For the second game in a row, the Florida State defense played great in the first half only to give up three straight scores in the second.
And for the second game in a row, when it mattered most, the Seminoles made a play when it had to be made.
Akeem Dent's fourth-down interception in the final minutes Saturday gave FSU a 26-23 win over Boston College and set the stage for a showdown with the Florida Gators next Saturday with a bowl berth on the line.
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The Seminoles' defense was so good on Saturday for much of the game, especially in the first half, that defensive coordinator Adam Fuller got the honor of "breaking the rock" in the locker room after the win.
"Coach Fuller is phenomenal," said senior defensive end Keir Thomas, who had three tackles for loss, two sacks and five quarterback hits. "I tell people all the time he puts us in position to make plays."
The first half on Saturday was the best the Florida State defense has played all season.
Facing a good quarterback in Phil Jurkovec and a strong offensive line and powerful running game, the Seminoles held the Eagles to under 100 yards of total offense. And the only three points the Boston College offense mustered came on a drive that featured two third-down penalties on the FSU defense to keep it alive.
Thomas and fellow defensive end Jermaine Johnson wreaked havoc in the first half against the Eagles, continually knocking Jurkovec to the ground and forcing hurried throws.
And save some scrambles from the Boston College quarterback in the second half, the Eagles couldn't muster any real semblance of a running game.
"We knew coming into the game it was going to be a physical game," Thomas said. "We prepared like that from Tuesday. And I feel like we did a good job. I had a couple of opportunities to get the guy on the ground and I didn't. He's a good football player."
So is Thomas, though. And so is Johnson.
And they harassed Jurkovec for four quarters.
The Boston College quarterback hit some throws, and receiver Zay Flowers had a couple of big plays, but the Eagles' offense failed to get in any kind of rhythm all game.
Boston College finished with 318 yards of total offense -- the lowest output by any FSU opponent this year not named UMass. The Eagles were 8-of-16 on third down but only 1-of-5 on fourth down. And running back Patrick Garwo, who came into the game as one of the leading rushers in the conference, managed just 71 yards on 24 carries. With a long of 10.
Of the three Eagles TD drives in the second half, two started in FSU territory -- thanks to a long kick return and a bizarre personal foul call on the Seminoles' punt coverage team. And the other one was aided by two 15-yard penalties on the FSU defense.
Otherwise, despite the numbers Boston College put up in the second half, the Florida State defense delivered arguably its best performance of the season.
And it wrapped up the win with an interception on fourth down by Dent, who made the biggest play of his FSU career to date.
"I've been liking watching Akeem grow game by game," said linebacker Kalen DeLoach, who had a tackle on a screen pass for a safety in the first half. "Even in practice, Akeem grows every day. He's doing the little things. He's trying to focus on the little things. He's going there and doing the extra film work, and getting up there with Coach just for moments like these.
"He's ready for them."
It wasn't a perfect game by the Seminoles' defense. But, just like last weekend when it got an enormous three-and-out late in the game, Adam Fuller's unit rose to the occasion when it mattered most and helped give FSU yet another victory.
"I thought our defensive front played relentless," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. "To be able to finish there at the end, to be able to force that (throw) ... it was a great job by Akeem to go high-point it to end the game."
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