Florida State once again had to rally for a victory last Saturday, but Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said quarterback Jameis Winston might have played his best game of the season in the 20-17 victory over Boston College.
During his weekly Monday news conference, Fisher said he couldn't remember a bad read or decision that Winston made, and that he also was impressed with Winston's accuracy.
Winston's stats weren't overwhelming: He was 22-of-32 for 281 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The 22 completions tied a season-low, and it was his third straight game with just one TD pass (it was also his fifth straight game at least one interception). In addition, the yardage total was just his seventh-highest of the season.
Still, Winston would've had more completions if not for some drops; indeed, Fisher said Winston should've been 28-of-32 for the game. And Winston again led a final-minute scoring drive for the game-winning points. Roberto Aguayo kicked a 26-yard field goal with three seconds left to cap a 12-play, 66-yard drive that took up 4:34. Winston was 3-of-3 for 33 yards on the drive, including a 15-yard completion to the BC 30-yard-line on a first-and-15 play. That put FSU in field-goal range, and Fisher called five consecutive running plays after the completion.
Winston's solid play Saturday probably surprises very few scouts. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote last month that Winston is the best quarterback prospect in college, and an AFC executive told NFL Media analysts last week that Winston's "pocket movement and accuracy are both outstanding." As with every college football quarterback, he has some tweaks he can make with his mechanics. It's the off-field issues that have created some doubt.
FSU has won 27 in a row and finishes the regular season Saturday at home against Florida; the Seminoles meet Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game on Dec. 6. If they win both games the Seminoles will make the College Football Playoff. FSU's seeding will be one of the biggest storylines in the next two weeks.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.