There are 38 days left until Florida State football starts the 2018 season. As part of the offseason, we’re highlighting players, games, and specific moments from FSU football history.
Today, it’s former Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes returning a Matt Ryan interception 38 yards for a touchdown to seal a 27-17 upset at No. 2 Boston College in November 2007.
FSU was just 5-3 as it traveled to Chestnut Hill to face the second-ranked Eagles on Nov. 3, 2007. Boston College was 8-0 at the time, but from the second quarter on, the Seminoles held the lead.
FSU led by 10 points on two separate occasions, but with 3:30 to play, Boston College got the ball back inside its own 10-yard-line down 20-17. FSU had forced three turnovers to that point and intercepted Matt Ryan, the Eagle quarterback, twice. The third would be the back-breaker for Boston College and its national championship hopes.
Two minutes had elapsed off the clock as Boston College faced 2nd-and-7 from its own 33-yard-line. Ryan felt a slight pressure when he stepped up in the pocket to fire a short pass. FSU linebacker Geno Hayes was able to step in front of the pass, pick it off and race the other way unmolested for a 38-yard touchdown to seal the win with 1:10 remaining.
FSU quarterback Drew Weatherford passed for 354 yards with touchdown passes to Preston Parker and De’Cody Fagg in the win. Tony Carter and Patrick Robinson also had interceptions of Ryan for the Seminoles that night.
As for Hayes, that would serve as one of just two career interceptions. As a junior that season, Hayes finished with 80 tackles, including a team-high 17.5 for loss en route to being named first-team All-ACC. Hayes would declare early for the NFL Draft following the season and would spend seven years in the league with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole and former editor of Noled Out. Mike has more than seven years experience as a sports writer including the last four in print and online media. Mike graduated from Florida State University in 2009 with a Bachelors in Religion and a minor in Communications. Mike provided press coverage of Florida State's run to the 2013 BCS National Championship. Mike is also a news reporter at Polk County's newspaper, The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida. and contributes to Athlon Sports and ACCSports.com. Mike has been featured on sites as prominent as Yahoo Sports, FoxSports.com, Associated Press and the front page of SI.com while interviewing athletes as high profile as 2013 National League MVP, Andrew McCutchen. Email Mike at Mike@TheDailyNole.com. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login