Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald put an exclamation point on the first half against Georgia Tech on Saturday with a 59-yard field goal.
Per Florida State’s football social media account, the kick, which tied the game at 14, is the second-longest in program history.
It was Fitzgerald’s second 50-plus-yard field goal in the first half. He also connected from 52 yards earlier in the second quarter.
The fifth-year senior is coming off a strong 2023 season. Last year, he went 19-of-21 (90.5%) on field goals and made all of his 58 extra-point attempts.
The Seminoles entered as a 10.5-point favorite over the Yellow Jackets, but Georgia Tech has made the game competitive.Â
It has 142 rushing yards on 21 carries (6.8 yards per attempt) through the opening drive of the third quarter.Â
Still, even Tech’s first series of the second half illustrated Fitzgerald’s value. The drive ended with Yellow Jackets kicker Aidan Birr missing a 51-yard attempt.
Florida State, ranked 10th in the preseason Associated Press poll, is in a dog fight against Georgia Tech. But if the game comes down to kicking, the Seminoles should like their odds of leaving Ireland with a win.