First game was 'eye-opener' for Florida State

ARLINGTON – It was like watching a video game. On one of the world's largest televisions.

With 5:39 left in the third quarter, and top-ranked Florida State leading Oklahoma State by just three points here at AT&T Stadium, Jameis Winston scrambled to his left, stiff-armed a defender, hurdled offensive lineman Josue Matias, juked another would-be-tackler, eluded another black jersey and found his way into the end zone to put the Seminoles (1-0) up by 10 en route to their 37-31 victory over the Cowboys (0-1) in the season-opener for the two programs.

The reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback's 28-yard touchdown run was a career long for him and one of multiple plays that saw the momentum shift Saturday night in the Dallas Cowboys' stadium where there was a crowd of 61,521, which was almost an even mix of garnet and orange.

"We just needed a play," said Winston of his third-quarter heroics that could be seen on the indoor stadium's 160-foot wide by 72-foot tall jumbotron. "And everybody contributed on that play. … I had no choice but to put the ball in the end zone."

While it did not come easily, the victory was the Seminoles' 17th consecutive win – matching a school-record that began at the start of FSU's 1999 wire-to-wire season and ended on Oct. 7, 2000.

"Last year, it wasn't until we got to Boston College (in late-September) when we realized we've got to play great all game," junior cornerback P.J. Williams said. "This year it hit us right off the bat, so that's a good thing."

The game between the reigning national champions and Oklahoma State's inexperienced team, that lost more players than any other program in the Power Five conferences, was not decided until late in the fourth quarter.

Leading by just six with 4:09 remaining in the game, Winston hit Rashad Greene over the middle, as the senior wideout broke free for a 50-yard touchdown and the Seminoles' final score during the Cowboys Classic kickoff game.

The pass-catcher that has led FSU in receiving each of the last three years, finished with a career-high 203 yards on 11 receptions.

On the same night he turned in the most impressive showing of his already accomplished career, Greene passed Greg Carr and Kez McCorvey, moving into fourth all-time for receiving yards (2,668) in FSU history.

"What I was telling my guys on the sideline was, 'This game is not over. This team is not just going to lay down. They're on scholarship just like I'm on scholarship. So I don't expect them to just lay down because we're Florida State,'" Greene said. "I was definitely prepared for a football game and not a blowout."

With the Seminoles entering the game as more than a two-touchdown favorite, they admitted to not preparing as well as they could have for the well-coached Cowboys team.

"We didn't practice up to Florida State standards. We practiced OK and it showed (in the game)," said sophomore defensive back Jalen Ramsey, who had a career-best and team-high 12 tackles. "Our habits came to the light, they came in the game. That's what happens when you don't practice like a champion."

Even though FSU led 17-0 with less than five minutes left in the second quarter, the Seminoles headed to the locker room ahead just 17-10.

Late in the first half, a pair of forced passes by Winston were intercepted. And FSU's defense struggled to keep leverage on OSU do-everything-speedster Tyreek Hill.

The junior, who played both wideout and tailback for the Cowboys, contributed 22 yards on four carries in addition to a 22-yard reception on OSU's first touchdown drive.

"He's a really fast guy. But he's just another football player," said Ramsey, who spent much of the game covering Hill. "No one's God or anything. We just have to do better. We have to fix stuff ourselves."

After giving up 10 unanswered points, the Seminoles started the second half with a scoring drive that ended with a 27-yard field goal by reigning Lou Groza Award-winner Roberto Aguayo.

"They had momentum in the football game. And usually the team that has the momentum wins the game," FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said. "That's why I'm very proud – we never had momentum, but we kept fighting, scratching, and clawing and figured out a way to win the game."

FSU converted on just 4 of 14 third downs as 14 of the Seminoles' 37 points came off of turnovers.

OSU quarterback J.W. Walsh finished the game 15 of 27 for 203 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. He also had a pair of TD runs.

After leading FSU with a team-high four interceptions last year as a true freshman, Nate Andrews' pick-six put the Seminoles up 10-0 with 8:37 left in the first quarter. It was the second career touchdown for the safety.

Even though FSU came away with the victory, players say that was not how the locker room felt on Saturday night.

"The mood, honestly, it was very quiet," Greene said. "At the end of the day, I sensed something that says that everybody in there knows we're a lot better than what we played and we need to get back in the lab and create better practice habits."

Fisher added: "It is not about being great; it is about playing great. And our preparation and things, we got to get better."

Even though Winston finished 25 of 40 for 370 yards and a touchdown in the back-and-forth game, his video-game-like TD run late in the third quarter gave the Seminoles some much-needed momentum, as Fisher had already used his final timeout less than half-way through the quarter.

Matias, who was hurdled by Winston during his rushing score, says the cheers of the crowd are how he knew the superstar QB was heading his way.

"I felt him coming. I had to duck," the senior offensive lineman said. "I didn't want to trip him."

Even though the Cowboys never led during the game, they were able to respond to just about every scoring drive the Seminoles had in the second half, as momentum between the divided stadium shifted back and forth.

"I think the one thing we proved is that the young players and this team won't back down from anybody," said OSU head coach Mike Gundy, who played 14 freshmen in the game. "But we had a chance to win with five minutes left."

As the Seminoles ultimately pulled out the victory, the reigning national champions hope the game serves as a lesson learned.

Beginning the season as the hunted, rather than the hunters, like they were last year, players say they must continue to bring the same attitude of domination they brought to practices during their 14-0 national championship season.

"It's an eye-opener, a humbler," Ramsey said. "We knew it wasn't going to be an easy battle, but we didn't feel like it would be this hard."