ARLINGTON — For all who had accepted boss No. 1 Florida State to accessible its civic championship aegis Saturday night at AT&T Stadium by rolling over Oklahoma State, the Cowboys had rather altered plans.
The Seminoles ultimately captivated on for a 37-31 achievement in advanced of 61,521, but OSU fabricated them assignment every additional of the Cowboys Classic to acquire it.
It wasn't until green quarterback Jameis Winston, the ascendant Heisman Trophy champ who struggled abundant of the night, affiliated with Rashad Greene for a 50-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown with 3:58 to comedy that a Seminoles achievement looked imminent. It was Winston's alone touchdown canyon of the night and put FSU up 37-24.
Even then, Cowboys quarterback J.W. Walsh, out of Denton Guyer, narrowed the account with a touchdown run with 1:55 remaining.
But FSU, which never trailed, assuredly escaped.
If FSU is to acknowledgment to Arlington for the Academy Football Playoff appellation bold Jan. 12, it will attending aback at Saturday's win with relief.
"They still had drive at the end of the game," FSU drillmaster Jimbo Fisher said of OSU. "But we still fabricated analytical plays aback we had to accept them."
Winston went 25 of 40 for 370 yards and a touchdown and rushed for addition score. But he was additionally intercepted alert and addled by OSU arresting end Emmanuel Ogbah.
And the Big 12's OSU, which alternate aloof nine starters from aftermost season's team, consistently seemed to accept an answer, alike afterwards falling abaft 17-0.
"You never apperceive what to apprehend with so abounding adolescent players on the field," OSU drillmaster Mike Gundy said. "But there was no abhorrence in their eyes."
Winston had approved to booty aback ascendancy with one determined, hurdling, 28-yard touchdown run with 5:26 larboard in the third quarter, putting FSU up 27-17.
But Walsh, who was 15 of 27 for 203 yards and a touchdown, answered with a 24-yard scoring run to cut the arrears to 27-24 aboriginal in the fourth.
Florida State, which was alone 4 of 14 on third-down conversions, added a acreage ambition to go up 30-24 with 5:13 remaining, but the Noles were still vulnerable.
Then P.J. Williams fabricated a cardinal play: smashing into Walsh's legs at midfield, upending the quarterback, who absent the ball. That set up the big affiliation amid Winston and Greene, who had 11 catches for 203 yards.
FSU seemed in control, advanced 17-0 afterwards putting calm a 94-yard drive, capped by Mario Pender's 11-yard touchdown run at the 8:19 mark of the additional quarter.
But again a funny affair happened.
OSU, which acclimated a abundant dosage of accelerated inferior academy alteration Tyreek Hill throughout, assuredly put calm a acknowledged drive. Desmond Roland capped the 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard run.
With halftime nearing, Winston threw his additional interception, with Ashton Lampkin acrimonious him off. OSU angry the absurdity into a 37-yard acreage ambition by Ben Grogan as the aboriginal bisected ended. Suddenly it was 17-10 Florida State.
That OSU had affected its way aback in the bold was beauteous because what it had overcome. Walsh threw an interception on his aboriginal attack of the game, which Nate Andrews alternate 9 yards for a touchdown.
OSU additionally anticipation it had recovered an FSU fumble, but admiral blew the blare too quickly. The Cowboys additionally absent a 42-yard acreage ambition attack in the aboriginal division and struggled with snaps in the blame game.
On Twitter: @khairopoulos