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Florida State Seminoles
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AmericanFootball current event 2022 Florida State Seminoles
NCAA-ACC-FSU-Seminoles Mascot logo-2014-present-transparent NCAA-ACC-Florida State Seminoles Gold helmet-Garnet facemask
First season 1902
Athletic director Stan Wilcox
Head coach Mike Norvell
3rd year, 18–16 (.529)
Other staff Lawrence Dawsey/Randy Sanders, Co-OCs (3rd year)
Charles Kelly, DC (2nd year)
Home stadium Doak Campbell Stadium
Field Bobby Bowden Field (2004-present)
Year built 1950
Stadium capacity 79,560 (2016-present)
Largest crowd: 84,431 (October 18,2014 vs. Notre Dame)
Stadium surface 419 Tifway Bermuda Grass
Location Tallahassee, Florida
League NCAA Division I (FBS)
Conference Atlantic Coast Conference
(1992–present)
Division Atlantic Division

(2005–2022)

Past conferences Dixie Conference (1948-1950)
Independent (1951-1991)
All-time history
Florida State Seminoles Historical Teams
1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
All-time record 575–286–18 ()
Postseason bowl record 29–17–3 (.622)

1–5 (BCS Bowls)

1–2 (BCS National Championship Game)

3–0 (Bowl Coalition)

2–1 (Bowl Alliance) ()

Claimed national titles 2 (1993, 1999, 2013)
Conference titles 18/ 3 Dixie, 15 ACC

Dixie (1948, 1949, 1950)

ACC (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Division titles 3 (2 Atlantic Championships; 1 Atlantic Co-Championship)

(2005, 2008, 2010)

Atlantic Championships: 2005, 2010

Atlantic Co-Championship: 2008

Heisman winners 3 (Charlie Ward , Chris Weinke) , Jameis Winston (1993, 2000, 2013)
Consensus All-Americans 45
Current uniform
NCAA-ACC-FSU Seminoles Primary Uniforms
Colors Garnet, Gold, Black, and White

                             

Fight song Scalp 'Em Seminoles

High O'er Towering Pines (Alma Mater)

Mascot Osceola & Renegade
Cimarron (costumed)
Marching band Marching Chiefs
Outfitter Nike
Rivals Miami (FL) Hurricanes (Battle of the Sunshine State)
Florida Gators (Battle for the Governor's Cup)
Clemson Tigers (Clemson-Florida State rivalry)
Virginia Cavaliers (Jefferson-Eppes Trophy)
Website Seminoles.com

The Florida State Seminoles Football team, known traditionally as the Florida State University Seminoles, represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. competes in the NCAA FBS Atlantic Coast Conference, playing their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles are currently coached by Mike Norvell.

Florida State has won three national championships (1993, 1999, and 2013) and finished in the top five of the AP Poll for 14 straight years from 1987 through 2000. The team has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: quarterback Charlie Ward in 1993, quarterback Chris Weinke in 2000, and quarterback James Winston in 2013. Longtime Head Coach Bobby Bowden retired following the Seminoles' win in the 2010 Gator Bowl.

Florida State officially began competing in intercollegiate football in 1947. They gained success during the 1980s and 1990s. The Seminoles joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992 after competing for many years as an independent program. In its short history, the team has been honored with many awards. Florida State has won or shared a total of fifteen conference titles (including twelve ACC titles, as well as the title of inaugural champions of the ACC Championship Game), three Atlantic Division titles, two ACC Championship Game berths resulting in one win, ten state championships, three national championships (including two BCS National Championship), five title games, and many bowl appearances as well as notable wins along with three Heisman winners, thirty-four consensus All-American players, many all-conference team selections including All-ACC player and All-ACC academics, multiple MVPs and Rhodes Scholar athletes along with other academic honors. Florida State coaches have been honored with the Coach of the Year (both conference and national) honor several times while players have received the honor of Player of the Year. Florida State athletes and coaches have also been nominated for and won many other awards. Multiple players and coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Florida State players have had success in the NFL Draft with several being first round picks, and former Seminoles have gone on to have successful careers in the NFL, winning the Rookie of the Year award with some being elected into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Florida State is the twenty-fifth winningest football program in FBS history, and has compiled over 400 victories, while appearing in forty-one postseason bowl games and ranking ninth nationally for bowl winning percentage. Florida State's archrival is in-state foe Florida. The Seminoles and Gators meet annually in the last game of the regular season, considered one of the biggest rivalries in all of college football. Florida State has a rivalry with their other in-state foe and conference rival Miami. The Seminoles also maintain rivalries with ACC foes Clemson and Virginia. Florida State has developed lesser rivalries with other teams over time.

The current head coach of the Seminoles is Mike Norvell, and the team plays its home games on Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, located on campus at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

Overview[]

The Florida State University joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in July 1991, and it is one of the twelve current members of the ACC. Florida State is considered one of the teams that brought the conference to its pinnacle becoming the overall most successful program in the ACC. Since the ACC expanded from nine to twelve universities in 2005, and instituted divisional play in football, the Florida State Seminoles football team has competed in the ACC Atlantic Division.

Florida State plays an eight-game ACC football schedule. Five of these contests pit the Seminoles against the other members of the ACC Atlantic Division: Boston College, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The conference schedule is filled out with an annual game against Miami and two additional foes from the ACC Coastal Division on a rotating basis between the other teams in the conference: Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Throughout a rotation schedule, Florida State plays each coastal division team at least twice every six years with possible meetings in the championship game in between regular season meetings. Florida State will also begin to play Syracuse as an Atlantic division partner and Pittsburgh as a Coastal division partner when they join the conference in the coming seasons.

Key conference rivalries include the inter-divisional Florida State-Miami rivalry game with their permanent ACC Coastal Division foe, Miami, the Florida State–Clemson rivalry game which usually carries division implications, and the Florida State-Virginia game which is played on a rotating basis for the Jefferson-Eppes trophy (this game was played on an annual basis until the ACC divided and the teams were placed in separate divisions).

In addition to the conference foes, the Seminoles face in-state rival Florida from the SEC at the end of the regular season. The two teams' emergence as perennial football powers in the 1980s and 1990s helped build the Florida–Florida State rivalry into a game that has often held national title implications. Florida State remains the only team in the state of Florida to play both powers, Florida and Miami, meaning they are the only team in contention for the Florida Cup on a yearly basis.

The remaining dates on Florida State's regular season schedule are filled with various non-conference opponents that vary from year to year.

Origins[]

Florida State College Eleven[]

File:FSU 1899 FootballTeam n044028.jpg

1899 West Florida Seminary football team at College Hall. College Hall was located at the present site of the Westcott Building on the campus of Florida State University

Florida State University traces the origins of its modern American football team to 1947, after the school became coeducational following more than forty years as a white women's college. However, football had been played at the school prior to its 1905 reorganization as a women's college. The sport was played at the school, which was known as the West Florida Seminary until 1901 and as Florida State College from 1901 to 1905. This includes a 3-1 record against what would later become the University of Florida.[1] In 1904 Florida State would be the first team to beat all other football teams in Florida, becoming the state's first football champion. [2]

In 1902 Florida State College students, supported by president Albert A. Murphree, organized the school's first official football club to play against other schools and teams. The team was known as the "Florida State College Eleven" and W. W. Hughes, professor of Latin and the head of men's sports at the school, served as the first coach.[3] They played their first game against the Bainbridge Giants, a city team from Bainbridge, Georgia, defeating them 5–0. The team then played back-to-back matches against Florida Agricultural College (which later merged into what is now the University of Florida) one week apart, winning the first 6–0 and losing the second 0–6. The following season student enthusiasm grew even more, and the Eleven arranged a full schedule of six games. They competed against teams such as the University of Florida in Lake City (as Florida Agricultural College was then called), Georgia Tech, and the East Florida Seminary (another school that merged into the University of Florida), and finished the season by competing against Stetson College in Jacksonville for The Florida Times-Union's Championship Cup.[4] The following year Jack Forsythe replaced Hughes as coach, and the Eleven won the state championship by defeating Stetson in Tallahassee.[5]

This would be the Eleven's last season, however, as the Florida State Legislature passed the Buckman Act, which reorganized the state's colleges, and Florida State College became the Florida Female College (later Florida State College for Women), a school for white women. Four other institutions (including the University of Florida in Lake City and the East Florida Seminary) were merged into the new white men's-only University of the State of Florida in Gainesville. Many of Florida State's male students, including members of the fraternity system and the football team transferred to the new university.[6] In 1906 the new school established its first official football team led by former Florida State College coach Jack Forsythe. Several former FSC players transferred to Grant University (now the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga), with five joining Grant's football team. In 1909 several veterans of the FSC Eleven founded a city team named the Tallahassee Athletics, but this folded after one season. Except for this, until 1947 Tallahassee's only organized or collegiate football team were the team from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes (now Florida A&M University).[7]

History[]

Florida State University has officially fielded a football team since 1947, and the Seminoles are currently in their 65th season of play.

Early years and beginnings[]

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The end of World War II brought enormous pressure on the university system in Florida, which saw an influx of veterans applying for college under the GI Bill. The Florida Legislature responded by renaming the Florida State College for Women the Florida State University and allowing men to attend the university for the first time since 1905. Football then returned to Florida State University, beginning in the 1947 season. From 1948 through 1959, the Seminole football program achieved much success under coaches Don Veller and Tom Nugent. In 1950, Veller led the Seminoles to an 8-0 record, the first unbeaten season ever for any Florida college. Nugent gave the Noles their first win over an SEC opponent with a 10-0 victory against Tennessee in 1958.

Bill Peterson era (1960-1970)[]

With the arrival of Bill Peterson in 1960, the Seminoles began their move to national prominence. Under Peterson's direction, the Seminoles beat the Florida Gators for the first time in 1964 and earned their first major bowl bid. Peterson also led the Seminoles to their first ever top ten ranking. During his tenure as head coach, Peterson also gave a young assistant by the name of Bobby Bowden his first major college coaching opportunity.[8]

In the summer of 1967, Peterson also engineered another first for the Seminole program when he decided to begin the recruitment of African American football players. Apparently, he did so without approval from either the school president or its athletic director. On December 16, 1967, the Seminoles signed Ernest Cook, a fullback from Daytona Beach. Several months later, the Seminoles would sign running back Calvin Patterson from Dade County. Ultimately, Cook decided to switch his allegiance to Minnesota where he would become an All-Big Ten running back. In the fall of 1968, Patterson would become the first African American student to play for the Seminoles as a starter for the Florida State freshmen football team. In the fall of 1970, J. T. Thomas would become the first black to play in a varsity game for the Seminoles.[9][10]

Bobby Bowden era (1976-2009)[]

Under head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminole football team became one of the nation's most competitive football teams, greatly expanding the tradition of football at Florida State. He is credited with Florida State's rise to prominence. The Seminoles played in five national championship games between 1993 and 2001, and claimed the championship twice, in 1993 and 1999. The FSU football team was the most successful team in college football during the 1990s, boasting an 89% winning percentage. FSU also set an NCAA record for most consecutive Top 5 finishes in the AP football poll – receiving placement 14 years in a row, from 1987 to 2000. The Seminoles under Bowden were the first college football team in history to go wire-to-wire (ranked first place from preseason to postseason) since the AP began releasing preseason rankings in 1936. On December 1, 2009 Bowden announced that he would retire from coaching after the Seminoles' upcoming bowl game on New Year's Day 2010 against West Virginia, Bowden's former team, in the Gator Bowl. His legacy has led to the creation of two awards in his honor, the Bobby Bowden Award, an award presented to college football players, and the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award, an award presented to college football coaches.

The Dynasty (1987–2000)[]

The best years of Florida State football came in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. The Seminoles had 14 consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins and a top five finish. They had a record of 152–19–1 between these years (11 of their 19 losses were decided by seven points or less). They also had one of the best home records at the time. FSU's accomplishments in these 14 seasons included 11 bowl wins, nine ACC championships in nine years, two Heisman Trophy winners, and two national championships.

Year Record AP Rank Championships Bowl
1987 11–1 2nd Won Fiesta
1988 11–1 3rd Won Sugar
1989 10–2 3rd Won Fiesta
1990 10–2 4th Won Blockbuster
1991 11–2 4th Won Cotton
1992 11–1 2nd ACC champions Won Orange
1993 12–1 1st ACC champions, National champions Won Orange
1994 10–1–1 4th ACC champions Won Sugar
1995 10–2 4th ACC co-champions Won Orange
1996 11–1 3rd ACC champions Lost Sugar
1997 11–1 3rd ACC champions Won Sugar
1998 11–2 3rd ACC co-champions Lost Fiesta
1999 12–0 1st ACC champions, National champions Won Sugar
2000 11–2 5th ACC champions Lost Orange

Jimbo Fisher era (2010-present)[]

On January 5, 2010, Fisher officially became the ninth head football coach in Florida State history. Fisher's ascension helped lead Florida State to a top-10 recruiting class in 2010 and the #1 and #2 recruiting class in the country, according to ESPN and Rivals. In his first season as head coach, Florida State went 10-4 with a 6-2 record in ACC conference play. The Seminoles went to their first ACC Championship Game since 2005, losing to Virginia Tech 44-33, and had their first ten win season since 2003. Fisher's first Florida State team notably beat the Miami Hurricanes 45-17 and the Florida Gators 31-7, en route to capture the Seminoles' first "state championship" since 1999. Florida State would go on to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where they would beat Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks, 26-17. In his second season, Florida State went 9-4 with a 5-3 record in ACC conference play. The Seminoles won the state championship for the second year in a row by defeating both Miami and Florida. Fisher's second Florida State team also defeated Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl. Fisher brought in another top-ranked recruiting class in 2012.

Historical ranking[]

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In terms of winning percentage, Florida State ranks as the 3rd most successful team in the past 25 years (as of the 2010 season) with a 77% win rate (231-69-2) and 12th over the last half century (1955–2010) with 67%.[11]

The College Football Research Center lists Florida State as the 10th best college football program in history (ahead of rivals Miami and Florida, at #15 and #18 respectively).[12] Seven Florida State squads were listed in Billingsley’s Top 200 Teams of All Time (1869–2010),[13] and after the 2008 season, ESPN ranked Florida State the 9th most prestigious program in history.[14]

The Associated Press poll statistics show Florida State with the 7th most appearances in the final AP Top 5 (with 15). Since the Coaches Poll first released a final poll in 1950, Florida State has 32 seasons where the team finished ranked in the top 25 in the Coaches Polls.

The Florida State Seminoles are widely regarded as one of the most storied and successful programs in the sport. Despite being relatively new to the game, multiple organizations (including ESPN and Bleacher Report) have ranked Florida State as one of the ton ten teams of all time.[15][16]

Record book[]

Florida State holds many current records and hold the distinction as one of the winningest programs of all time.

Some current records held by the Seminoles are: the tenth longest home winning streak with a total of 37 home wins from 1992–2001, the longest active bowl streak and the second longest of all-time, the current longest bowl winning streak as well as the longest overall bowl win streak, the longest active streak without a losing season, and the longest top five finish streak. Former head coach Bobby Bowden is the second most winning coach of all time with most of those wins coming from his time with the Seminoles. Florida State was the first, and currently, only team to go 'wire-to-wire' by keeping a number one ranking for an entire season.

Notable moments and seasons[]

  • 2010 - The Golden Toe – In the first-ever walk-off, game-winning kick in school history, Dustin Hopkins booted a 55-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Seminoles to a 16-13 victory over Clemson. Just a week prior, Hopkins missed a potential game-winning field goal with 7 seconds left in a two-point loss to North Carolina.
  • 2005 - The Miami Muff – In 2005, the Florida State Seminoles finally gained some redemption for the past Wide Right heartbreaks. Trailing 10-7, the Hurricanes drove down the field to set up a game-tying field goal with 2:16 left. When the ball was snapped, it was mishandled by holder Brian Monroe and the ball never reached the kicker's foot. This ultimately led to a Florida State victory
  • 2003 - Rix to Sam -- Florida held a 34-31 lead in the fourth quarter when Seminole QB Chris Rix hit WR PK Sam for a 52-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds remaining, giving the Seminoles a 38-34 win. Before the winning score, Rix had completed a 17-yard pass on 4th and 14 deep in Seminole territory to keep the drive alive.
  • 2000 - FSU Wins Second National Championship -- Florida State scored first and took advantage of a blocked punt for a touchdown, giving the Seminoles a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. Virginia Tech, led by QB Michael Vick, answered with a touchdown drive of its own before the end of the quarter, but Florida State scored two quick touchdowns to begin the second quarter. Virginia Tech scored a touchdown before halftime, but halfway through the game, Florida State held a 28–14 lead. In the third quarter, Virginia Tech's offense gave the Hokies a lead with a field goal and two touchdowns. Tech failed to convert two two-point conversions, but held a 29–28 lead at the end of the third quarter. Florida State answered in the fourth quarter, however, taking a 36–29 lead with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion early in the quarter. From this point, the Seminoles did not relinquish the lead, extending it to 46–29 with a field goal and another touchdown. With the win, Florida State clinched the 1999 BCS national championship, the team's second national championship in its history.
  • 1996 - #1 vs #2 -- The #1–ranked and undefeated Gators came in to Tallahassee favored against the second-ranked Seminoles. The 'Noles got off to a quick start when Peter Boulware blocked the Gator's first punt of the game, resulting in a touchdown. Florida's eventual Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Danny Wuerffel threw three interceptions in the first half, and FSU had a 17–0 lead after one quarter of play. Wuerffel got on track after that, throwing for three touchdowns. The last one (to WR Reidel Anthony) cut the Florida State lead to three points with just over a minute left to play. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, however, and the Seminoles held on for the 24–21 upset win.
  • 1994 - The Choke at Doak -- In the greatest fourth-quarter comeback of the series, the Gators led the Seminoles 31–3 after three quarters. However, the Seminoles scored 28 points in the final fifteen minutes to tie the game at 31-31. The Seminoles then won a rematch in the Sugar Bowl 23–17, referred to as "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter."
  • 1994 - FSU Wins First National Championship -- This 60th edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State came into the game 11-1, and ranked first in the nation. Nebraska came into the game undefeated at 11-0, and with a number 2 ranking. Late in 4th quarter, FSU's Heisman trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward drove the Seminoles all the way to the Nebraska 3 yard line. The Huskers held and forced Scott Bentley to kick his fourth field goal of the night, which was good, and FSU led 18-16 with just 21 seconds remaining. Florida State players and coaches went wild on the sidelines, and were penalized for excessive celebration, costing them 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff. As a result, the Huskers were able to get a decent return and began their final possession at their own 43 yard line. As time ran down, Tommy Frazier hit tight end Trumane Bell for a 29 yard gain to the FSU 28 yard line. The clock ticked down to 0:00, setting off more chaos on the FSU sideline, complete with the compulsory Gatorade bath given to FSU coach Bobby Bowden. However, referee John Soffey ruled that Bell was down with 1 second left on the clock, and ordered the field cleared, allowing Nebraska placekicker Byron Bennett an opportunity to kick the game winning field goal. But the 45 yard kick sailed wide left, preserving the 18-16 win for the Seminoles.
  • 1993 - Ward to Dunn -- The Seminoles came into The Swamp ranked No. 1 and looking to play for the national championship. Florida had clinched the SEC East championship and were themselves ranked in the top five. Early on it looked to be a Florida State rout, as the Seminoles took a 27–7 lead into the fourth quarter. However, Florida scored two quick touchdowns to make the score 27–21. With six minutes remaining, the Seminoles faced third down at their own 21-yard-line. In what many people consider the greatest play in Florida State history, Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward hit freshman Warrick Dunn up the sideline for a 79-yard game-clinching touchdown run and a 33–21 FSU win.
  • 1991 - Big Win at the Big House -- In the their trip ever at Michigan Stadium, Florida State would beat the #3 Michigan Wolverines 51-31 behind quarterback Casey Weldon's 268 yards and 2 TDs and Amp Lee's 122 yards rushing. One of the most memorable plays in Florida State history occurred in the 1st quarter when cornerback Terrell Buckley returned an Elvis Grbac interception for a 40 yard touchdown.
  • 1988 - Puntrooskie -- Florida State had a 4th down and 4 to go at its own 21 yard line with about a minute and a half to go in the 4th quarter at Clemson. They lined up to punt but the ball was snapped to an up back who handed it to Leroy Butler who ran down the left side of the field all the way to the Clemson 4 yard line. Florida State wound up kicking a field goal to win the game, 24-21.
  • 1964 - FSU's First Win Over UF -- Florida State had never beaten Florida, gaining only a 3-3 tie in six tries, all at Gainesville. Since 1947, when Florida State College for Women became Florida State University, its athletes have endured "girl school" taunts. During the week Florida players wore stickers on their helmets in practice reading "Never, FSU, Never." The thrust may have added considerable fuel to FSU's already blazing fire. FSU's aggressive defense helped force five Florida fumbles, and the Seminoles claimed four of them. The Tribe intercepted two passes. FSU lost two fumbles and had one pass intercepted. Steve Tensi connected on 11 of 22 throws for 190 yards. Fred Biletnikoff, a decoy much of the way and well covered by Florida, caught only two, for 78 yards and a TD. The 16-7 win ended six years of FSU frustration against the Gators and left Florida with a 5-3 record. FSU ended its regular season with a 8-1-1 chart, a showing exceeded only by an unbeaten 1950 season which came at a time when the Tribe was playing in a lesser league.
  • 1950 - First Game at Doak – Florida State played the first game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
  • 2010 - A New Beginning – The 2010 Florida State Seminoles football team was led by a new coach for the first time in thirty-four years. Jimbo Fisher took over the position and, along with quarterback Christian Ponder, led the team to a 10–4 record and an ACC Championship Game appearance.
  • 2009 - Bobby Bowden's Final Year -- The 2009 Florida State Seminoles football team was the last one to be led by coach Bobby Bowden, who would end his final season with a record of 7–6 and a bowl win over his former team, West Virginia.
  • 2005 - Inaugural ACC Championship Game – The 2005 Florida State Seminoles football team, led by head coach Bobby Bowden and quarterback Drew Weatherford, finished the season 8-5 and won the first ACC Championship Game by defeating new conference member Virginia Tech by a score of 27-22.
  • 1999 - Second National Championship Season -- The 1999 Florida State Seminoles football team, led by head coah Bobby Bowden and quarterback Chris Weinke, finshed the season undefeated at 12-0. They won the national championship by defeating #2 Virginia Tech 46-29 in the Sugar Bowl.
  • 1993 - First National Championship Season – The 1993 Florida State Seminoles, led by head coach Bobby Bowden and quarterback Charlie Ward, finished 12–1. Their only loss came against #2 Notre Dame, who defeated the Seminoles 31–24. Florida State went on to win the national championship by defeating #2 Nebraska 18–16 in the Orange Bowl.
  • 1992 - First Season in ACC – The 1992 Florida State Seminoles, led by head coach Bobby Bowden, finished 11–1. Their only loss came against #2 Miami, who defeated the Seminoles 19–16. Florida State went on to defeat #11 Nebraska 27–14 in the Orange Bowl. This marked Florida State's first season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Stadium[]

The Florida State Seminoles originally played their home games at Centennial Field until 1950. The team currently play their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium, which has a capacity of 82,300.

Doak S. Campbell Stadium[]

File:Doak Campbell Stadium Inside.jpg

A view of the north end zone

The stadium, named after former Florida State President Doak S. Campbell, hosted its first game against the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets on October 7, 1950 with the Seminoles winning the game 40–7. At that time the facility had a seating capacity of 15,000. Florida State first began play at Centennial Field during the team's inaugural 1947 season and would continue to play there for the following two years (1948 and 1949). Doak Campbell Stadium, with its original capacity of 15,000 in 1950, was built at a cost of $250,000. In 1954, the stadium grew to a capacity of 19,000. Six thousand more seats were added in 1961. During the Bill Peterson era (1960–70), the stadium was expanded to 40,500 seats, and it remained at that capacity for the next 14 years. Since that time, the stadium has expanded to almost 83,000, largely due to the success of the football team under head coach Bobby Bowden coupled with the ever growing student body. It now is the largest football stadium in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Aesthetically, a brick facade surrounding the stadium matches the architectural design of most of the buildings on the university's campus. In addition to the obvious recreational uses, The University Center surrounds the stadium and houses many of the university's offices. The field was officially named Bobby Bowden field on November 20, 2004 as Florida State hosted intrastate rival Florida. Florida State has been recognized as having one of the best gameday atmospheres in the country.

Current coaching staff[]

Name Position
Willie Taggart Head Coach
Odell Haggins Associate Head Coach/Defensive Tackles
Walt Bell Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Harlon Barnett Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Donte' Pimpleton Running Backs
David Kelly Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
Telly Lockette Tight Ends
Greg Frey Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
Mark Snyder Defensive Ends
Raymond Woodie Linebackers
Alonzo Hampton Special Teams Coordinator

Head coaches[]

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Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1947 Ed Williamson 1 0-5 .000
1948–1952 Don Veller 5 31-12-1 .716
1953–1958 Tom Nugent 6 34-28-1 .548
1959 Perry Moss 1 4-6 .400
1960–1970 Bill Peterson 11 62-42-11 .587
1971–1973 Larry Jones 3 15-19 .441
1974–1975 Darrell Mudra 2 4-18 .182
1976–2009 Bobby Bowden 34 304-97-4^ .758
2010–present Jimbo Fisher 7 78-17 .821
Totals 9 coaches 70 seasons 532-244-17 .682

^ Bobby Bowden's record does not include 12 wins that were vacated that would otherwise make his record 316-97-4.

Championships[]

National championships[]

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Florida State also has several other national titles that are not officially claimed by the school. The university has six un-claimed titles. They were selected as the national champions in 1980 by the Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments and the Rothman system; in 1987 by Berryman, the Massey Ratings, and the Sagarin Ratings; in 1989 by the Billingsley Report; in 1992 by the Sagarin Ratings; in 1994 by the Dunkel System; and in 1996 by the Alderson System. However, Florida State University does not recognize these titles.[17]

In total, Florida State has been named national champions eight times (1980, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999).

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl
1993 Bobby Bowden AP, Coaches 12–1 Won Orange
1999 Bobby Bowden BCS, AP, Coaches 12–0 Won Sugar
2013 Jimbo Fisher BCS, AP, Coaches 12–0 Won BCS National Championship
National Titles 2

BCS National Championships[]

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl
1999 Bobby Bowden BCS, AP, Coaches 12–0 Won Sugar (BCS National Championship Game)
BCS National Titles 1

Conference championships[]

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Conference Affiliations

In the first year of the program, Florida State competed as an independent program without conference affiliation. They were members of the Dixie Conference for three years before returning to independence. They would remain this way until 1992 when, after being courted by several conferences including the Southeastern Conference, they opted to join the Atlantic Coast Conference which is the same conference that they compete in today.

Year Conference Overall Record Conference Record
1948 Dixie 7–1 4–0
1949 Dixie 9–1 4–0
1950 Dixie 8–0 2–0
1992 ACC 11–1 8–0
1993 ACC 12–1 8–0
1994 ACC 10–1–1 8–0
1995† (shared with Virginia) ACC 10–2 7–1
1996 ACC 11–1 8–0
1997 ACC 11–1 8–0
1998† (shared with Georgia Tech) ACC 11–2 7–1
1999 ACC 12–0 8–0
2000 ACC 11–2 8–0
2002 ACC 9–5 7–1
2003 ACC 10–3 7–1
2005 ACC 8–5 5–3
† Denotes co-champions
Total Conference Titles 15

Divisional championships[]

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Divisional play began in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the start of the 2005 football season following the addition of Boston College. Coincidentally, in both years, they had the same 5–3 record as Boston College. In 2005, Florida State won at BC, whereas BC won at Florida State in 2008.

Year Division Overall Record Conference Record
2005 ACC Atlantic 8–5 5–3
2008† (shared with Boston College) ACC Atlantic 8–4 5–3
2010 ACC Atlantic 9–3 6–2
† Denotes co-champions
Total Division Titles 3

Conference championship games[]

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Florida State has appeared in the ACC Championship Game as the winner of the Atlantic Division twice, defeating Virginia Tech of the Coastal Division in the inaugural game in 2005, and losing to Virginia Tech in 2010.

Year Division Championship ACC CG Result Opponent PF PA
2005 ACC Atlantic W Virginia Tech 27 22
2010 ACC Atlantic L Virginia Tech 33 44
Totals 2 1–1 60 66

Undefeated seasons[]

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Florida State has completed two "perfect seasons" in its history.

Year Record Coach
1950 8-0 Don Veller
1999 12-0 Bobby Bowden
Totals 2

State Championships[]

  • Main article: Florida Cup

A State Championship refers to when the Florida State University Seminoles, the University of Florida Gators, or the University of Miami Hurricanes beat the other two teams from the state of Florida in the same season.

Year Coach Score Against Miami Score Against Florida
1964 Bill Peterson 14-0 16-7
1978 Bobby Bowden 31-21 38-21
1979 Bobby Bowden 40-23 27-16
1989 Bobby Bowden 24-10 24-17
1993 Bobby Bowden 28-10 33-21
1996 Bobby Bowden 34-16 24-21
1998 Bobby Bowden 26-14 23-12
1999 Bobby Bowden 31-21 30-23
2010 Florida Cup Champions Jimbo Fisher 45-17 31-7
2011 Florida Cup Champions Jimbo Fisher 23-19 21-7
2013 Florida Cup Champions Jimbo Fisher 41-14 37-7
Totals 11

Records and results[]

Year-by-year results[]

Year Coach Record Championships
1947 Ed Williamson 0–5
1948 Don Veller 7–1 Dixie Conference Champions
1949 Don Veller 9–1 Dixie Conference Champions
1950 Don Veller 8–0 Dixie Conference Champions
1951 Don Veller 6–2
1952 Don Veller 1–8–1
1953 Tom Nugent 5–5
1954 Tom Nugent 8–4
1955 Tom Nugent 5–5
1956 Tom Nugent 5–4–1
1957 Tom Nugent 4–6
1958 Tom Nugent 7–2
1959 Perry Moss 4–6
1960 Bill Peterson 3–6–1
1961 Bill Peterson 4–5–1
1962 Bill Peterson 4–3–3
1963 Bill Peterson 4–5–1
1964 Bill Peterson 9–1–1
1965 Bill Peterson 4–5–1
1966 Bill Peterson 6–5
1967 Bill Peterson 7–2–2
1968 Bill Peterson 8–3
1969 Bill Peterson 6–3–1
1970 Bill Peterson 7–4
1971 Larry Jones 8–4
1972 Larry Jones 7–4
1973 Larry Jones 0–11
1974 Darrell Mudra 1–10
1975 Darrell Mudra 3–8
1976 Bobby Bowden 5–6
1977 Bobby Bowden 10–2
1978 Bobby Bowden 8–3
1979 Bobby Bowden 11–1
1980 Bobby Bowden 10–2
1981 Bobby Bowden 6–5
1982 Bobby Bowden 9–3
1983 Bobby Bowden 8–4
1984 Bobby Bowden 7–3–2
1985 Bobby Bowden 9–3
1986 Bobby Bowden 7–4–1
1987 Bobby Bowden 11–1
1988 Bobby Bowden 11–1
1989 Bobby Bowden 10–2
1990 Bobby Bowden 10–2
1991 Bobby Bowden 11–2
1992 Bobby Bowden 11–1 ACC champions
1993 Bobby Bowden 12–1 ACC champions; National Champions
1994 Bobby Bowden 10–1–1 ACC champions
1995 Bobby Bowden 10–2 ACC co-champions
1996 Bobby Bowden 11–1 ACC champions
1997 Bobby Bowden 11–1 ACC champions
1998 Bobby Bowden 11–2 ACC champions
1999 Bobby Bowden 12–0 ACC champions; National Champions
2000 Bobby Bowden 11–2 ACC champions
2001 Bobby Bowden 8–4
2002 Bobby Bowden 9–5 ACC champions
2003 Bobby Bowden 10–3 ACC champions
2004 Bobby Bowden 9–3
2005 Bobby Bowden 8–5 ACC Atlantic Division champions; Inaugural ACC
Championship Game
champions
2006 Bobby Bowden 2–61
2007 Bobby Bowden 0–62
2008 Bobby Bowden 9–4 ACC Atlantic Division co-champions
2009 Bobby Bowden 7–6
2010 Jimbo Fisher 10–4 ACC Atlantic Division champions
2011 Jimbo Fisher 9-4
2012 Jimbo Fisher 12-2
2013 Jimbo Fisher 14-0 BCS Champions
2014 Jimbo Fisher 13-1
2015 Jimbo Fisher 10-3
2016 Jimbo Fisher 10-3
2017 Jimbo Fisher 7-6
2018 Willie Taggart 4-8
2019 Willie Taggart/
Odell Haggins
6-7
2020 Mike Norvell

1- Five (5) 2006 season wins vacated due to using ineligible players

2- All Seven (7) 2007 season wins vacated due to using ineligible players

All-time bowl record[]

  • Main article: List of Florida State Seminoles bowl games

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Florida State has played in 41 bowl games in its history and owns a 25–14–2 record in those games. The Seminoles are the ninth most successful bowl team in history. Florida State's two most common opponents in bowl play have been Oklahoma and Nebraska. The Seminoles are 1–3 against Oklahoma in bowl games and 4–0 against Nebraska. Florida State's most common bowl destination has been the Orange Bowl (8 trips). Its second most common bowl destinations have been the Sugar Bowl and the Gator Bowl (6 trips each). The Seminoles also hold the longest active Bowl Appearance record at 30 appearances (as of 2011) only being surpassed in the all-time record by Nebraska with 35 appearances. Florida State also carries the nation’s longest winning streak in bowl games at 4 wins (as of 2011).

1 - Bowl win vacated due to using ineligible players

Bowl Championship Series Games[]

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Florida State has played in six BCS games, including three BCS National Championships. The Seminoles also hold the distinction of playing in the first Bowl Championship Series national championship game. Florida State also played in three Bowl Coalition games and three Bowl Alliance games, the precursors to the BCS.

Year BCS Game BCS Game Result Opponent PF PA
1998 Fiesta Bowl (BCS National Championship) L #1 Tennessee 16 23
1999 Sugar Bowl (BCS National Championship) W #2 Virginia Tech 46 29
2000 Orange Bowl (BCS National Championship) L #1 Oklahoma 2 13
2002 Sugar Bowl L #4 Georgia 13 26
2003 Orange Bowl L #10 Miami 14 16
2005 Orange Bowl L #3 Penn State 23 26

Rivalries[]

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Florida State's traditional rivals are the University of Florida Gators and the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Since 2002, the Florida Cup has been awarded to Florida State, Florida, or Miami if one team defeats the other two teams in the same season (it is not necessary for the two losing teams to have played each other). Six Florida Cups have been awarded, with Miami winning three, Florida State winning two, and Florida winning one. Florida State won the Cup in 2011 by beating Miami and Florida, even though Florida did not play Miami that season.

Rivalry History[]

Primary Florida State Football Rivalries: All-Time Records
Name of Rivalry Rival Games Played First Meeting Last Meeting FSU Won FSU Lost Ties Streak Latest win
Battle for the Governor's Cup Florida 56 1958 2011 21 33 2 2 wins 2011, 21-7
Battle of the Sunshine State Miami 56 1951 2011 25 31 0 2 wins 2011, 23-19
Bowden Bowl Clemson 25 1970 2011 17 8 0 1 loss 2010 16-13
Jefferson-Eppes Trophy Virginia 17 1992 2011 14 3 0 1 loss 2010, 34-14
Totals 154 77 75 2

Florida[]

  • Main article: Florida – Florida State rivalry
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The Florida Gators are the main rival of the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State and Florida have played each other 56 times. The game alternates between Florida's home stadium, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainsville, Florida and Florida State's home stadium, Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The Gators hold a 33–21–2 all-time lead against the Seminoles. This is due to the series beginning with Florida dominating for the first few years of the rivalry, but since then it has been more balanced and most of the games have been close. During the Bobby Bowden Era, FSU barely lost out at 17–18–1. However, in recent years, FSU holds the advantage 19-18-1. Current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is 2-0 against the University of Florida.

Miami[]

  • Main article: Miami – Florida State rivalry
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The Miami-Florida State rivalry dates to 1951, when the Miami Hurricanes defeated the Seminoles 35–13 in their inaugural meeting. The schools have played uninterrupted since 1966, with Miami holding the all-time advantage, 31–25. Florida State holds a 5–3 advantage since the Hurricanes became a conference foe in 2004. Current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is 2-0 against the University of Miami.

During the 1980s and 90s, the series emerged as one of the premier rivalries in college football. Between 1983 and 2002, the Hurricanes and Seminoles combined to win 7 national championships (5 for Miami, 2 for Florida State) and play in a whopping 13 national championship games (83, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 96, 98, 99, 00, 01). The rivalry has been popular not only because of its profound national championship implications and the competitiveness of the games but also because of the immense NFL-caliber talent typically present on the field when the two teams meet. The famous 1987 matchup featured over 50 future NFL players on both rosters combined.

The games have been characterized by remarkable team speed, big plays, hard hitting, and missed field goals. In 2004, the intensity of the rivalry was dialed up another notch when Miami joined the Atlantic Coast Conference and the teams became intra-conference rivals.

The rivalry is a television ratings bonanza, accounting for the two highest rated college football telecasts in ESPN history. The 2006 game between Miami and FSU was the second most-viewed college football game, regular season or bowl, in the history of ESPN, averaging 6,330,000 households in viewership (6.9 rating). It trailed only the 1994 game between Miami and FSU, which notched a 7.7 rating.[18]

Clemson[]

  • Main article: Clemson-Florida State rivalry
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Florida State has a rivalry with Atlantic Division foe Clemson Tigers. Florida State leads the all-time series 17–8.Current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is 1-1 against Clemson University. Florida State dominated the contests through most of the 1990s but 1999 marked a milestone as the hire of Bobby Bowden's son Tommy led to the first meeting, in 1999, which was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and a son met as opposing head coaches in a football game. During the time Tommy coached at Clemson the game was known as the "Bowden Bowl" Bobby won the series in the 9 years it played before Tommy's resignation, winning 5–4 with all four losses within the last five seasons. Tommy's four wins in the series remain the only times the son has ever beaten the father when facing off as head coach in any of America's four major sports.

One sticking point in the rivalry remains that a proud Clemson Tiger program that was strong in the 1980s had won 6 of the past 11 ACC titles from 1981–1991. 1991 would be the last ACC Championship the Tigers would win (until 2011) as Florida State entered the ACC in 1992 and proceeded to win the next 9 ACC Championships in a row, and 12 of the next 14 in the series. The Tigers advanced to the 2009 ACC title game for the first time since its inception in 2005 but a late Georgia Tech victory lengthened the Tigers' title drought.

Virginia[]

  • Main article: Jefferson-Eppes Trophy

The Florida State Seminoles also have a rivalry with the Virginia Cavaliers. Florida State and Virginia compete for the Jefferson-Eppes Trophy. The two schools have played for the trophy since its creation in 1995. It has been awarded a total of 14 times, with FSU receiving it 11 times. The Seminoles hold the all-time advantage 14–3. Current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is 1-1 against the University of Virginia. The teams last met in 2011, and they will meet once again during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Trophies[]

Florida State plays for two trophys: the Florida Cup and the Jefferson-Eppes Trophy.

Florida Cup[]

The Florida Cup is awarded to Florida State, Florida, or Miami if one team defeats the other two teams in the same season; however, it is not necessary for the two losing teams to play each other during the season. Florida State is currently the reigning champion of the trophy for the second year in a row.

A separate trophy is also awarded to the winner of the Florida-Florida State game at the winning team's spring scrimmage.

Jefferson-Eppes Trophy[]

The Jefferson-Eppes Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Florida State-Virginia game. This game was played annually from 1992 through 2005, but since the conference split into divisions, the teams meet twice every six years.

Notable Alumni[]

Logos/Uniforms[]

Image gallery[]

References[]

External Links[]

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