June 1 means we are 94 days away from Florida State football facing off against Virginia Tech. As part of the offseason wait, we’re doing a countdown that highlights players, games, and specific moments from FSU football history. On Thursday, it was the rematch with the rival Florida Gators in the 1995 Sugar Bowl, which the Seminoles won 23-17.
Today, it’s Terrance Smith and his 94-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Florida Gators in 2014.
The never-ending heart attack that was the 2014 season included plenty of incredible moments — some of which we will highlight later in this series. But Terrance Smith’s interception return seems to get passed over, despite the sheer impact it had on the game.
Florida came in to the 2014 contest with nothing to lose. Head coach Will Muschamp had been fired two weeks earlier after a loss to South Carolina, though Florida was letting him finish out the season. The Gators were 6-4 and playing only for pride. Florida State was still undefeated, but its glaring weaknesses meant that no game was a sure-fire win. Florida had a perfect opportunity to end the regular season on a high note and knock its rivals out of playoff contention.
In the first quarter, it looked like the Gators would do just that.
The Gators forced quarterback Jameis Winston into two early interceptions — much to the dismay of a stunned home crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State’s defense was able to hold them to just nine points, but then Winston threw another interception deep in his own territory. All of the sudden, Florida had a chance to go up by three scores before the second quarter even started.
Enter Terrance Smith.
Florida’s offense was just nine yards away from the end zone when quarterback Treon Harris rolled to the right side for a pass. He threw it to tight end Tevin Westbrook, who was unable to secure the ball and let it drop into the hands of Smith. The redshirt junior linebacker immediately saw how much open field was in front of him.
With some help from his convoy of teammates, Smith ran 94 yards for an interception return touchdown that put Florida State right back in the game. Fans in Doak Campbell Stadium finally had something to cheer about, considering how rough of a start they witnessed. Smith’s interception return completely shifted the momentum and gave the Seminoles the boost they needed. Florida State eventually won, 24-19.
Smith’s 2014 season was plagued by injuries that robbed him of a potentially dominant year. But when the team needed him most, he was able to deliver just what it needed.
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