The Florida State Seminoles’ season of underachieving is finally over with a finish of 5-7 after starting 3-0. With its seventh loss, this time to their bitter rivals, the Florida Gators, 40-21. Despite a game that saw Florida State try to fight back, it was not enough as Florida survives to finish 4-8 (4-2 at home) on the season, and FSU falls to 5-7, and 0-5 on the road this season.
The Seminoles have the honor of not being last in the ACC this year, finishing a paltry 13 out of 17 ahead of North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Syracuse.
Florida managed to hold a 17-14 lead going into halftime, but then they exploded for 26 points in the second half, with a pass from D.J. Lagway and two rushing touchdowns on the back of Jadan Baugh. Tommy Castellanos had a good game, going 17 of 28 for 240 yards, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and one interception.
With all of this in mind, here is what some of the Seminoles’ players had to say after yet another maddening loss.
Q: How frustrating are the slow starts on the road?
Tommy Castellanos: “It’s just a part of the game. I just go out there and execute, you know, to the best of my ability and try to win.”
Q: What was the mood like at halftime, going in just down by three?
Tommy Castellanos: “I think we had a good second quarter. I think the energy going into the second half or halftime was pretty good. But I think we just came out flat.”
Q: Do you think communication is ever an issue for y’all on the road in these types of environments?
Tommy Castellanos: “No, no. I think they hear me pretty well. I don’t think we had a false start or anything like that. So, I think communication is always good. I think I clap pretty loudly and be pretty loud for those guys.”
Q: That fourth down play, did you think you got it?
Tommy Castellanos: “Yeah, I definitely think I thought I got it. I stuck the ball out, kind of put my head down, try to, you know, make a play and be physical, but sometimes you just don’t get them. But they reviewed it.”
Q: How optimistic are you about Kevin Sperry next year?
Tommy Castellanos: “I think he’d be really good for this team. He’s probably the best freshman that I’ve seen with my eyes at quarterback. He’s very poised, very confident, and very comfortable. I think he’d be good.”
Q: How’s the team kind of handling just the disappointment of this loss, knowing you guys didn’t get that sixth win?
Lawayne McCoy: “I mean, it’s a frustrating loss of course with it being a rivalry game. This is the game you wait for. This is the game you come to Florida State to play in. So it’s a frustrating loss but we went out there, we gave it all we got. So, [we] just came up short.”
Q: Two-year losing streak on the road. How difficult is that a mental block for this team?
Lawayne McCoy: “I mean, it’s very difficult, but [we] don’t let it take a toll on the mind of a person. It’s been frustrating the whole year. We haven’t had a road win yet. Just keep falling short, man. And it’s absolutely frustrating.”
Q: What has the season taught you?
Lawayne McCoy: “Treat adversity like success. Like when you’re going through hard times and stuff like that, don’t let it take a toll on you. Just keep pushing because God gives us every day to wake up, and it’s a blessing for me to wake up every day and play the game that I love.”
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: What Florida State’s players said after falling to Florida
Reporting by Jacob Smith, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
