Florida State Seminoles vs Oregon Ducks in 2015 Rose Bowl
In the first College Football Playoff semifinal, the second-seeded Oregon Ducks bested the third-seeded, undefeated Florida State Seminoles 59-20 in the Rose Bowl on New Years Day, earning the Ducks a National Championship berth. The faceoff between 2013 and 2014 Heisman trophy winners, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, was a pretty even race. Jameis Winston posted 348 passing yards and one touchdown, while Mariota claimed 338 yards and two touchdowns for himself. Here are a few of the highlights of the game:
The Seminoles took the early lead with a field goal in the first quarter. That was the only time Florida State had the lead. The game started out slow, with only a single touchdown in the first quarter, courtesy of Oregon's Royce Freeman. Following a two-point conversion pass from Taylor Allie to Christian French, the end of the first quarter had the Ducks up 8-3. Those fans who enjoy betting on FSU football would most likely not enjoy the rest of the game.
Early in the second quarter, Aidan Schneider hit a 28 yard field goal to increase the Ducks' lead. On the next possession, FSU's Roberto Aguayo replied with a 26 yard field goal. Thomas Tyner then ran for a touchdown. Schneider split the uprights and the Ducks were up by 12. Seminole Karlos Williams ran the final touchdown of the first half with just 0:36 left on the clock. At half time, the Ducks lead 18-13.
The real Oregon magic happened in the second half. The Ducks scored six touchdowns in the second half, one for every time they touched the ball. Magic may not be the right word, as four of those final touchdowns were due to FSU turnovers. Florida State, which struggled with turnovers all season, suffered a slew of fumbles and a single interception, which tipped the scales in the Ducks' favor. Although the turnovers may have also been a consequence of Oregon's signature hurry-up offense, which was present on New Years Day in Rose Bowl Stadium.
Royce Freeman ran for a touchdown early in the third. A few minutes later, Jameis Winston connected with Travis Rudolph in an 18 yard pass that put FSU's final points on the board. The rest of the game was all Oregon. Marcus Mariota passed to Darren Carrington for the next two touchdowns, the second of which having a total of only 21 seconds for the entire drive. Tony Washington had a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown, rounding out the third quarter.
Marcus Mariota ran for a 23-yard touchdown to start off the fourth. Thomas Tyner had a 21-yard run to collect the final touchdown. It seemed the landslide win may have been due to FSU's errors rather than Oregon's prowess, but the result remains: The Oregon Ducks routed the Florida State Seminoles. The Oregon Ducks set a Rose Bowl record for points during the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinal game. The Oregon Ducks will see action again soon as they face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the National Championship game which will be held on January 12th, 2015 at 8:30 pm (ET) in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium.