It was ugly. Honestly, that's the only way to describe the FSU vs Gators 2024 matchup if you're a fan of clean, crisp football. But if you're a Florida fan? You probably don't care one bit. The Gators went into Doak Campbell Stadium on November 30, 2024, and basically dismantled a Florida State team that was already having a historically bad year. The final score was 31-11, but even that doesn't quite capture the sheer chaos of those sixty minutes.
You've got to look at the context here. Florida State entered the game with a 2-9 record. They were staring down their first 10-loss season in half a century. Meanwhile, Billy Napier’s Gators were actually finding some late-season rhythm after beating LSU and Ole Miss. They needed this one to clinch a winning season.
They got it. And they got it by feasting on turnovers.
The Night the Ball Wouldn't Stay Put
If you watched the FSU vs Gators 2024 game, you saw a lot of the turf. Why? Because the Seminoles couldn't stop hitting it. FSU fumbled the ball eight times. Eight. They lost five of them. It’s hard to win a middle school game with those numbers, let alone a rivalry game against a team that’s finally figured out how to rush the passer.
Florida's defense wasn't just lucky; they were predatory. They racked up eight sacks on the night. Poor Luke Kromenhoek, the FSU freshman quarterback, spent most of the evening looking for a way out of the pocket before getting swallowed by guys like Jack Pyburn and Jaden Robinson. Pyburn actually started the landslide early, forcing a fumble on a sack in the first quarter that set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ja'Kobi Jackson.
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That was the theme: FSU mistakes turning into Gator points.
Florida outscored the Noles 14-0 just off turnovers. It felt like every time FSU managed to string together a few decent plays, someone would cough up the ball. Lawrance Toafili fumbled. Lawayne McCoy muffed a punt. It was a comedy of errors for Mike Norvell's squad, and the Tallahassee crowd was mostly silent by the time the fourth quarter rolled around.
A Battle of the Freshmen
This was actually the first time in this rivalry's long history that two true freshmen started at quarterback. DJ Lagway vs. Luke Kromenhoek.
Lagway didn't have to be a superhero. He played smart. He finished 14 of 22 for 133 yards and two touchdowns. His 4-yard toss to Marcus Burke right before halftime was a backbreaker, putting Florida up 14-0. He looked like the future of the program—composed, even when the offense sputtered a bit in the third quarter.
Kromenhoek had a much rougher go of it. He actually threw for more yards than Lagway (140), but the eight sacks and the constant pressure made it impossible for him to find a rhythm. It’s tough to judge a kid when his offensive line is essentially a revolving door. FSU’s line was overmatched from the jump, and Florida’s defensive front, which had been heating up for weeks, took full advantage.
How the Gators Pulled Away
The third quarter was a bit of a slog. FSU finally got on the board with a Ryan Fitzgerald field goal, making it 14-3. For a second, you thought, "Maybe?" Then the muffed punt happened. Florida recovered at the 12-yard line, Trey Smack kicked a field goal, and the air just left the stadium.
Then came the dagger.
Early in the fourth, Montrell Johnson Jr. reminded everyone why he's one of the steadier backs in the SEC. He took a handoff and went 65 yards to the house. Boom. 24-3. Johnson ended the night with 99 yards and crossed the 3,000-yard career rushing mark in the process. Not a bad way to wrap up a regular season.
FSU did manage a late touchdown—a 2-yard run by Toafili followed by a successful two-point conversion to Landen Thomas—but it was far too little, too late. Lagway added a "garbage time" 8-yard touchdown to Tony Livingston just to put a bow on the 31-11 victory.
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The Flag Plant Heard 'Round Florida
You can't talk about FSU vs Gators 2024 without mentioning the post-game fireworks. As soon as the clock hit zero, the Gators players rushed to the center of the field and tried to plant a Florida flag right on the Seminole logo.
Predictably, things got heated.
Mike Norvell was right in the middle of it, visibly furious, ripping the flag away. It was a massive scuffle that involved coaches and players from both sides. It felt like the frustration of a 2-10 season just boiled over for FSU, while Florida was more than happy to rub salt in the wound after snapping a two-game losing streak in the series. It was the first time the Gators had won in Tallahassee since 2018.
What This Means for 2025 and Beyond
For Florida, this was a massive "program-saver" type of month. They went from people calling for Billy Napier's head to finishing 7-5 with a three-game winning streak against quality opponents and their biggest rival. They looked like a team that had finally bought in.
For FSU? It’s a total rebuild.
You don’t go from an undefeated regular season in 2023 to 2-10 in 2024 without some soul-searching. The offensive line needs a complete overhaul, and the culture clearly took a hit during the losing skid.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch the Portal: Expect FSU to be incredibly aggressive in the transfer portal, specifically looking for veteran offensive linemen to protect Kromenhoek or whoever wins the job next year.
- The Lagway Era: If you're a Gators fan, the 2025 season is all about DJ Lagway’s development. He showed he can win a road rivalry game as a freshman; now he needs a dedicated offensive coordinator to help him take the next step.
- Rivalry Heat: That flag-planting incident is going to be played on a loop before the 2025 game. Expect the atmosphere in Gainesville next year to be even more toxic than usual.
Florida has the momentum now, but as we saw with FSU this year, things in college football can change faster than a fumbled snap.