TALLAHASSEE, Fl. (WTXL) - This season has been one of ups and downs for this Florida State football program, but Saturday inside Doak Campbell Stadium, the focus was on sending this senior class out with a victory, and they did just that, winning 49-12 over Alabama State. So a special day for these seniors, and a big day for this Florida State football team, as they are now bowl eligible after missing the postseason last year.
"When these young men come to Florida State, they sign on the dotted line, they expect that," said interim head coach Odell Haggins of clinching a bowl berth. "That's the expectation at Florida State University."
An expectation that was snapped last year after 36 straight Bowl appearances, and that is something this Seminole squad wasn't about to let happen again.
"That was a hurtful experience, and it was kind of, not not kind of, it was embarrassing for the program and for our class," said defensive back Hamsah Nasirildeen.
"We are ready to go out there and compete and we're going to work hard for Coach Odell and we won't stop competing and we play 100% everyday," added wide receiver Tamorrion Terry.
To get this program back where it belongs, is the goal for these players.
"When we speak about Florida State, we never had to speak of this conversation of being bowl eligible, and we're just going to keep striving," said quarterback James Blackman. "We want to win out, and we're going to keep going to work and putting our best foot forward and make sure we put ourselves in the best position to win out."
Where they're going bowling remains to be seen, but after that 36 year bowl streak was snapped last year, this team just happy to be right where Florida State belongs and that's playing in a bowl game. Now, this team gets ready for a bye week before they play Florida Thanksgiving weekend.
