A Senior Day victory over Boston College is all that separates Florida State basketball from its first regular season title as a member of the ACC.
The Seminoles kept control of their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament with a thrilling 73-71 win at Notre Dame on Wednesday night. FSU rallied from 13 points down in the second half, thanks to a 21-point effort by M.J. Walker and late-game heroics from senior guard Trent Forrest.
The victory for the Seminoles served as their first-ever in South Bend. That however, wasn’t all that was significant about the thrilling win.
With the win, FSU finished ACC play 6-4 on the road. Although there are more conference games now than in years past, the six wins tied a program record for most ACC wins away from the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The previous two occasions where FSU won six road games were the 1991-92 and 2013-14 seasons. During the former campaign, FSU went 6-2. During the latter, it was 6-3 on the road against the ACC.
The 1991-92 season was FSU’s first as a member of the ACC. In its first conference game as a member, Florida State went into Chapel Hill and stunned No. 5 North Carolina, 86-74. FSU was led by 22 points from guard Sam Cassell, who famously called the North Carolina faithful a “wine and cheese” crowd.
That season, FSU finished 11-5 in the ACC and also collected road wins over ranked Wake Forest and Georgia Tech teams. The only two road ACC losses for the Seminoles that season came at No. 1 Duke and to Clemson by a single point. FSU would go on to reach the Sweet 16 that season where it fell to Indiana.
The 2013-14 season wasn’t a great one for FSU by any means, but somehow, it broke character by going 6-3 on the road in ACC play and just 3-6 at home. FSU’s only wins over ranked teams that season came in the non-conference against Virginia Commonwealth and Massachusetts. The Seminoles failed to make the NCAA Tournament, but reached the NIT semifinals where they fell to Minnesota in overtime, 67-64.
The most notable road victory in ACC play this season for FSU was on Jan. 4 over a top-10 Louisville team, 78-65. The Seminoles also went on the road this season to knock off Wake Forest, Miami, Virginia Tech and NC State before Notre Dame on Wednesday night. All four of FSU’s ACC losses this season have been on the road and all by five points or less.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson. Like The Daily Nole on Facebook. To pitch an idea, author a post or to learn more about The Daily Nole, email Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com.
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