PASADENA, Calif. — Jameis Winston was the Heisman Trophy winner, the quarterback of what many believed to be the best offense in college football. Winston, with his signature smile, had led the Seminoles offense in blowout victory after blowout victory this season, making it hard to believe he would let a victory escape him Monday night.
Winston had been smiling all season, even as he was investigated on a claim of sexual assault for which he was ultimately not charged. Even as Florida State kept winning and the stakes grew, he kept smiling. He appeared as if he had never had a bad day in his life. He had not really had a bad game all season. He had not really been tested.
On Monday, his 20th birthday, he was challenged on the football field, in the Bowl Championship Series national title game against Auburn. Trailing by 4 points, with 71 seconds left, Winston marched down the field, completing 6 of 7 passes for 77 yards, capping the drive by coolly lofting the winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin, giving Florida State a 34-31 lead and cementing his place in Florida State history, among quarterback royalty.
Charlie Ward. Chris Weinke. And now Jameis Winston.
The previous 16 Heisman-winning quarterbacks had a 7-9 record in their bowl games. Worse, those who played for a national title went 4-7. Winston had shrugged at the correlation.
"One thing I can tell you about history," he said, "it's in the past."
His first drive Monday went well enough. He converted a long third down on a 29-yard pass to Rashad Greene to lead Florida State into the red zone. But after he was sacked on another third down, the Seminoles settled for a field goal. Winston was maybe not as invincible as he had seemed. He looked a bit jittery.
Over the Seminoles' next three possessions, they gained 24 yards on 12 plays and punted three times. This was the most prolific offense in college football, the one that had outscored its opponents this season by 42.3 points a game. This offense could do anything it wanted to do, Winston had said ahead of Monday's game. Now as he tried to scramble, tried to make a play, he was stripped of the ball near his own 27-yard line.
Soon, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall was in the end zone, celebrating a 4-yard score and a 21-3 Auburn lead. Marshall had made timely throws, Tre Mason had picked up steam, and Winston had completed one pass since the opening drive. The Auburn defense, which had given up about 423 yards a game, was supposed to be a weakness. But the Tigers were pressuring Winston, frustrating him, containing him.
The Seminoles' offense stalled again after Greene dropped a third-down pass, but a fake punt gave them a first down and some momentum. Winston completed two passes to Greene and ripped off a 21-yard run, setting up a short touchdown run for Devonta Freeman and making the score 21-10 at halftime.
Winston seemed inspired. Then the Seminoles went three-and-out to start the second half. Their defense tightened through the third quarter. Marshall and Mason were not running free. Auburn punted on all three of its third-quarter possessions, but Florida State could manage only a field goal. Auburn still led, 21-13.
Time was precious. After Marshall threw an interception early in the fourth quarter, Winston took over at his own 44-yard line and led a five-play, 56-yard touchdown drive.
But Marshall responded with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a field goal, giving Auburn a 24-20 lead.
From there, the game turned frenetic, the crowd delirious.
Levonte Whitfield, who goes by Kermit, returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
Mason responded with a 37-yard touchdown run.
That gave Winston the ball, down 31-27, with 1 minute 11 seconds left. He completed an 8-yard pass to Greene, then another short pass that Greene took for 49 yards. A few plays later, on third-and-8 from Auburn's 10, Winston threw into the end zone and the Auburn cornerback Chris Davis was called for pass interference.
On the next play, Winston found Benjamin in the end zone to win the game.
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