Over 67 years of football action, the Florida State Seminoles have come to be known as a national power. The Seminoles have won three national championships, 27 bowls games while producing numerous consensus All-Americans. It wasn’t until the 1980’s however that Florida State finally asserted itself as a perennial power. Here is a look at the best win for FSU each year during that decade:
1980
Florida State 18, Nebraska 14
October 4th, 1980
In one of the games that put Florida State on the map, the Seminoles went into Lincoln, Nebraska in 1980 and knocked off the third-ranked Cornhuskers. FSU trailed 14-3 at the break, but blanked Nebraska during the second half. Sam Platt scored to draw the Seminoles to within two in the third quarter before Bill Capece’s third field goal of the day put Florida State ahead for good. Capece would add a fourth field goal to give FSU an 18-14 lead with 2:37 to play. The Seminoles forced four turnovers on defense to overcome just 166 yards of total offense.
1981
Florida State 36, Ohio State 27
October 3rd, 1981
Nearly one year to the date of knocking off #3 Nebraska, Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles would notch another top 10 road win with a victory at Ohio State. Michael Whiting and Ricky Williams combined to rush for 171 yards while Rick Stockstill finished with nearly 300 yards passing and two scores. Florida State led by as many as 15 before downing the seventh-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus.
1982
West Virginia 12, Florida State 31 (Gator Bowl)
December 30th, 1982
Florida State was hardly a huge favorite as it faced #10 West Virginia in the 1982 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, but from the opening kickoff, the Seminoles dominated. Greg Allen rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns while on the defensive side of the ball, Bill McCrary recorded a pair of interceptions. It wasn’t until the game’s final minute that the Mountaineers scored their only touchdown.
1983
Florida State 40, LSU 35
September 10th, 1983
After winning a 47-46 shootout over East Carolina to begin the 1983 season, Florida State played its first road contest in Baton Rogue against 13th-ranked LSU. In a contest that featured over 1,000 yards of offense, the Seminoles scored at will, overcoming an early 14-0 deficit in the process. Greg Allen rushed for 201 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Kelly Lowrey accounted for four total touchdowns. Bill McCrary picked off a pair of passes as the Seminoles downed the Tigers. LSU scored two touchdowns in the game’s final minute, but it proved to be too little, too late.
1984
Florida State 38, Miami 3
September 22nd, 1984
Miami had suffered an early season loss prior to hosting Florida State in 1984, but it was nothing compared to defeat the defending national champions would suffer to the Seminoles in late September. Eric Williams intercepted a pair of Miami passes as the Seminoles held the Hurricanes to 10 yards rushing while forcing four turnovers. It wasn’t until the final quarter that Miami finally broke up the shutout. Florida State wide receiver Jessie Hester finished with over 100 yards, both as a receiver and as a rusher in the win.
1985
Florida State 17, Nebraska 13
September 7th, 1985
Against 10th-ranked Nebraska early in 1985, the Seminoles would notch their second victory over the Cornhuskers in Lincoln in as many trips. Nebraska racked up 372 yards rushing, but managed just 13 points as Florida State forced three timely turnovers. Cletis Jones’ second quarter touchdown gave FSU a 17-13 lead and would account for the final score as neither team got on the scoreboard in the second half.
1986
Indiana 13, Florida State 27 (All-American Bowl)
December 31st, 1986
The 1986 season did not go as Florida State had hoped, but against Indiana in the 1986 All-American Bowl, Sammie Smith made sure it ended on a high note. Smith rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns while Tanner Holloman added a pair of scores for the Seminoles. The FSU defense finished the day with four sacks and a young cornerback named Deion Sanders recorded an interception.
1987
Nebraska 28, Florida State 31 (Fiesta Bowl)
January 1st, 1988
The 1988 Fiesta Bowl was a match-up of top 5 teams as Florida State met Nebraska in Tempe. The Seminoles’ lone blemish that season was a one-point loss to Miami, but Nebraska dominated early, as it raced to a 14-0 lead. Florida State countered with 21 unanswered points to take the halftime lead, but the third quarter was controlled by Nebraska. Trailing 28-24 with under four minutes to play, Florida State quarterback Danny McManus fired his third touchdown pass of the game — a 15-yard strike to Ronald Lewis — for the winning score. McManus finished with 357 yards through the air and FSU finished the season ranked second in the nation. The ’87 season would begin a string of 14 straight years in which Florida State finished in the AP top 5.
1988
Florida State 24, Clemson 21
September 17th, 1988
Though the 1988 season would be one in which Florida State notched its largest margin of victory ever over rival Florida, the September contest at third-ranked Clemson will go down as one of FSU’s most memorable victories ever. With the game tied 21-21 and under two minutes to play, Florida State was forced to punt from its own 21-yard-line. With a tie seemingly the best the Seminoles could hope for, head coach Bobby Bowden called a fake punt play that will forever be known as “Puntrooskie”. The snap was taken by the upback and handed between his legs to safety LeRoy Butler. Other Seminoles faked to the left, but Butler went right for 78 yards to the Clemson one. Richie Andrews’ 19-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining lifted FSU to one of its more stunning victories ever.
1989
Miami 10, Florida State 24
October 28th, 1989
After an 0-2 start to the 1989 season, Florida State had righted the ship as second-ranked and undefeated Miami came to town. Florida State led 14-10 at halftime, but the Seminoles blanked the Hurricanes during the second half. Linebacker Kirk Carruthers finished with 16 total tackles and two interceptions as Florida State forced six Miami turnovers. Dexter Carter carried the Florida State offense, rushing for 142 yards and a touchdown. Miami would go on to claim the 1989 national championship, but the state championship that season, belonged to the Seminoles.
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