 8, but the game was canceled by the Mountaineers so they could make room for their nine-game Big 12 schedule. With the late cancellation, Florida State was forced to add another Football Championship Subdivision team to its schedule. Because of this, Florida State will need an additional win to be eligible for a bowl game.

On August 1, 2012, Florida State kicked senior cornerback and punt return specialist Greg Reid off the team. Coach Fisher announced Reid's dismissal for what he described as a violation of team rules. The dismissal came three weeks after Reid was charged with marijuana possession after being stopped by a Georgia state trooper near his home in Valdosta, Georgia.

Former Penn State tight end Kevin Haplea also transferred to Florida State in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal.

The annual 'Garnet and Gold Game' was held on April 14 at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium and the garnet team was victorious, winning by a score of 35–20. The game was televised on ESPNU with former FSU player Danny Kanell as commentator.
 * Spring Game

Post-season
Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops left his position at Florida State to take the job as head coach at Kentucky. D.J. Eliot left his position as defensive ends coach to assist Stoops at Kentucky as defensive coordinator. Eddie Gran, who served as runningback coach and special teams coordinator as well as associate head coach, also left the staff to serve as offensive coordinator at Cincinnati.

Personnel
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is in his third year as the Seminole's head coach. During his previous two years with Florida State, he has led the Seminoles to an overall record of 19 wins and 8 losses (19–8). Mark Stoops and James Coley returned to their positions as coordinators.

Key losses

 * OT Zebrie Sanders
 * WR Bert Reed
 * LB Nigel Bradham
 * S Terrance Parks
 * S Mike Harris
 * P Shawn Powell
 * CB Greg Reid (dismissed from team)

Transfers

 * TE Kevin Haplea

Media
Florida State football is broadcast on the Florida State University Seminoles Radio Network and the games are called by Gene Deckerhoff.

Rankings
Entering the 2012 season, Florida State was ranked No. 7 in both the AP and Coaches' Preseason Polls. ESPN ranked the Seminoles number seven before the season. Florida State was ranked No. 9 in the first Harris Poll. In the initial BCS poll, Florida State was ranked No. 14.
 * Source: ESPN.com: 2012 NCAA Football Rankings

Florida State came into the season ranked No. 7 in both polls. Following its opening week victory over Murray State, Florida State rose to No. 6 in both polls,, and rose again to No. 5 in the AP Poll (tying with Oklahoma) following its victory against Savannah State. However, they stayed the same in the Coaches' Poll. After its victory against Wake Forest, Florida State rose to No. 4 in both of the polls. Florida State maintained their No. 4 spot in the polls following a win against Clemson. After beating South Florida, Florida State kept their spot in the Coaches Poll but rose to No. 3 in the AP Poll. Following a loss to NC State, the Seminoles dropped to 12 in the AP Poll and 11 in the Coaches' Poll while entering at No. 9 in the Harris Poll. A victory over Boston College allowed Florida State to move up a spot to No. 10 in the Coaches' Poll while staying at No. 12 in the AP Poll and rising to No. 8 in the Harris Poll and entering the BCS rankings at No. 14.. Following a vistory at Miami, Florida State rose to No. 11 in the AP Poll, stayed at No. 10 in the Coaches' Poll, fell to No. 10 in the Harris Poll, and rose to No. 12 in the BCS. A win over Duke and the Seminoles moved to No. 9 in the AP Poll, No. 7 in the Coaches' Poll, No. 7 in the Harris Poll, and No. 9 in the BCS., Florida State's rankings changed after their bye week; rising to No. 8 in the AP Poll, No. 6 in the Coaches' Poll, No. 6 in the Harris Poll, and falling to No. 10 in the BCS. Florida State fell to No. 10 in the AP Poll after a victory over Virginia Tech, while remaining the same in the other polls. After a win over Maryland, Florida State remained the same in all of the polls except the Coaches' where the Seminoles moved up to 5. Following a loss to rival Florida, Florida State fell to No. 13 in the AP Poll and the BCS while falling to No. 12 in the Coaches' and Harris polls. After winning the conference title game over Georgia Tech, Florida State remained the same in the AP, Coaches, and Harris Poll while rising one spot in the BCS.

Schedule

 * Schedule source: 2012 Florida State Seminoles football schedule

Florida State does not play Coastal Division teams Virginia, Georgia Tech or North Carolina in the regular season.

Game notes
Florida State's games are rebroadcast the following day on Sun Sports.

Murray State

 * Sources:

(0-0)

Series Tied: 0 – 0

Pregame Line: Lines are not released when an FCS team plays an FBS team.

To open the season, Florida State faced an FCS opponent, the Murray State Racers. This game was the first between the two teams. Coming into the game, Florida State held an 17–0 record against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

Florida State was ranked seventh in the country coming into this game. Florida State dominated the Racers throughout the game, winning 69–3. Florida State opened the scoring and scored 14 points in the first quarter, with Rashad Greene returning a 47-yard punt return from kicker Dustin Hopkins and a 1-yard touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor. Florida State added another fourteen points in the second quarter as the result of an 18-yard touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor and a 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. Murray State scored its first and only points near the end of the first half on a 28-yd field goal. In the third quarter, Florida State scored 20 points. James Wilder, Jr. had a 9-yd touchdown run, Dustin Hopkins kicked a 23-yd field goal, Lonnie Pryor had a 1-yd touchdown run, and Dustin Hopkins kicked another 30-yd field goal. Florida State scored another 21 points in the fourth quarter with a 7-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. and two 1-yd touchdown runs from Debrale Smiley.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 188 yards and one touchdown; James Wilder, Jr. led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns; Kenny Shaw led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. Xavier Rhodes recorded one interception and Karlos Williams returned a punt for a touchdown. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 606 yards of offense in the game, with 285 rushing yards and 321 passing yards while holding Murray State to 156 total yards of offense.

Florida State began their season with a record of 1-0.

Savannah State

 * Sources:

(0-1)

Series Tied: 0 – 0

Pregame Line: Lines are not released when an FCS team plays an FBS team.

For their second game of the season, Florida State faced another FCS team, the Savannah State Tigers. This was also be the first meeting between these teams. Prior to the game, the Seminoles were installed as 70 1/2 point favorites, reportedly making Savannah State the biggest underdogs in any college football game ever. Coming into this game, Florida State held an 18–0 record against teams from the Football Championship Subdivision.

Florida State was ranked sixth in the country coming into this game.

Florida State held the Tigers scoreless, winning 55–0. Florida State opened the scoring and scored 35 points in the first quarter, with a 61-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith, a 6-yard touchdown run from Chris Thompson, a 8-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Greg Dent, a 9-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kelvin Benjamin, and a 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Florida State added another thirteen points in the second quarter as the result of an 19-yard touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. and another 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. with a subsequent failed point-after-attempt from kicker Dustin Hopkins, ending his streak of 145 consecutive extra point attempts. Florida State scored another seven points in the third quarter as the result of a 19-yd touchdown pass from Jacob Coker to Kelvin Benjamin.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 161 yards and three touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 7 carries for 69 yards and one touchdown; Rodney Smith led the team in receiving with 3 receptions for 77 yards and one touchdown.

The Seminoles totaled 413 yards of offense in the game, with 167 rushing yards and 246 passing yards while holding Savannah State to just 28 total yards of offense.

Florida State improved their overall season record to 2-0.

The game was delayed in the second quarter, used a running clock after halftime and later called with 8:49 left in the third due to weather.

Wake Forest

 * Sources:

(2-0, 1-0)

Florida State Leads Series: 23 – 6 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU −21.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Florida State opened ACC play against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The teams last met the previous season with Wake Forest upsetting the Seminoles 35–30 in Winston-Salem. Florida State has struggled against Wake Forest recently, losing four out of the last six before this game.

In honor of the United States military, a flyover took place during pregame.

Florida State was ranked fifth in the country coming into this game.

Florida State shutout a team for the second week in a row by holding Wake Forest scoreless for the second time in three years and winning 52–0. Despite a sluggish start, Florida State scored first with a 16-yd rushing touchdown from E.J. Manuel late in the first quarter. Another touchdown in the first quarter came from Rashad Greene with a 60-yd punt return. After a fourteen point first quarter, the Seminoles scored twenty-four more points in the second with a 74-yd touchdown run and an 80-yd touchdown run from Chris Thompson, a field goal from Dustin Hopkins, and a 20-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith. Florida State dominated the second half of the game as well. The Seminoles added seven points in the third quarter with a 17-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. They finished off the game with seven points in the fourth quarter courtesy of a 18-yd touchdown run from Debrale Smiley.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 176 yards and two touchdowns; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 9 carries for 197 yards and two touchdowns; Kelvin Benjamin led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 44 yards. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted one field goal.

The Seminoles totaled 612 yards of offense in the game, with 385 rushing yards and 227 passing yards while holding Wake Forest to 126 total yards of offense.

The victory improved Florida State's all-time record against the Deacons to 24–6–1 and improved their overall season record to 3-0 (1-0 in the ACC).

Clemson

 * Sources:

(3-0, 0-0) Florida State Leads Series: 17 – 8

Pregame Line: FSU −9.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Following its meeting with Wake Forest, Florida State hosted the Clemson Tigers in a key division game. Clemson defeated Florida State the previous season 35–30 at Death Valley en route to the Atlantic Division title and an ACC Championship. The winner of this game has represented the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship Game for the past three years with Clemson winning the division title in 2009, Florida State winning the division title in 2010 and Clemson taking the division title the following year.

ESPN's College Gameday was on the campus of Florida State University for the game. The program previously visited the school for a game against Oklahoma during the 2011 season. It is their eighth time hosting and the show's twenty-fourth appearance at an FSU game. The Good Year Blimp was present at the game as well.

Florida State was ranked fourth in the country coming into this game, while Clemson was ranked tenth. This game was chosen as the ESPNU Game of the Week. Florida State won the game 49–37 after trailing by seven at halftime and erasing a fourteen point deficit in the second half. Clemson struck first when, during the first drive of the game, Tajh Boyd hooked up with Deandre Hopkins for a 60-yd touchdown pass. Florida State responded with a 13-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor. The game then went back and forth throughout the first half with Clemson scoring on a 6-yd touchdown run from Andre Ellington and Florida State scoring with a James Wilder, Jr. 5-yd touchdown run. Clemson took the lead again with a 17-yd touchdown pass from Tajh Boyd to Brandon Ford after capitalizing on an FSU turnover. Clemson went into halftime with the lead. Florida State had many miscues that kept them from points, including two fumbles, two missed field goals, and a questionable 4th down call that kept them from leading.

In the second half, Clemson extended their lead to fourteen when Boyd connected to Sammy Watkins on a bubble screen who then threw the ball to Andre Ellington for a 52-yd touchdown. Florida State then took control of the game, as the Seminoles went on a 35–3 run. First, they scored on a 4-yd touchdown run from Chris Thompson. The defense, who had struggled containing the Tigers in the first half, held Clemson to a field goal which made it a ten-point game. Florida State then closed in on the lead with a 9-yd pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene. They then finally took the lead at the end of the third quarter with a 29-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rodney Smith. This was followed by back-to-back touchdowns from Florida State with a 5-yd run from James Wilder, Jr. and a 27-yd run from Chris Thompson. Clemson scored one more touchdown late in the game with a 3-yd touchdown pass from Tajh Boyd to Brandon Ford on fourth down. They then attempted a two-point conversion which failed after a high snap. Florida State then ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel had a career-best performance with 102 yards rushing, 380 yards passing along with 2 touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown. He became the first Florida State player since Charlie Ward in 1992 to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 in a game. Because of this accomplishment, Manuel was named the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 380 yards and two touchdowns; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing, with 15 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and receiving, with 8 receptions for 79 yards. Dustin Hopkins unsuccessfully attempted two field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 667 yards of offense in the game, with 287 rushing yards and 380 passing yards while holding Clemson's high powered offense to 426 total yards of offense.

The victory improved Florida State's all-time record against the Tigers to 18–8, as well as gave them the lead in the division and improved their overall season record to 4-0 (2-0 in the ACC).

This game acheived a rating of 2.8 with 4.8 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched regualr season games.

South Florida

 * Sources:

(2-2)

South Florida Leads Series: 1 – 0

Pregame Line: FSU −8.5, FSU −17 (Vegas odds)

In the first road game of the season, the Seminoles traveled to Tampa, Florida take on in-state foes, the South Florida Bulls. This was only the second meeting between these teams. The teams previously met during the 2009 season in Tallahassee where South Florida defeated Florida State 17–7.

Florida State came into this game ranked fourth in the country.

Florida State won the game 30–17 despite a sluggish start. South Florida got on the board first with a 32-yd field goal from Maikon Bonani. Florida State took the lead with a 10-yd touchdown run from Rashad Greene. At the end of the first quarter, the Seminoles held a slim four point lead. They extended their lead in the second quarter with two field goals from Dustin Hopkins, a 6-yd field goal and a 23-yd field goal, after previously missing a field goal in the first quarter. Florida State carried a ten point lead into the half.

At the start of the second half, USF closed the gap with a 1-yd touchdown run from B.J. Daniels. Florida State responded with a 1-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to tight end Kevin Haplea and later extended their lead again with a 23-yd field goal from Hopkins. At the end of the third quarter, the Seminoles capitalized on a South Florida turnover when Christian Jones had a 12-yd fumble return to give the 'Noles their largest lead of the game. The Bulls would score again in the fourth quarter with B.J. Daniels 3-yd touchdwon run, but FSU was able to preserve the thirteen point victory.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel had another impressive performance going 19/25 with 1 touchdown, no interceptions and 251 total yards of offense.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 242 yards and one touchdown; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 17 carries for 74 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 2 receptions for 71 yards. Dustin Hopkins made two out of three field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 425 yards of offense in the game, with 183 rushing yards and 242 passing yards while holding South Florida to 268 total yards of offense.

The victory evened Florida State's all-time record against the Bulls at 1–1. However, no future meetings between the schools are currently scheduled. The Seminoles improved their overall season record to 5-0.

This game acheived a 1.1 rating with 1.7 million viewers.

NC State

 * Sources:

(2-3, 1-0)

Florida State Leads Series: 22 – 10

Pregame Line: FSU −7.5, FSU −10 (Vegas odds)

Following its trip to South Florida, Florida State traveled to Raleigh for their first ACC road game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Florida State shutout NC State 34–0 during the previous meeting in Tallahassee.

The two schools have split their meetings over the past ten years, with Florida State winning five and N.C. State winning five and both teams have split the last two with N.C. State winning at home in 2010 and Florida State winning at home in 2011.

Florida State came into this game ranked third in the country.

This game was also chosen as the ESPNU Game of the Week.

Florida State lost to the NC State Wolfpack, 17–16. Florida State dominated the first half of the game, building a 16–0 lead by halftime. The Seminoles scored first with a 49-yd field goal from kicker Dustin Hopkins which put FSU up by three in the first quarter. They followed that up in the second quarter with a 4-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary to give them a ten point lead. Two more field goals, of 45 and 20 yards respectively, extended that lead to sixteen.

After controlling the first two quarters, the momentum shifted in the next two quarters as Florida State failed to score in the second half. NC State scored their first points of the game with a 27-yd field goal. This was followed up by a 24-yd touchdown pass from Mike Glennon to put the Wolfpack within six. A subsequent drive by the Seminoles ended with a sack that put them out of field goal range. NC State blocked the punt and were able to score on a fourth down touchdown to give them the lead with just sixteen seconds remaining in the game. Florida State was unable to score on their next possession and NC State upset the Seminoles and gave them their first loss of the season.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 218 yards and one touchdown; Chris Thompson led the team in rushing with 25 carries for 141 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 60 yards. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted three field goals.

Despite losing, the Seminoles outgained NC State with 343 yards of offense in the game, with 125 rushing yards and 218 passing yards while holding the Wolfpack to 325 total yards of offense.

The loss brought Florida State's all-time record against the Wolfpack to 22–11 and made their overall season record 5-1 (2-1 in the ACC).

This game acheived a 0.8 rating with 1.3 million viewers.

Boston College

 * Sources:

(1-4, 0-2)

Florida State Leads Series: 6 – 4

Pregame Line: FSU −23.5 FSU −24 (Vegas odds)

After two straight road games, the Seminoles returned home to face the Boston College Eagles. Florida State won the game by a score of 38–7 in Chestnut Hill the previous season. Florida State has won the last two games in this series.

Florida State came into this game ranked twelfth in the country.

Florida State rebounded from a loss and defeated Boston College, 51–7. The Noles dominated the game from start to finish. The Seminoles scored first early in the game with a 77-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kenny Shaw. This was followed up by a 2-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor to give FSU a 14–0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Scoring was opened in the second quarter with a 7-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. on a pass from E.J. Manuel. They would build a four possession lead with 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Kelvin Benjamin. The Eagles got on the board with a 18-yd touchdown pass from Chase Rettig to Bobby Swiggert. Florida State would extend the lead with a 51-yd field goal from kicker Dustin Hopkins, giving the Seminoles a twenty-four point lead at the half.

Florida State went on to control the second half of the game as well, holding Boston College scoreless in both the third and fourth quarters. In the third quarter, Florida State scored twice with a 3-yd touchdown run from Lonnie Pryor and a 26-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State would also score another two times in the fourth quarter with a 12-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to James Wilder, Jr. and a 38-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins.

E.J. Manuel had another career-best night with 439 passing yards becoming the first Florida State quarterback to have over 400 passing yards in one game since Chris Weinke in 2000. With this game, Dustin Hopkins became the all-time scoring leading at Florida State as well as in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 439 yards and four touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 8 carries for 70 yards; Kenny Shaw led the team in receiving with 2 receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted three field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 649 yards of offense in the game, with 201 rushing yards and 448 passing yards while holding the Eagles to 225 total yards of offense.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Eagles to 7–4 and improved their overall season record to 6-1 (3-1 in the ACC).

This game acheived a 0.4 rating with 672 thousand viewers.

Miami (FL)

 * Sources:

(4-3, 3-1)

Miami Leads Series: 31 – 25

Pregame Line: FSU −10, FSU −7 (Vegas odds)

Florida State hit the road once again to face off against conference rival, the Miami Hurricanes. Florida State won the previous meeting between the two by a score of 23–19 in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have won three of the last four and three straight on the road against the Hurricanes.

Florida State came into this game ranked twelfth in the country.

Florida State beat Miami for a third straight time, 33–20. Miami struck first, scoring the first ten points of the game, the first seven off of a Florida State fumble and the other three on a botched punt. Florida State would then go on to score thirteen unanswered in the first half, courtesy of a 33-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins, a 17-yd run from James Wilder, Jr. to tie the game, and another 46-yd field goal as time expired. The Seminoles carried a three point lead into halftime.

Florida State opened the second half with a 35-yd field goal to increase their lead to six. Miami responded with a 27-yd field goal of their own to cut the lead back down to three. The Seminoles then took control of the game in the fourth quarter with a 3-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman, a 48-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins, and another 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. The Hurricanes would score the final points of the game with a 8-yd touchdown pass from Stephen Morris to Rashawn Scott. Florida State got the ball back and ran the clock to maintain a thirteen point win over their rival.

This game made the Seminoles bowl eligible.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 229 yards; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 70 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 7 receptions for 49 yards. Tyler Hunter recorded one interception. Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted four out of five field goals. Runningback Chris Thompson left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

The Seminoles totaled 447 yards of offense in the game, with 218 rushing yards and 229 passing yards while holding the Hurricanes to 258 total yards of offense.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Hurricanes to 26–31 and improved their overall season record to 7-1 (4-1 in the ACC).

Due to questionable calls, the officiating crew for this game was reprimanded by commissioner John Swofford and the head official was suspended for one game because of a failure to properly administer the 10-second runoff rule at the end of the first half.

This game acheived a 3.1 rating with 4.8 million viewers.

Duke

 * Sources:

(6-2, 3-1)

Florida State Leads Series: 17 – 0

Pregame Line: FSU −28.5, FSU −35 (Vegas odds)

After its trip to Miami, Florida State returned home for a homecoming game against the Duke Blue Devils. The Seminoles and the Blue Devils previously met last season in Durham where the Seminoles won by a score of 41–16. Duke has never defeated Florida State in football.

This game featured a flyover from the US Coast Guard. As part of homecoming festivities, the Homecoming Chief and Princess were recognized along with alumni being honored.

Florida State came into this game ranked eleventh in the country. Duke came into this game as leaders of the Coastal Division.

Florida State kept their unbeaten streak against Duke going with a 48-7 win over the Blue Devils. Florida State led the game from start to finish. The first score came from a 13-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene to give the Seminoles the early lead. They then scored on a 75-yd punt returned for a touchdown by Tyler Hunter and then added to that lead with a 26-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State continued their control of the game in the second quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. capping off a three play drive and a 9-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Duke got on the board with their first score of the game courtesy of a 3-yd toudown run from Jela Duncan. The Seminoles had a twenty-four point lead at the half.

Florida State dominated the second half by holding Duke scoreless. The Seminoles received the ball to open the half and took advantage by scoring a 14-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. They would score again in the third quarter with a 35-yd touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin from E.J. Manuel. The last score of the game came from Dustin Hopkins who set a new career-long, first set in 2010, with a 56-yd field goal.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 282 yards and two touchdowns; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns; Rodney Smith led the team in receiving with 3 receptions for 112 yards. On special teams, Tyler Hunter returned a punt for a touchdown and Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals, including the longest of his career.

With this game, kicker Dustin Hopkins became the Atlantic Coast Conference career field goal leader and tied with Sebatian Janikowski for the second longest kick in school history only trailing a 60-yd field goal from Gary Cismesia.

The Seminoles totaled 560 yards of offense in the game, with 261 rushing yards and 299 passing yards while holding the Hurricanes to 232 total yards of offense.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Hurricanes to 18–0 as the Seminoles remain undefeated against the Duke Blue Devils and improved their overall season record to 8-1 (5-1 in the ACC).

Virginia Tech

 * Sources:

(5-5, 2-3)

Florida State Leads Series: 22 – 12 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU −1, Virginia Tech −7 (Vegas odds)

Florida State had a bye before traveling to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in a Thursday night clash. Florida State and Virginia Tech had not met in the regular season since 2008, when the Seminoles defeated the Hokies 30-20 in Tallahassee. The teams previously met in the 2010 ACC Championship Game where Virginia Tech defeated Florida State 44–33. Coming into this game, Florida State had won thirteen of the last fifteen against Virginia Tech.

Florida State came into this game ranked eighth in the country. The Seminoles came into this game with a 7-5 record in Thursday night games.

Florida State rallied to defeat Virginia Tech by a score of 28-22. Florida State opened up the scoring first with a 52-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins to put the Noles up by three. Virginia Tech responded with a 35-yd field goal of their own to tie the game. In the second quarter, Florida State settled for another 45-yd field goal to once again give them a three point lead. Late in the quarter, Virgina Tech took the lead for the first time with a 4-yd touchdown pass from Logan Thomas to Corey Fuller. The Seminoles scored again on a 25-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene to take back the lead. Florida State led by three points at the half.

Florida State struck first in the second half as well courtesy of a 10-yd touchdown from Greg Dent on a pass from E.J. Manuel to give the Seminoles their largest lead of the game. The Hokies then scored a touchdown of their own with a 5-yd run from Logan Thomas to get back within three. Florida State entered the final quarter with a slim lead. The lead slimmed even more as a penalty called on Devonta Freeman in the endzone resulted in a safety which cut the lead to one. The Hokies took the lead on a 21-yd touchdown run from Cody Journell with two minutes left. Trailing by two, the Seminoles, led by their quarterback, put together an 8 play, 68 yd game-winning drive that resulted in a 39-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Rashad Greene and a subsequent two-point conversion. The drive gave Florida State a six-point lead with forty seconds left in the game. The game ended with Virginia Tech driving down the field with just seconds remaining on the clock. Tyler Hunter made a key interception in the red zone to prevent Tech from scoring and secure a victory for the Seminoles.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 326 yards and three touchdowns while also recording one interception; Lonnie Pryor led the team in rushing with 5 carries for 22 yards; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 6 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals.

The Seminoles were outgained by the Hokies, totaling 311 yards of offense, with 326 passing yards but -15 rushing yards, whike the Hokies had 385 total yards of offense although they were held to just 87 rushing yards. Florida State struggled mightily on rushing attempts throughout the game with the fourth worst rushing performance in school history.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Hokies to 23–12–1 and improved their overall season record to 9-1 (6-1 in the ACC).

This game achieved a 1.7 rating with 2.7 million viewers, making it the second most-watched Thursday night match-up of the season.

Maryland

 * Sources:

(4-6, 2-4)

Florida State Leads Series: 20 – 2

Pregame Line: FSU −18.5, FSU −27 (Vegas odds)

After its game against Virginia Tech, Florida State hit the road for the last time to play the Maryland Terrapins. Florida State won the last game played between the two by a score of 41-16 in Tallahassee.

Florida State came into this game ranked tenth in the country. This served as the Seminoles' last conference game of the year.

Florida State ended conference play with a 41-14 win over the Terrapins. Florida State routed Maryland during the first half of the game. On their first possession, the Seminoles drove down the field and scored with a 5-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. Immediately after, they capitalized on a Maryland fumble to go up by two scores with a 10-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary. In the second quarter, Florida State extended their lead with two field goals from Dustin Hopkins, a 26-yd field goal and a 40-yd field goal, and a 30-yd touchdown pass to Rashad Greene from E.J. Manuel to make it a four score lead. The Seminoles led by twenty-seven points at halftime while the Terps remained scoreless at the half.

Maryland scored their first points of the game early in the third quarter with a 33-yd touchdown pass from Shawn Petty to Kevin Dorsey to cut the Seminole lead to twenty. Florida State responded with a 2-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman, his second touchdown of the day. Going into the fourth quarter, Florida State held a sizeable lead. The lead was extended courtesy of James Wilder, Jr. with a 22-yd touchdown run. Maryland's only other score would come in the final seconds with another 42-yd touchdown pass from Shawn Petty to Kevin Dorsey following a State turnover.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 144 yards and two touchdowns while also recording one interception, Clint Trickett also entered the game and recorded 16 yards; Devonta Freeman led the team in rushing with 16 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 4 receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 397 yards of offense in the game, with 237 rushing yards and 160 passing yards, while holding the Terrapins to 170 total yards of offense.

Dustin Hopkins became the all-time NCAA scoring leader in kicking with 448 points.

This victory clinched the Atlantic Division for the Noles and gave them a berth into the conference title game.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Terrapins to 21–2 and improved their overall season record to 10-1 (7-1 in the ACC).

This game acheived a 0.4 rating with 581 thousand viewers.

Florida

 * Sources:

(10-1)

Florida Leads Series: 33 – 21 – 2

Pregame Line: FSU −7.5, FSU −14 (Vegas odds)

Florida State returned home for their annual rivalry game with the Florida Gators in the regular season finale. Last season, Florida State was victorious with a 21-7 win over their rival in Gainsville. This was the second consecutive victory for the Seminoles after a win the previous season in Tallahassee that snapped a six game losing streak to the Gators.

As it is the last home game of the season, seniors, including quarterback E.J. Manuel and kicker Dustin Hopkins, were honored for their time at the university.

Florida State was ranked tenth in the country coming into this game, while Florida was ranked fourth.

As part of a fan vote sponsored by Sports Nation, the Good Year Blimp was chosen to fly over the stadium during the game. It is the second appearance of the blimp at an FSU game this season.

Florida State suffered their second loss of the season and ended the regular season with a 37-26 loss to Florida, their first loss in the series since 2009 and the first loss in the series for coach Jimbo Fisher. Florida State couldn't overcome a five turnover game, their worst ball protection performance so far. Florida scored first with a 39-yd field goal from Caleb Sturgis which was followed up with another 45-yd field goal in the second quarter. The Gators then scored on a Florida State turnover with a 9-yd touchdown run from Mike Gillislee. The Seminoles got on the board at the end of the second quarter with 50-yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida held a ten point lead at halftime, a half that included several turnovers from the Nole.

Florida State scored on their first possession of the second half with a 6-yd touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Nick O'Leary to bring the Seminoles within three of the Gators. They would then take the lead with a 1-yd touchdown run from E.J. Manuel following a Florida fumble. The lead was extended with a 53- yd field goal from Dustin Hopkins. Florida State held a seven point lead heading into the final quarter. Florida would pull within four with a 32-yd field goal from Caleb Sturgis. The Gators then took the lead once again with a 37- yd touchdown run from Mike Gillislee. Their lead was extended courtesy of a 14-yd pass from Jeff Driskel to Quinton Dunbar and a 32-yd touchdown run from Matt Jones. Florida State wouldn't score again until the last seconds of the game with a 22-yd touchdown run from E.J. Manuel.

E.J. Manuel led the team in passing with 182 yards and one touchdown while also recording three interceptions, Clint Trickett also entered the game because of Manuel's injury and recorded 6 yards; E.J. Manuel also led the team in rushing with 12 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 5 receptions for 64 yards. On special teams, Dustin Hopkins successfully attempted two field goals.

The Seminoles totaled 300 yards of offense in the game, with 112 rushing yards and 188 passing yards, and were outgained by the Gators who totaled 394 total yards of offense.

Because Florida did not play Miami, the Florida Cup will not be rewarded this year.

The loss brought Florida State's all-time record against the Gators to 21-34-2, 11-13-1 at Doak, and the Seminoles finished their regular season with a record of 10-2 (7-1 in the ACC).

The rivalry game was the sixth most watched game of the 2012 season. This game acheived a 5.1 rating with 8.5 million viewers.

ACC Championship: Georgia Tech

 * Sources:

(6-6, 5-3)

Florida State Leads Series: 12 – 9 – 1

Pregame Line: FSU -14

By virtue of winning the Atlantic Division, Florida State clinched a spot in the ACC Championship Game and played for the conference title in Charlotte. This is the Seminoles' third appearance in the conference championship game and their fourth division title. They have won the division title twice in the last three years. Florida State has a 1-1 record in this game.

The Seminoles share the division title with Clemson because both teams finished with the same record, but since Florida State won the head-to-head matchup, they are representatives of the division in the title game.

Florida State will face the Coastal Division champion, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech was named champions of the Coastal Division due to Miami self imposing a post-season ban and North Carolina being under NCAA sanctions making both teams ineligible.

These two teams last met during the 2009 season. In that meeting, the Yellow Jackets won 49-44 in Tallahassee. Georgia Tech has won two straight in the series, but Florida State has won eight of the last ten.

Florida State came into this game ranked thirteenth in the country.

Florida State was the designated visiting team, while Georgia Tech was the designated home team.

Florida State captured the ACC title with a 21-15 win over Georgia Tech. Florida State built up an early lead and would never relinquish it. The Seminoles forced Georgia Tech to punt on the first possession of the game and then went on to score on their own first possession with a 3-yd touchdown run from Devonta Freeman. This would be followed up with a 16-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. in the second quarter. Georgia Tech put their first points on the board with a 27-yd field goal from Chris Turner to cut the Seminoles lead to eleven. Florida State would go on to score again courtesy of another 1-yd touchdown run from James Wilder, Jr. Before halftime, Georgia Tech kicked a 47-yd field goal to give the Yellow Jacekets three more points. The Seminoles went into the half with a 21-6 lead.

After dominating the first two quarters, Florida State was held scoreless during the last two quarters. Georgia Tech would add more points in the third quarter with a 36-yd field goal from Chris Tanner and in the fourth quarter with a 1-yd touchdown run from Tevin Washington to pull them within six of the lead; a subsequent two-point conversion failed. Georgia Tech would get the ball back and were driving down the field in the final minutes until Karlos Williams intercepted the ball in their own territory which enabled the Seminoles to take a knee and claim a win over the Yellow Jackets.

E.J. Manuel, who became just the seventh quarterback in school history to total over 3,000 yards, led the team in passing with 134 yards while recording one interception; James Wilder, Jr. led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns; Rashad Greene led the team in receiving with 9 receptions for 82 yards. Rodney Smith tied the school record of 38 straight games with a reception. On special teams, no field goals were attempted and there were no punts returned for any touchdowns. James Wilder, Jr. was named the most-valuable player. With this game, FSU rushed for over 2,500 yards and passed for over 3,000 yards on the season, becoming only the second FSU team to accomplish this.

The Seminoles totaled 328 yards of offense in the game, with 194 rushing yards and 134 passing yards, while holding the Yellow Jackets and their triple option to 301 total yards of offense.

This game set a record for the Noles as they scored 36 rushing touchdowns which marks a new school record, beating the previous record of 35 set in 1995.

The victory brought Florida State's all-time record against the Yellow Jackets to 13–9–1 and improved their overall season record to 11-2 (7-1 in the ACC).

The victory also gave Florida State its first ACC title since the 2005 season, as well as its first BCS bid since that season as well.

This game acheived a 1.2 rating with 2.0 million viewers.

Orange Bowl: Northern Illinois

 * Sources:

(12-1)

Pregame Line: FSU -13.5

Florida State will be going to a bowl game for the 31st straight season, which is the current longest streak in the nation and the third longest streak in college football history.

By virtue of winning the ACC championship, Florida State received an automatic bid to a BCS Bowl. This marks the Seminoles first BCS bowl appearance since the 2006 Orange Bowl, a game they lost in overtime.

Florida State has a 1-5 record in BCS games and a 3-5 record in the Orange Bowl.

The Seminoles will face the Northern Illinois Huskies of the MAC. The Huskies recieived an automatic at-large bid because they finished ranked in the top 16 and ahead of an automatic qualifying conference champion.

Florida State comes into this game ranked thirteenth in the country, while Northern Illinois comes into this game ranked sixteenth. Florida State will be the designated home team, while Northern Illinois will be the designated visiting team.

Watchlists

 * Maxwell Award
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Bednarik Award
 * Brandon Jenkins
 * Lamarcus Joyner
 * Xavier Rhodes


 * Bronko Nagurski Trophy
 * Brandon Jenkins
 * Lamarcus Joyner
 * Xavier Rhodes
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Lou Groza Award
 * Dustin Hopkins


 * Outland Trophy
 * Brandon Jenkins
 * Lamarcus Joyner
 * Xavier Rhodes
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Jim Thorpe Award
 * Lamarcus Joyner
 * Xavier Rhodes


 * Rotary Lombardi Award
 * Brandon Jenkins
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Butkus Award
 * Christian Jones
 * Nick Moody


 * Biletnikoff Award
 * Willie Haulstead


 * Davey O'Brien Award
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Walter Camp Award
 * Brandon Jenkins

In addition to pre-season watchlists, four Florida State players were added to the lists after the season began:


 * Chris Thompson (Maxwell Award)


 * Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Carradine (Bednarik Award)


 * E.J. Manuel (Manning Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year)

Finalists

 * Davey O'Brien Award (seminfinalist)
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Maxwell Award (semifinalist)
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Johnny Unitas Award (semifinalist)
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Chuck Bednarik Award (semifinalist)
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Lou Groza Award (semifinalist)
 * Dustin Hopkins


 * Broyles Award (semifinalist)
 * Mark Stoops


 * Wuerffel Trophy (finalist)
 * Dustin Hopkins


 * Johnny Unitas Award (finalist)
 * E.J. Manuel


 * Bronko Nagurski Trophy (finalist)
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Lou Groza Award (finalist)
 * Dustin Hopkins


 * Ted Hendricks Award (finalist)
 * Cornellius Carradine
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Defensive Coordinator of the Year (finalist)
 * Mark Stoops


 * Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award (finalist)
 * Jimbo Fisher

Honors
Bjoern Werner, Chris Thompson, Cornellius Carradine, E.J. Manuel, Menelik Watson, Lamarcus Joyner, Dustin Hopkins, Telvin Smith, Christian Jones, Ronald Darby, and Rashad Greene have all been honored with ACC Player of the Week recognitions for their respective games.

All-ACC teams
Sixteen players from Florida State were voted on for All-ACC selections.

First Team Offense Dustin Hopkins (K)

Second Team Offense E.J. Manuel (QB) Chris Thompson (RB) Cameron Erving (OT) Tre' Jackson (OG) Bryan Stork (C)

First Team Defense Bjoern Werner (DE) Cornellius Carradine (DE) Xavier Rhodes (CB) Lamarcus Joyner (S)

Second Team Defense Everett Dawkins (DT) Christian Jones (LB)

Honorable Mentions Timmy Jernigan (DT) Anthony McCloud (DT) Menelik Watson (OT) Vince Williams (LB)

Coaches All-ACC
Eighteen players from Florida State were voted on for Coaches All-ACC selections.

Second Team Offense E.J. Manuel (QB) Chris Thompson (RB) Tre' Jackson (G) Bryan Stork (C)

Honorable Mentions (Offense) Rashad Greene (WR) Nick O'Leary (TE) Cameron Erving (T) Menelik Watson (T) Josue Matias (G)

First Team Defense Cornellius Carradine (DE) Bjoern Werner (DE) Xavier Rhodes (CB) Lamarcus Joyner (S)

Second Team Defense Timmy Jernigan (DT) Everett Dawkins (DT) Christian Jones (LB)

Honorable Mentions (Defense) Anthony McCloud, Sr. (DT)

First Team Special Teams Dustin Hopkins (K)

Defensive Player of the Year Bjoern Werner (DE)

Defensive Rookie of the Year Ronald Darby (CB)

Coach of the Year Runner-Up Jimbo Fisher

All-Americans
Four Florida State players have been honored with All-American selections.


 * Bjoern Werner (consensus)
 * Dustin Hopkins
 * Rashad Greene
 * Coenellius Carradine

Conference awards

 * ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year
 * Ronald Darby


 * ACC Defensive Player of the Year
 * Bjoern Werner


 * Brian Piccolo Award
 * Chris Thompson

Depth Chart
Offense

QB 3 EJ Manuel 6–5 238 Sr. 9 Clint Trickett 6–2 180 So. 14 Jacob Coker 6–5 232 RFr.

TB 4 Chris Thompson 5–8 187 Sr. or 32 James Wilder Jr. 6–2 220 So. or 8 Devonta Freeman 5–8 200 So. 7 Mario Pender 6–0 190 Fr.

FB 24 Lonnie Pryor 6–0 229 Sr. 21 Debrale Smiley 5–11 228 Sr. 41 Chad Abram 6–0 235 Jr.

WR(Z) 8 Rodney Smith 6–6 219 Sr. 15 Greg Dent 5–11 185 Jr. 1 Kelvin Benjamin 6–6 242 RFr.

WR(Y) 12 Jarred Haggins 6–1 187 Jr. or 89 Christian Green 6–2 206 So.

WR(X) 80 Rashad Greene 6–0 175 So. 81 Kenny Shaw 5–11 170 Jr. 82 Willie Haulstead 6–3 233 Jr.

TE 35 Nick O’Leary 6–4 240 So. 6 Dan Hicks 6–4 275 Jr. 44 Will Tye 6–3 254 So.

LT 75 Cameron Erving 6–5 313 So. 67 Daniel Glauser 6–6 322 Sr.

LG 70 Josue Matias 6–5 325 So. 60 Jacob Fahrenkrug 6–4 317 Sr. 56 Trey Pettis 6–5 330 RFr.

C 62 Austin Barron 6–3 295 So. 53 Sterling Lovelady 6–2 290 So.

RG 54 Tre’ Jackson 6–4 325 So. 76 Garrett Faircloth 6–7 283 Jr. 65 Ruben Carter 6–5 285 RFr.

RT 52 Bryan Stork 6–4 316 Jr. 51 Bobby Hart 6–5 318 So.

Defense

LE 95 Bjoern Werner 6–4 272 Jr. 91 Cornellius Carradine 6–5 264 Sr. 96 Toshmon Stevens 6–5 250 Sr.

DT 93 Everett Dawkins 6–2 301 Sr. 97 Demonte McAllister 6–2 290 Jr. 99 Nile Lawrence-Stample 6–2 304 RFr.

DT 92 Anthony McCloud 6–2 302 Sr. 8 Timmy Jernigan 6–3 301 So. 55 Jacobbi McDaniel 6–1 301 Sr. 56 Derrick Mitchell 6–5 314 RFr.

RE 4 Brandon Jenkins 6–3 260 Sr. 51 Giorgio Newberry 6–6 278 RFr.

SLB 10 Nick Moody 6–2 242 Sr. 24 Terrance Smith 6–3 214 RFr.

MLB 22 Telvin Smith 6–3 209 Jr. 11 Vince Williams 6–1 245 Sr.

WLB 7 Christian Jones 6–4 237 Jr. 28 Nigel Terrell 6–1 218 So.

CB 27 Xavier Rhodes 6–2 208 Jr. 37 Keelin Smith 6–3 185 RFr.

SS 20 Lamarcus Joyner 5–8 193 Jr. 1 Tyler Hunter 6–0 194 So. 42 Lamarcus Brutus 6–0 197 RFr.

FS 31 Terrence Brooks 5–11 189 Jr. 9 Karlos Williams 6–2 229 So.

CB 6 Nick Waisome 5–10 165 So. 1 Tyler Hunter 6–0 194 So.

Special Teams

PK 18 Dustin Hopkins 6–2 190 Sr.

P 38 Cason Beatty 6–3 235 Fr. 29 Dillon Kidd 6–1 211 RFr.

PR 80 Rashad Greene 6–0 175 So.

KR 9 Karlos Williams 6–2 229 So. 20 Lamarcus Joyner 5–8 204 Jr.

Accomplishments
During the 2012 season, Florida State won its first ACC title since 2005, advancing to their first BCS bowl since that season as well, and won ten regular season games for the first time since the 2003 season.