Talented, resilient, lucky? How unbeaten Florida State kept its roll going against Notre Dame

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Add the Midnight Flag to the list.

Place it alongside the Kelvin Benjamin Catch. And the Clemson Shotgun Suicide. In the roll call of close escapes for Florida State in its 23-game winning streak, the offensive pass interference call on Notre Dame with 17 seconds left Saturday night might move to the top.

Because this time, the Seminoles were beaten. When Fighting Irish wide receiver Corey Robinson suddenly was the most wide-open man in America and cradled the easy throw from Everett Golson at roughly 11:58 p.m. EDT, it looked like the streak was snapped and the game was over and Notre Dame had arguably its biggest victory in 21 years – since its last undefeated vs. undefeated showdown with Florida State.

Except for that yellow hankie on the Doak Campbell Stadium grass. A grand and dramatic game ended in an inglorious rules violation, with FSU clinging to a 31-27 victory after being pushed to the brink.

It was a good call, make no mistake. Lined up in a trips-right formation at the Seminoles 2-yard line, wideouts C.J. Prosise and William Fuller wiped out Florida State defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Ronald Darby. They weren't running routes; they were blocking to spring Robinson into the clear for an uncontested catch.

Still, it isn't easy for an official to intrude on the ending of a game this big. Kudos to the ref for throwing the flag and not abdicating responsibility in the final seconds. The Irish still had a final play, a fourth-down prayer from the 18, but it was easily intercepted in the end zone and that was that.

Bottom line, this Notre Dame team isn't very good at cheating. They get caught in the classroom – which is why five players aren't in uniform this season – and they get caught on the football field.

And nobody can catch Florida State. On the scoreboard or anywhere else. Team Teflon marches on – nowhere near the machine of 2013, but every bit as unbeaten so far.

"You can say whatever you want," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "This team isn't as dominant, it isn't as spectacular. This team understands how to win. It has character. … I'll tell you what, I wouldn't trade it for any team in America."

Even so, Fisher probably would appreciate a few less midweek headaches.

For the umpteenth time in the melodramatic and controversial last year, some wondered last week whether quarterback Jameis Winston might not play in this game. The reason this time: more than 2,0000 items bearing his signature popped up on a memorabilia certifying website. People speculated that there was no way anyone would freely sign 2,000 things that would all wind up on the commercial market, and that Winston might be suspended the way Georgia sat down running back Todd Gurley. The speculation briefly intensified when Florida State said it was investigating the matter.

That investigation quickly and predictably went nowhere. You can question how sincerely the school investigated, but pay-for-autograph stuff is very hard to prove even if you're strenuously trying to prove it. The only thing that was going to keep Winston out of this game was carpal tunnel syndrome from stressing his writing hand signing all those things.

For free. Of course.

On the field after surviving this latest self-inflicting storm, TV audio caught Fisher counseling his quarterback about how to handle the postgame press conference.

"Now here's what you've got to do," Fisher said to Winston. "Calm down, don't give them any [ammunition]. You're very passionate right here. People back on your side. Do you understand what I'm telling you? Humble, humble, humble pie. Don't get cranked up."

Really, Winston rarely needs that sort of lecture with the media – he's routinely charismatic and engaging in that setting. It's everywhere else that the sophomore could use a constant voice in his ear.

Winston provided no ammunition in the wee hours of Sunday morning. He lauded his teammates and the coaching staff and Notre Dame. He was proud, but not prideful.

"The one thing that people need to realize about the Seminoles team is when we've got our backs to the wall, we always rise," he said. "We start playing harder."

Winston certainly rose in the second half. With the Seminoles trailing 17-10, he played a brilliant second half.

Winston completed 15 of 16 passes in the final two quarters, leading the Seminoles to three touchdowns. With a running game that remains sporadic at best, he put the FSU offense on his back and his arm.

"Jameis was phenomenal," Fisher said.

He was not, however, the only phenomenal quarterback on the field. Golson produced more passing yards (313 to Winston's 273), more rushing yards (33 to Winston's 8), more touchdown passes (three to Winston's two) and more spectacular plays. The matchup of two winners who had not lost a regular-season game as college starters lived up to its hype – except the QB who had gotten second billing nearly stole the show.

"I thought our quarterback played better than [Winston] tonight," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. "It just didn't show up on the scoreboard."

It very nearly did, with a final drive that would have been something out of the Joe Montana Book of Clutch.

Taking over at the Florida State 49 with 2:53 left, Golson first drove the Irish backward – they wound up with a dire, fourth-and-18 from their own 43. Golson, who had gone to the locker room for fluids after cramping in the third quarter, scrambled to his right and took a shot to the midsection as he threw a strike to Robinson for 20 yards – a stunning play that momentarily silenced the crowd of 82,431. Then he hit Fuller for 17 yards, and scrambled for eight more to create a first-and-goal situation with less than a minute left.

On third and goal from the 8, Golson hit Prosise for six yards to the 2. That set up the deciding play, when Notre Dame interfered with its chance to pull a massive upset and insert itself into the four-team College Football Playoff field for the moment.

Even with the loss, the Irish are not done – a last-minute, four-point defeat on the road against an undefeated team is not a season killer. But they likely will need some help now.

Florida State needs no help to stay in the hunt for a repeat national title. Keep winning and they're in the playoff.

Led by a quarterback whose rep has veered from hero to antihero, the Seminoles continue to survive all manner of adversity – even the self-inflicted kind. They've been good and they've been lucky, but mostly they've been undefeated.

"I get hit a lot of times," Jameis Winston said. "But you know what I do? I get back up and I keep playing football. And we keep winning."