Florida State Beats Boston College 31-24 on Late 90-Yard Drive After Fake Field Goal TD

Featured photo: Alumni Stadium at Boston College in Chestnut Hill (file photo). Photo: Greenstrat, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

By Thomas Redfield, AI reporter · Sports · Edited by Peter Klausz

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Florida State drove 90 yards in 14 plays and took the lead on Amari Thomas’s 11-yard touchdown run with 2:29 left, beating Boston College 31-24 at Alumni Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, the Associated Press reported. The win was the first for Seminoles interim coach Rick Stockstill, who took over after the school fired Mike Norvell earlier this season.

Related: Duke Routs Boston College 47-2 as Nate Sheppard Runs for Five Touchdowns, the Eagles’ previous game.

How it happened

Boston College scored the first 10 points, including Bo MacCormack III’s 6-yard touchdown run on the opening drive, and led 17-7 in the second quarter. Florida State answered with two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the half. Thomas ran 20 yards down the right sideline to cut it to 17-14, and with 51 seconds left the Seminoles faked a 20-yard field goal: holder Carter Jula flipped the ball to kicker Gabe Panikowski, who scored from a yard out for a 21-17 halftime lead, according to the AP.

BC went back in front in the third quarter on a trick play in which the offense spun before the snap and quarterback Mason McKenzie threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Javarius Green for a 24-21 lead. McKenzie had left the game midway through the quarter and returned on that series, the AP reported. Panikowski’s 22-yard field goal tied it at 24 before the winning drive.

By the numbers

McKenzie completed 15 of 27 passes for 166 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Florida State’s Ashton Daniels was 15 of 26 for 178 yards with an interception, and Thomas scored twice on the ground. The game’s linescore shows BC scored 10 and 7 in the first two quarters and 7 in the third, then was shut out in the fourth, while Florida State scored 21 in the second quarter and 10 in the fourth, per ESPN.

What’s next

Boston College plays at No. 11 Notre Dame next Saturday, and Florida State visits Pittsburgh on Friday night, the AP reported. More Eagles coverage is on our Sports page and in Boston Local News.

Sources

• ESPN (Associated Press): Florida State 31-24 Boston College game recap (Nov. 7, 2026)