RALEIGH, N.C. _ The Florida State football team played its most lethargic game of the season and was still able to escape with a victory.
Deondre Francois connected with Travis Rudolph for a 19-yard touchdown, one play after NC State's Shawn Boone dropped an interception in the end zone. FSU's defense was able to stop the bleeding on the Wolfpack's final drive of the game, grinding out a 24-20 victory in Carter-Finley Stadium.
NC State quarterback Ryan Finley, who entered the game ranked ninth among the ACC's 12 signal callers in QB rating, torched the Seminoles for 304 yards and converted 8 of 16 attempts on third-down, but FSU was able to force two incomplete passes to seal the win.
In a battle of two teams with seven combined conference losses, the Seminoles clinched bowl eligibility, avoiding back-to-back losses for the first time since 2011, Jimbo Fisher's second year at the school. NC State, on the other hand, lost its fourth consecutive game.
The Seminoles (6-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) tied Nebraska's record by securing its 35th consecutive bowl appearance.
"It feels good, I'll tell you that," Fisher said with a laugh. "I feel good right now, I'm not going to lie.
"We're a couple plays from having a really tough season and a couple plays from having a phenomenal season. We have a young talented team that's learning how to persevere."
Francois completed 22 of 39 passes for 330 yards, while star running back Dalvin Cook will have to wait another week to sit atop the Florida State record books.
Cook needed 192 yards rushing to break Warrick Dunn's all-time mark of 3,959 career yards, but he finished with 18 carries for just 65 yards and a 10-yard touchdown on the last play of the third quarter.
Cook did not touch the ball once after his score, as Fisher depended on his young quarterback for the win.
Francois connected Nyqwan Murray for a 37-yard gain on the final drive, capping a career-best game for Murray, who finished with nine receptions for 153 yards. Rudolph, sophomore Auden Tate and tight end Ryan Izzo each caught three passes in the game.
During NC State's penultimate drive of the game, Finley rolled out of the pocket with his worst play, resulting in DeMarcus Walker's second sack of the game as the Seminoles took over with 4:37 minutes left in the game, setting the stage for the offense.
Jaylen Samuels scored on a 23-yard reverse play to give NC State a 20-10 lead with 3:05 left in the third quarter. It was part of a nine-play, 95-yard drive that saw FSU surrender two third down conversions.
But FSU responded with Francois hitting Murray for two passes spanning 30 yards and Cook scored on a 10-yard run to trim the deficit to 20-17 at the end of the third quarter.
Florida State offense was far more productive in the second half than the first, struggling to keep up with NC State.
The Seminoles earned their first touchdown of the game when backup running back Jacques Patrick delivered a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:20 left in the first half.
The drive was FSU's most productive series of the first half, as the Seminoles struggled mightily to develop a rhythm while NC State controlled the football for 18:30 and accumulated 285 yards of total offense before halftime. Francois completed only 7 of 17 passes in the first half.
Cook was limited to 11 carries for 29 yards in the first half. His first run, a 3-yard gain, placed him in second place on FSU's all-time rushing yards list, passing Greg Allen. Cook needs five touchdowns to break Allen's record of 44 touchdowns.
FSU went 5-of-9 on third down in the first half, including a third-and-15 with 1:52 left in the first quarter for Finley's 28-yard touchdown to receiver Braylon Cherry.
NC State took a 13-10 lead into halftime as Connor Haskins made a 39-yard field goal in the closing seconds after Fisher called his final two timeouts of the half.
The Seminoles' defense, which played without junior starting safety Trey Marshall, gave up 469 yards of total offense, but was able to get timely plays down the stretch to avoid an upset loss.
