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TALLAHASSEE, Florida – With the ball, 2:53 on the clock and the weight of a 36-year-old bowl drag on his shoulders, Deondre Francois was inspired by two future Hall of Fame members.
"I just said, what would Tom Brady do in this situation?" Thought the Florida State quarterback. "What would Aaron Rodgers do in this situation?"
The solution, it seems, is to throw it at the receiver 6 feet 4 inches.
As Francis channels his inner Brady and Tamorrion Terry playing Randy Moss, Florida's offensive was hit for a devastating 74-yard pass to the center of the field that allowed the Seminoles to take it away. 22-21 on the Boston 20 College at Doak Campbell Stadium.
François drops a DIME to Tamorrion Terry for the victory! WOW! ?#Do something(@FSUFootball ,@ _Dirtie12, @ TT1Batman) pic.twitter.com/JEFzNzX7gO
– ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 18, 2018
As a result, the Florida State improved to 5-6, broke a three-game losing streak and gave itself a chance to bowling for an NCAA record 37th consecutive season.
All that the Seminoles have to do is beat their Florida rival, 8-3, and 15th, for a sixth straight year at home.
"An incredible win for our guys," said FSU coach Willie Taggart after leading the Seminoles to their first win over a ranked opponent since the 2016 Orange Bowl.
"It matters a lot to our program. Let's hope this is the decisive moment that we all knew how to arrive.
The only touchdown of Francois' night sealed a match that had been suspended moments before.
Strong of a strong run and an attack that transformed 7 of the 19th trials, the Eagles led most of the afternoon. They held the ball and a five-point advantage late in the fourth quarter.
British Columbia coach Steve Addazio, however, left halfback AJ Dillon (6-foot, 245-pound) on the sidelines and decided to ambush.
The Eagles had already converted three of the five fourth-down attempts and, if they had one more, they might have sealed the match.
Instead, British Columbia gave the Seminoles the openness they needed.
"I felt the blood," said François. "I was ready to leave."
Three games later, after an eight-yard run from Cam Akers and a five-yard conservative goalkeeper, François went deep into Terry, who was face to face with a 6-foot-half corner.
As he has done all season, Terry seemed easy to him. He overtook his defender, grabbed the ball quickly and then skated a low tackle attempt before going into the end zone.
And when he crossed the goal line, the Doak Campbell stadium roared as hard as he did for months.
"Whenever I know it's a face to face, I think it's a touchdown," Terry said. "Nobody can keep me, and I know it."
Who would argue? Eight of Terry's 32 catches this season were touchdown, including 78, 74, 55 and 35 yards.
One more, and Terry will live up to Greg Carr for the largest number of catches ever made by a freshman in FSU.
"He did it week after week," said François. "When we cover it from man to man, it's the guy who's going to get the ball, no matter where you put it. He has a second gear. He has a third report. "
Asked after the match on his decision to go crazy, Addazio of British Columbia said he regretted the result but not the choice.
"Your heart is like," I should have done the first try, "said Addazio." But honestly, when thinking about it, it was really not the right thing to do. "
François had 322 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while rookie Keyshawn Helton made his first start, catching six passes, a top of his team, for 72 yards.
Offensive rider Cam Akers continued his upward trend with an evening of 14 carries and 110 yards that pushed him past the 100-yard mark for the first time this season.
That included a 55-yard scamper in the fourth quarter in which Akers broke a tackle, lost his balance and nearly fell to the ground before settling down and making his way to the left touchline.
This led to a 37-yard placement by Ricky Aguayo – one of three – that allowed the Seminoles to stay within range of the attack.
"You just have to keep the faith, keep believing and keep playing," Akers said. "At the semi-final position, it's bound to happen – big races, big games. You just have to keep your confidence and keep playing ball. "
Meanwhile, the Florida State defense has done a remarkable job in slowing down Dillon from British Columbia.
Yes, Dillon had 116 yards and two touchdowns. But it took 37 races to reach the top of the season.
And apparently, every time Dillon touched the ball, there was a defender of the FSU – or two, maybe three or sometimes four – ready to meet him.
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