ORLANDO – The Florida State Seminoles (9-3) will meet the Oklahoma Sooners (6-6) in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl.
Florida State enters this game with a No. 13 national ranking and a five-game winning streak. The ACC team picked up wins against Georgia Tech, Miami, Syracuse, Louisiana, and Florida.
The Seminoles offensive attack is led by Palm Beach County native and starting junior quarterback Jordan Travis, who has put up some impressive numbers.
Photo credits: Chuck Bethel
In 12 games played, Travis has the following statistics:
•199-of-315 passing for 2,796 passing yards and 22 touchdowns; 367 rushing yards and seven touchdowns
Florida State’s ground game features three running backs in Trey Benson (leading rusher), Treshaun Ward, and Lawrance Toafili. Their backfield has combined for 19 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards.
Johnny Wilson is the Seminoles leading receiver, while fellow wideouts Ontario Wilson and Mycah Pittman contribute to the offense’s bottom line in their own ways.
The Seminoles defense will feature Jamie Robinson, who leads his team in tackles with 86 and four tackles for loss. Meanwhile, Tatum Bethune has 76 tackles, along with 8.5 tackles for loss.
Jared Verse could take over this game. He has 41 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks coming into tonight’s matchup.
OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma Sooners will be limping into this game in hopes of avoiding their first losing season since 1998.
The Sooners most recent loss came on the road to Texas Tech. It was an overtime thriller that ended in a 51-48 road defeat on Nov. 12.
A bright spot for Oklahoma is it has defended home well this season, sporting a 4-2 record in the process. But on the other side, the Sooners are 2-3 on the road and 0-1 in neutral site games.
The Sooners offense is led by quarterback Dillion Gabriel, who has the following statistics this season to date:
•215-of-342 passing for 2,290 pass yards and 24 touchdowns
Photo from Dillon Gabriel’s Twitter page/@_dillongabriel_
Gabriel’s top target will be Marvin Mims, who leads the Sooners receiving corps with 52 catches for 1,006 yards and six touchdowns.
Eric Gray will see a majority of carries as he’s done all year long. He has racked up 1,366 yards and 11 touchdowns.
On defense, sophomore Danny Stutsman will be a player to watch as he leads his team in tackles with 119, 9.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Senior David Ugwoegbu will be a name to watch for as well, as he has posted 102 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Florida State and Oklahoma have met seven times previously, with the Sooners claiming six wins, including a victory in the 2001 BCS Championship Game in Miami. The teams most recently met in 2011 in Tallahassee, which ended in favor of the Sooners.
The Cheez-It Bowl will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 29). The game location is at Camping World Stadium and it will be televised nationally by ESPN.
PHOTO CREDITS: Chuck Bethel and Dillon Gabriel
