PASADENA, CA — Jameis Winston has a BCS championship to go with his Heisman Trophy.

The freshman tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds remaining to give FloridaState a 34-31 comeback victory over Auburn. Winston was 6 of 7 for 77 yards on a game-winning drive that took just 66 seconds and was engineered right after Tre Mason ran for a 37-yard touchdown to put the Tigers ahead 31-27 with 1:19 to play. Mason’s scoring run came after Kermit Whitfield had put Florida State on top for the first time since the first quarter with a 100-yard kickoff return to make it 27-24 with 4:31 left.

The Seminoles struggled early after winning their 13 regular-season games by an average of 43 points, falling behind for the first time since September 28. Melvin Ray’s 50-yard touchdown grab put the Tigers ahead 21-3 before FSU rallied to finish 14-0.

Winston was 20 of 35 for 237 yards, two fourth-quarter touchdowns and no interceptions before he was named the game’s offensive most valuable player. He was 14 of 20 for 175 yards in the second half on his 20th birthday.

Devonta Freeman had a team-high 73 rushing yards on 11 carries, including a short scoring run that began the Seminoles’ comeback late in the second quarter.

Mason shredded the FSU defense, carrying 34 times for 195 yards and the touchdown that put Auburn on the verge of keeping the BCS title within the SEC. Nick Marshall ran for 45 yards and a TD and was 14 of 27 for 230 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

It was the final BCS championship before it’s replaced by the College Football Playoff next season. The Southeastern Conference won nine of the 16 BCS title games, including seven straight before Florida State claimed its third national championship and first since the 1999 season.

Related Stories
‹
Oakes' Outlook: Bowls, Roles, and Noles
And so the Tar Heels' disappointing 2014 campaign will come to a close in Motown. It's a fitting end (a dreary and cold one in the Midwest at that) for Carolina in a season that began with its head coach, Larry Fedora, proclaiming "it's time." Time for what, exactly, I'm not sure, but it certainly wasn't a trip to the Quick Lane Bowl to face the equally mediocre 7-5 Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
More Famous Jameis: Winston Wins Heisman Trophy
Jameis Winston has won the Heisman Trophy, making the Florida State quarterback the second straight freshman to win the award.
UNC Football Ready For Battle in Tallahassee Against No. 12 Florida State
After taking a little bit of time to enjoy its thrilling comeback win over Pitt last Saturday, the UNC football team had no choice but to get right back to business this week. With a trip to Tallahassee to face No. 12 Florida State looming this weekend, the Tar Heels will need to overcome one […]
FSU's Jameis Winston Not Charged After Sexual Battery Investigation Ends
The sexual battery investigation was closed Wednesday, and Florida State Attorney William Meggs announced no charges would be filed against the Heisman candidate Thursday.
Chansky's Notebook: A Golf Natty?
Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler. For the University of National Champions, a men’s golf crown would be awesome. The Tar Heels are having their best NCAA tournament performance in […]
No. 5 Texas A&M Outlasts No. 13 UNC in Thrilling Orange Bowl
Despite missing four top players in Saturday night’s Orange Bowl in Miami, the 13th-ranked UNC football team put forth a valiant effort in a 41-27 loss to No. 5 Texas A&M that was much closer than the final score suggests. The Tar Heels (8-4) took a 27-20 lead early in the fourth quarter […]
UNC Field Hockey Earns Second Straight National Title, Undefeated Season
UNC Field Hockey won its second straight national title on Sunday, defeating the Princeton Tigers 6-1. The victory meant the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels completed their second straight season with no losses, finishing with a 23-0 record. Princeton struck first, but Carolina responded with two goals before the end of the half to take a […]
Cam'Ron Kelly Ruled Immediately Eligible to Play for UNC
The UNC football team received a huge boost on Wednesday, when the NCAA approved a waiver request which will allow freshman defensive back Cam’Ron Kelly to play immediately. Kelly was a four-star recruit who originally committed to Virginia Tech before flipping his commitment to Auburn, where he enrolled this past January. When health issues arose […]
UNC Announces Next Police Chief
UNC has announced that David Perry will take over as the new chief of the university police and assistant vice chancellor. Perry is taking over the permanent role from Jeff McCracken, who retired in July after more than 30 years in the university police department. Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in Monday’s announcement that Perry […]
North Carolina or Virginia: Which One Is The Better Redemption Story?
If asked if they could do it all over again, Virginia and Tony Bennett would likely take the historic loss to UMBC last season again. After all, the Cavaliers are national champions this year. The first ever 16-over-1 loss in the men’s NCAA Tournament is a now a footnote because of what Virginia accomplished on […]
›