By Matt Schulz
FANSonly.com

TAMPA, Fla. -- A Florida State rout had become a seven-point game. The partisan FSU crowd had grown silent and the strain of a tight playoff game was beginning to show on both sides.

But in the end, Florida State put the ball in the hands of their superstar Peter Warrick, and Syracuse could not stop him.

Florida State toppled the valiant Orangemen, 45-24, in the Outback Bowl to advance to the Virtual Championship Series second round. The Seminoles' next stop is the Gator Bowl where they will face Arizona, which ended Tulane's dream of an unbeaten season earlier in the day.

Warrick was clearly the difference in this one. His numbers -- 2 carries, 19 yards; 3 catches, 65 yards -- aren't gaudy, but when FSU needed a big play in the clutch, they looked for him.

Warrick scored twice in the fourth quarter, including a game-clinching 16-yard TD run with 57 seconds left. In that final drive, he set up his own score with a 51-yard catch that got the Seminoles out of a penalty-caused 3rd-and-22 situation. He also made a spectacular leaping grab in the end zone with 9:37 left to give FSU a bit of a cushion after Syracuse had closed the lead to seven points.

The Orangemen were able to chop into the big lead, thanks to a couple of key mistakes by FSU sophomore QB Marcus Outzen. Outzen, who has led the 'Noles since starter Chris Weinke's season-ending neck injury, fumbled twice deep in his own end to set up easy scores.

Statistically, Outzen had an enormous game (20-of-34, 393 yds, 1 TD, 0 INTs), outdueling Syracuse star Donovan McNabb (8-of-22, 129 yds., 2 INTs, 1 TD). But his fumbles proved very costly.

Both fumbles came on sacks by Syracuse LB Morlon Greenwood and both came inside the FSU 20-yard line. It took just three plays for Syracuse to score -- a 3-yard run by James Mungro -- after the first fumble. The second score came quicker, after just two plays, but Syracuse wouldn't score again.