No doubt, it has already been a better-than-expected season for coach Mike Norvell and his Florida State Seminoles.
They came into the Black Friday Sunshine State showdown with the Florida Gators ranked No. 16 in the country and with at least eight wins for the first time in six seasons. They blew out their other state rival – the Miami Hurricanes – 45-3 earlier this month and have been playing as well as any team in the country in this November to remember.
Still, Norvell absolutely needed to beat Florida on Friday night to put a big, beautiful garnet-and-gold holiday bow on his breakthrough season in Tallahassee.