Rating FSU’s best-ever video games: 50-41

Across 898 video games and 80 seasons within the books, there have been loads of memorable moments within the story of Florida State Seminoles soccer.

The problem we issued to you was serving to slender them down, establishing the 50 finest Seminole video games. It was a tough job, however one that you just all helped make occur.

Now, week by week, we’ll be revealing every of the video games that you just voted as the very best in Florida State soccer historical past.

Today, wins over Miami and Florida, a surprising debut by a future Heisman winner and a sport that marked the start of the Bobby Bowden-led FSU dynasty.

FSU’s best-ever video games: 50-41

A questionable choice by Bowden value the Noles an opportunity to tie the sport with lower than one minute left, and probably a shot at their first nationwide championship towards top-ranked Oklahoma. A tie would have compelled the bowl committee to determine between the 2 packages that completed the season with an identical 10-1 information.

Normally dependable kicker Derek Schmidt had already made two discipline targets, but additionally missed an additional level, two discipline aim makes an attempt, and FSU turned the ball over on downs after a muffed snap on one other FG try. After sending in Schmidt and the kicking crew to tie the sport at 26, Bowden referred to as a timeout and reconsidered.

“I don’t really know how we lost this one. I didn’t think we deserved to lose it,” Bowden stated. “We had decided before the game, and I had decided after 1980 when we lost (to Miami) by one (10-9), that I would go for the tie in the same situation, We had the extra-point team in, but I changed my mind. We had missed so many (kicks) today and the wind was really affecting our kicker. If I had to do it over, I’d kick it.”

Despite the loss, this 1987 crew started the wonderful 14-year streak of top-four finishes within the polls that included two nationwide titles.

This sport featured a record 63 future NFL players, 5 future Pro Football Hall of Famers and a whopping 10 first-round picks. Think that isn’t a lot? Consider that the 2019 LSU-Alabama matchup produced only 55 players who went on to be drafted.

In a matchup that includes backup quarterbacks for each squads, FSU’s Tate Rodemaker for Jordan Travis and UF’s Max Brown for Graham Mertz, the Gators jumped out to a 12-0 lead early at house within the Swamp earlier than the Noles outscored UF 24-3 over the rest of the sport.

The win stored FSU’s CFP hopes alive on the time, ending the season 12-0 and undefeated for the primary time since 2014, whereas additionally rendering the Gators bowl-ineligible for the primary time since 2017.

In FSU’s first main bowl win, the Noles defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 36-19 within the Gator Bowl behind quarterback Steve Tensi and All-American Fred Biletnikoff. Tensi threw for 303 yards and a Gator Bowl-record 5 touchdowns, 4 of which went to Biletnikoff.

The win was a serious stepping stone for this system, capping off a historic 1964 season with a 9-1-1 report and incomes them a No. 11 rating within the ultimate UPI coaches ballot.

Florida State’s redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston, who hadn’t performed a single snap of school soccer, delivered the best QB debut in Seminole historical past, and some of the spectacular in school soccer historical past, towards the Pitt Panthers. On the night time, Jameis accomplished 25 of 27 passes for 356 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, and likewise scored on a speeding TD.

Winston led the Eleventh-ranked Seminoles to a 41-13 victory on prime-time nationwide tv on Labor Day by dismantling a Panther protection that was returning eight starters. His 92.6% completion proportion set a brand new FSU single-game report (15 makes an attempt minimal). He opened the sport with 11 consecutive completions, completed the primary half 17 of 18 for 240 yards and three touchdowns, and focused tight finish Nick O’Leary for 3 of his 4 passing touchdowns, with Rashad Greene catching the opposite.

In a frantic battle of Heisman hopefuls, FSU’s Peter Warrick and Georgia Tech’s Joe Hamilton lived as much as their pre-game billing in a back-and-forth offensive explosion that was not determined till a minute and a half remained on the clock.

Dynamic Seminole athlete Peter Warrick firmly established himself as a critical Heisman contender by catching eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, whereas additionally speeding for 25 yards and one other landing.

Next 12 months’s Heisman winner, Chris Weinke, threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, whereas GT’s All-American quarterback Joe Hamilton, that 12 months’s Heisman runner-up, accomplished 22 of 25 passes for 387 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The Noles would go on to complete as the primary wire-to-wire No. 1 crew in school soccer historical past with an ideal 12-0 report.

No. 4 Florida State entertained the 85,000 followers at Jordan-Hare Stadium, together with scouts representing 10 bowls and a nationwide CBS viewers, with a thrashing of the undefeated No. 6 Auburn Tigers for Bobby Bowden’s 58th birthday, in a sport that was a definitive milestone marking the arrival of what can be the legendary FSU dynasty. The victory additionally lastly shattered the big-game choke narrative about FSU and Bowden in high-profile video games, particularly after a demoralizing loss simply weeks prior.

On the primary play, FSU compelled an Auburn fumble resulting in a Nole TD, and the Seminoles by no means seemed again, guaranteeing them a serious bowl berth with the street win. FSU’s protection compelled six Auburn turnovers on the day (three fumbles, three interceptions). Tigers coach Pat Dye later complained about FSU’s protection: “They did a good job of ‘collisioning’ our receivers,” resulting in the Noles cruising to a 27-3 halftime lead.

Seminole kicker Derek Schmidt turned the NCAA main scorer within the 100-year-plus historical past of school soccer, with two discipline targets and 4 further factors on the day.

In what was billed because the “Game of the Century,” No. 1 Florida State traveled to Notre Dame Stadium to face the No. 2 Fighting Irish for the lead within the race and an opportunity to play for the nationwide championship. It was additional promoted as a result of it was the primary time ESPN took its College GameDay present on the street to a school campus, and, on the time, it was thought-about the biggest TV viewers ever to see a university soccer sport.

After taking the lead, FSU was unable to cease the Irish operating sport from pounding them for twenty-four straight factors. The Noles fought again to make it 17-31 when, on a 4th-and-goal from the 20-yard line, Charlie Ward threw to the top zone, however an Irish defender tipped the ball, and it was miraculously caught by Kez McCorvey, now making it 24-31.

The Seminole protection then compelled an Irish 3-and-out, and after a nasty punt, FSU began their ultimate drive at their very own 37-yard line with simply :51 seconds left. Ward drove the Noles to the ND 14-yard line with simply three seconds on the clock, and on the ultimate play, Ward’s move into the top zone was knocked down, and the Noles have been dethroned because the No. 1 crew after ND’s upset victory, and seemingly out of competition for a nationwide championship alternative.

The Bowl Coalition pollsters and the nation noticed firsthand the expertise and resilience of this Seminole crew, and regardless of the loss ending their 12-week dominance because the nation’s No. 1 crew and their 16-game profitable streak, the Noles solely fell one spot to No. 2 within the polls.

Notre Dame’s rating within the No. 1 spot was short-lived lasting just one week as they have been then upset by Boston College, shedding 41-39 on a last-second discipline aim. FSU was then returned to the highest spot, and the Irish fell to No. 4 regardless of having crushed the Noles. FSU gained their remaining video games and went on to defeat Nebraska within the Orange Bowl for the Seminoles’ first nationwide championship.

As a Nole fan, watching this 2014 Seminole crew was a weekly nerve-wracking expertise, particularly coming off the 2013 common season when the Noles steamrolled their method by means of each opponent weekly till the ultimate sport and gained the BCS Championship.

Despite the erratic common season efficiency, the Noles had nonetheless managed to roll off 28 video games in a row and have been now going through Georgia Tech for the possibility to win their third consecutive ACC Championship, and the chance to play for the nationwide championship for the second straight 12 months.

The matchup featured Georgia Tech/Paul Johnson’s particular knee-destroying triple-option assault that dominated FSU’s rush protection for 331 yards, towards FSU’s high-octane passing assault with Jameis Winston finishing 21 of his 29 makes an attempt for 309 yards and three scores.

FSU’s Dalvin Cook was named the sport’s MVP for his 220 whole yards from scrimmage (31 carries, 177 speeding yards, 1 landing), however a case may have been made for:

The sport was a blow-for-blow high-scoring shootout with Tech operating 26 consecutive occasions to open the sport and scoring touchdowns on its first three possessions. The Noles answered, and after trailing 14-7 and 21-14, FSU took its first lead, 28-21, with 30 seconds earlier than halftime. After additional forwards and backwards, FSU kicker Roberto Aguayo drilled three second-half discipline targets to increase the lead and seal the victory.

With the win, FSU completed 13-0 for a second straight season and established a school-record 29-game profitable streak, which sadly ended at 29 video games to finish that season.

The Seminoles pulled off an 18-14 comeback victory over Notre Dame after trailing 14-0 within the third quarter. The Noles ran off 18 unanswered factors to safe FSU’s fourth straight bowl win, and a few (me) counsel that it wasn’t only a bowl win, fairly a turning level and preview of what FSU would grow to be below Jimbo Fisher within the years to observe.

This particular victory set off a dominant multi-year nationwide run. The momentum carried over from this 2011 finale fueled a dominant run with a 12-2 season in 2012, culminating in an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl victory, and appearances within the subsequent two BCS playoffs, profitable the National Championship in 2014, and shedding to Oregon in 2015.

After refusing to play FSU till pressured by the governor and different state officers to take action (there was by no means a state mandate or regulation handed), the University of Florida lastly agreed to a yearly collection with the Seminoles however provided that performed in Gainesville for the primary six video games within the collection.

Heading into this sport, the Seminoles had lastly gained their first sport towards the Gators with a house win in 1964, however they have been nonetheless 0-6-1 all-time in Gainesville. This 21-16 win towards the nationally 18th-ranked Florida, 21-16 in Gainesville, was greater than a rivalry win, it was one of many defining moments in FSU soccer historical past and established and legitimized the Florida State program statewide and nationally.