FSU football: Top five most celebrated wins in 2023 season
2. Louisville
A shot at the ACC Championship was the perfect way for Florida State to cap off a perfect regular season. The Seminoles haven't won a conference championship since 2014. Despite losing both Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker to injury, the Noles were determined to prove their dominance in the conference by bringing the ACC Championship back to Tallahassee.
Winning the ACC Championship wasn't going to be a cakewalk for the Noles. Without both Jordan Travis and Tate Rodemaker due to the horrific injury in the Florida game, Florida State had to make do with freshman third string quarterback Brock Glenn.
Brock Glenn struggled throughout the game. Frustration quickly set in for the players, and watching the game became unbearable. For the Seminoles to win, Mike Norvell needed a new gameplan. He found the right strategy with Lawrance Toafili in the wildcat, scoring a touchdown after a long gain, giving the Noles the momentum they desperately needed. Toafili earned himself the ACC Championship MVP and rightfully so.
There is absolutely no way Florida State would've won the ACC Championship without their smash mouth defense. The Cardinals offense didn't have a chance as the Seminoles defenders stormed the backfield all night long, making quarterback Jack Plummer very uncomfortable. To say that Plummer got pummeled is an understatement.
When it seemed like Louisville was about to turn the corner in the red zone, Florida State's Tatum Bethune came in clutch with the interception in the end zone, the most critical moment in the game for the Seminoles. After Ryan Fitzgerald put the Noles up 16-6 with the field goal, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske put the nail in the coffin with numerous sacks, securing the ACC Championship victory.
This game wasn't the best by any means. As a matter of fact, it was probably one of Florida State's worst offensive performances. Defense won this championship, plain and simple. Given the circumstances, and the fact that the Noles haven't won an ACC Championship since 2014, it was a huge celebratory moment for Florida State.