TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State football team will play Southern Miss in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, on Dec. 27, it was announced Sunday.
The bowl selection marks the 36th straight postseason appearance for the Seminoles, who won three in a row and four of their final five games of the 2017 season to reach bowl eligibility. In its current three-game winning streak, Florida State has outscored its opponents 157-38.
FSU’s current winning streak includes defeating in-state rival Florida for a program-record fifth straight time and extending a program-best winning streak in Gainesville to four. Prior to the current streak, which began in 2011, FSU had never won more than two games in a row in Gainesville.
“We are honored to be playing in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl and representing Florida State University in Shreveport,” interim head coach Odell Haggins said. “We are happy to extend our bowl streak that means so much to everyone associated with the program. We are excited for what our team has accomplished this season, including our fifth straight win over Florida for the first time in program history. This is all about our players, and I’m thankful to FSU President John Thrasher and Vice President/Director of Athletics Stan Wilcox for allowing me this opportunity to lead our team into the bowl game.”
Florida State leads the all-time series with the Golden Eagles 13-8-1. The series dates back to 1952, but this will be the first matchup between the programs since the No. 3 Seminoles beat 25th-ranked Southern Miss 54-14 in 1996. This is the first matchup in a bowl game and will be Florida State’s first appearance in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl.
The Walk-On’s Independence Bowl will be held at Independence Stadium. The game is set for a 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff and will be broadcast on ESPN. Tickets are available now on Seminoles.com.
