Florida State’s trip to Boston College turned into a night the Seminoles won’t forget, and it started with a call that nobody saw coming.
Down three late in the first half, Florida State lined up for what looked like a routine 19-yard field goal. Instead, the snap turned into a fake, and kicker Gabe Panikowski ended up sprinting into the end zone for a touchdown that helped send the Seminoles into halftime with a 21-17 lead. Panikowski also knocked through the extra point, giving Florida State the edge.
Interim coach Rick Stockstill said the play wasn’t part of the original game plan for the week.
“I didn't put it in. Herb Hand, our offensive line coach, put it in,” said interim coach Rick Stockstill.
“We didn't have it previously before this game. We put it in over the weekend and we thought we had a look.
We had a check out of it if they didn't give us the look we wanted.”
Boston College gave Florida State exactly the look it wanted, and the Seminoles pounced.
“My thought process behind it was there wasn't a lot of time left in the first half,” Stockstill said. “We were down three.
So, I said, Let's do it. We got the look we wanted.
We kept it. Gabe scores his first touchdown at least in college maybe in his life.”
Stockstill said the moment even brought Bobby Bowden to mind.
“At halftime coming off, they asked me why'd you do it and you know the first thing goes through my mind and I've got coach Bowden blood in me,” said Stockstill. “And you know, he run a trick play himself. So maybe he's smiling down on me right now.”
The win snapped Florida State’s 12-game road losing streak and moved the Seminoles to 4-5. It also kept alive their chance to finish with a winning record and reach a bowl game for the first time since the 2023 season, when they won the ACC championship.
Florida State’s locker room had the feel of a team that knew what it had just pulled off. Stockstill got the Gatorade bath, and the celebration carried into a locker room dance party.
The Seminoles also got a big night from freshman Amari Thomas, who rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Now Florida State turns quickly to a short week and a Friday, Nov. 13 trip to Pittsburgh. The rest of the schedule is still in front of them: NC State at home on Nov. 21 and Florida at home on Nov. 27.
Pittsburgh enters at 6-3 and owns a 7-5 record against Florida State, though the Seminoles have won the last two meetings in Pittsburgh, in 2013 and 2023. Thomas and quarterback Ashton Daniels will face a Panthers defense that has been especially hard to run on, allowing just 68 rushing yards per game.
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