Florida State football snapped its 12-game road losing streak Saturday, defeating Boston College 31-24 in an ACC matchup behind a late touchdown from Amari Thomas.
The Seminoles improved to 4-5 (2-4 ACC), while the Eagles fell to 4-5 (2-4 ACC).
Florida State finished with 380 total yards, including 202 rushing and 178 passing, compared to Boston College’s 320. The Seminoles also held a 22-19 advantage in first downs.
Quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 15 of 26 passes for 178 yards with an interception
and added 38 rushing yards and a touchdown. Thomas led the Seminoles with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Micahi Danzy had seven receptions for 86 yards, while Jasen Lopez added four catches for 54 yards.
The Seminoles entered the matchup following a week of coaching changes, with former FSU quarterback Rick Stockstill taking over as interim head coach. Stockstill, who played at Florida State from 1977 to 1981 and is a member of the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame, made his debut leading the Seminoles.
Florida State was also without wide receiver Duce Robinson, who suffered an injury in the previous game.
Boston College opened the game with a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by Bo MacCormack III’s 6-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter.
After forcing Florida State to punt, Boston College extended its lead to 10-0 on Luca Lombardo’s 48-yard field goal late in the opening quarter.
The Seminoles responded with 21 points in the second quarter.
Daniels opened the scoring for Florida State with a 4-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 10-7 early in the quarter.
Boston College answered with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Mason McKenzie to Nedrick Boldin Jr., extending its lead to 17-7.
The Seminoles responded with a 20-yard touchdown run from Thomas, bringing Florida State within three at 17-14.
After forcing Boston College to punt, Florida State took its first lead of the game on a fake field goal. Kicker Gabe Panikowski scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-1, giving the Seminoles a 21-17 advantage with 51 seconds remaining in the first half.
Nehemiah Chandler then intercepted McKenzie and returned it 30 yards with 7 seconds remaining before halftime.
The Seminoles opened the second half on offense but were forced to punt.
Florida State’s Ja’Bril Rawls intercepted Grayson Wilson in the third quarter, but the Seminoles were unable to capitalize. Daniels was intercepted by Marcus Upton on the ensuing possession, giving Boston College another scoring opportunity.
The Eagles took advantage with McKenzie’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Javarius Green, regaining the lead at 24-21 with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter.
Florida State continued moving the ball offensively, including a 30-yard reception by Lopez with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter.
After being held scoreless in the third quarter, the Seminoles responded with 10 unanswered points in the fourth.
Florida State tied the game at 24 on Panikowski’s 22-yard field goal with 13:22 remaining.
With the game tied, Daniels connected with Lopez for an 11-yard gain on third-and-4 with 6:42 remaining, helping keep the Seminoles’ drive alive.
Thomas eventually broke through with an 11-yard rushing touchdown, giving Florida State a 31-24 lead with 2:29 remaining.
Boston College had one final opportunity to respond, but Florida State’s defense held strong.
On fourth-and-15, McKenzie attempted a deep pass intended for Dawson Pough, but Chandler broke it up, forcing a turnover on downs with 1:28 remaining.
Florida State took over, picked up a first down and ran out the clock to seal the 31-24 road victory.
The win marked Florida State’s first road victory after 12 consecutive losses away from home and gave Stockstill a victory in his debut as interim head coach.
