Sept. 8, 2007

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Drew Weatherford threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns as Florida State rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit and held off UAB 34-24 on Saturday.

The Seminoles fell out of the Top 25 after losing Monday at Clemson and found themselves in a hole to UAB, which has lost nine straight but was up 17-3 lead in the first half.

Weatherford hit a streaking Richard Goodman in stride for a 50-yard touchdown on the final play of the third period that gave the Seminoles a 31-24 lead and Gary Cismesia's 40-yard field goal two minutes later finally gave Florida State some breathing room at 34-24.

Florida State didn't get its first lead, 24-17, until late in the third quarter on Marcus Sim's 1-yard TD run, but UAB countered on Joseph Webb's one-handed catch on a 16-yard pass from Sam Hunt to tie the game at 24.

Tight end Charlie Graham and wideout Greg Carr also caught TD passes for Florida State (1-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which totaled 520 yards offense.

Although the offensive statistics were virtually even at the half, UAB held a 17-10 lead on the strength of Will Dunbar's 21-yard interception return touchdown just five minutes into the game that made it 10-0.

After a 28-yard field goal by Cismesia, Hunt's 4-yard scoring scramble early in the second quarter boosted UAB into its 17-3 lead.

UAB (0-2) has not won since a 35-29 win over Memphis last Oct. 7.

Florida State lost starting tailback Antone Smith with a concussion midway through the third period and his status for next Saturday's game at Colorado was not immediately known.