Everett Golson's college career ends with Peach Bowl absence

Florida Statequarterback Everett Golson's college career is over, as Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher told the Palm Beach Post on Saturday in Atlanta that Golson did not make the trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl because of personal reasons.

A source told ESPN.com that Golson is dealing with a death in the family.

Golson, a graduate transfer from Notre Dame, started eight games for FSU this season. Sean Maguire started in place of Golson on Oct. 31 against Syracuse because of what the school said were concussion-like issues, and he started again the following week in a loss at No. 1 Clemson.

Golson was named the starter the following week, Nov. 14, against NC State, but was yanked for good after turning the ball over three times on FSU's first five possessions. Maguire has started the past two games and will do so again Thursday against Houston.

Golson went 7-1 as a starter at FSU, completing better than 67 percent of his passes for 1,778 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He was sacked 18 times and fumbled three times, losing one of them.

The redshirt senior arrived in Tallahassee, Florida, in May from Notre Dame, where he was battling Malik Zaire for the Fighting Irish's starting spot.

Golson finished his Irish career with a 17-6 record as a starter, completing 59.5 percent of his passes for 5,850 yards with 41 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He added 581 rushing yards and 14 more scores on the ground.

Golson had helped lead Notre Dame to a 12-1 record as a redshirt freshman in 2012, starting in the BCS title game against Alabama, a 42-14 loss. He was suspended by the school for the 2013 fall semester because of what he deemed poor academic judgment. He returned in 2014 to lead Notre Dame to a 6-0 start and No. 5 ranking before going just 1-5 in the season's second half, a period that was largely undone by turnovers.

Golson threw 14 picks last season and fumbled the ball 12 times, losing eight of them. All 22 turnovers came over the season's final nine games. Zaire started the Music City Bowl win over LSU.

Golson ends his college career across two schools with a 24-7 record as a starter and a 61.2 percent completion percentage for 7,628 yards with 52 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and 13 lost fumbles. He tallied 546 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns too, despite rushing for minus-35 yards this year with FSU.

The Seminoles will play Houstonin the Peach Bowl at noon on New Year's Eve on ESPN.