Counting Down Jameis Winston’s 5 Best Games: No. 5

With the NFL Draft five days away and Jameis Winston the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in mock drafts from just about all the reputable sources, I will be counting down Winston’s five best games as a Seminole leading up to next Thursday when it seems likely that he will make history as the first No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in Florida State history.

In deciding which games I put into the rankings and in which order, I balanced consideration of how impressive his stat-line and impact on the game was with how important the game was to the program. A conference championship or national championship was more substantial than a regular season game, and a rivalry meant more than a non-rivalry. Taking all of that into account, coming in at No. 5 in the Winston rankings is the 2013 regular-season finale win over Florida.

By the time the 12^th and final regular season game rolled around in the 2013 season, the Seminole faithful had become used to blow-out wins that saw Winston (who was well on his way to winning the Heisman, entering the game against UF with 31 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions and over 3,000 yards passing), along with many members of the first-team offense and defense units, play limited, if any, minutes in the second halves of games. Although Florida State plays in the ACC, a conference that cynics all across the country disparaged when looking for any possible flaw in the near-impeccable FSU resume, they played (and dominated) many teams that would end-up bowl bound, as six regular-season opponents went on to bowl appearances.

However, the Seminoles’ most bitter rival, the University of Florida Gators, were not among those who would be competing in a bowl in the postseason. The Gators entered their November 30^th swamp showdown against Florida State with a 4-7 record, making them ineligible for postseason play even before the expected beat-down by the Seminoles.

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Somehow, the loss that the Gators suffered right before their game with FSU may have been even more embarrassing than their 4-7 record. The week before the Seminoles and Gators were slated to meet, Florida played host to Georgia Southern, a program that is now in the FBS but at the time was FCS. Against all odds, Georgia Southern pulled off a 26-20 win over the Gators in the Swamp without completing a single pass.

With these failures coming so soon after the Tebow years, it is hard to deny that Florida State met the Gators at their lowest point in recent history. As such, one would have pegged the 11-0 Seminoles to run the Gators off the field in Gainesville. Although the 37-7 final score may make you think that is exactly what happened, the score doesn’t tell half of the story.

The Seminoles, who had shown an adeptness for quick starts throughout the 2013 season, did not get their usual offensive firepower early against UF. After forcing a three-and-out to start the game, Florida State managed only one first down on its opening drive, which came on a roughing-the-passer penalty, before a Winston interception, just his eighth of the season, abruptly ended the drive.

On the ensuing UF drive, Trey Burton broke a 50-yard run before the drive stalled out and the Seminoles caught a break with a missed field goal by Austin Hardin that kept the game scoreless. Florida State responded with a drive resulting in a successful 49-yard field goal by Roberto Aguayo to make it 3-0, which remained the score at the end of the first quarter.

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To say the least, this slim margin against a team far from the caliber of FSU was unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory for Florida State’s fans, players, and coaches. The one consistent knock on the 2013 FSU team, aside from the schedule, was that they had little experience in close games. Winston had not played in many close games in his still relatively young career, and no one knew how he would rise, or fall, to the occasion, especially against a rival.

Saying that he thrived under the pressure would be an understatement. Winston led a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter, both capped off with touchdown passes to Kelvin Benjamin, and after a rough 15 minutes, the rout that everyone expected was on.

The win over Florida was substantial, as it marked the first of two undefeated regular seasons to which Winston would lead Florida State. It also was the game in which Winston claimed the FSU record for most passing touchdowns in a season, surpassing Chris Weinke at 33 on his way to 40, his final total for the 2013 season.

In the game, Winston went 19-31 for 327 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Although not particularly bad, the stat line alone is not what puts the game on this list. What makes this game belong on the list is the success under fire that Winston demonstrated in this game. Winston’s grit and ability to get going when the going got tough is something that we are all too familiar with after the 2014 season, but at this point in time, when Winston was far less tested, it was a relief to see that he played just as well, if not better, when things were not exactly going his way, especially in the most-hostile of environments.

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