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. After becoming a mainstay on the national stage in the late 1980’s, Florida State had a run of success during the ’90’s rarely paralleled throughout the history of college football. Here’s a look at the team’s best win each season during that decade:
1990
Penn State 17, Florida State 24 (Blockbuster Bowl)
December 28th, 1990
In the first match-up between Penn State’s legendary head coach Joe Paterno and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles closed the 1990 season with a victory in Miami. Quarterback Casey Weldon passed for 248 yards for FSU while Amp Lee rushed for a pair of touchdowns. The Florida State defense intercepted three passes as the Seminoles held off the Nittany Lions to finish ranked in the top 5 for a fourth straight year.
1991
Florida State 51, Michigan 31
September 28th, 1991
In a battle of top 10 teams and Florida State’s first ever visit to Ann Arbor, the Seminoles got the better of the Wolverines in front of a capacity crowd. Running back Amp Lee finished with over 200 yards of offense and a pair of scores, but it was Terrell Buckley’s 40-yard interception return for a touchdown that set the tone. Buckley would add a second interception while defensive lineman Toddrick McIntosh put the exclamation point on the win with a 49-yard interception return for a score. The 51 FSU points at the time, accounted for the most ever by a Michigan opponent at the “Big House”.
1992
Florida 24, Florida State 45
November 28th, 1992
After falling to Florida to close the 1991 regular season, Florida State ended the 1992 season with a stellar performance to remove the bad taste from its mouth. Quarterback Charlie Ward and wide receiver Kevin Knox proved to be an unstoppable combination as Ward finished the day with 331 yards passing. Knox finished with 123 yards receiving on 11 catches and fullback William Floyd found the end zone twice. The FSU defense held the Gators to just 30 yards rushing in an impressive Senior Day victory.
1993
Florida State 18, Nebraska 16 (Orange Bowl)
January 1st, 1994
With the national championship on the line in Miami, Nebraska led Florida State 16-15 in the waning moments. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward led the Seminoles more than 60 yards in less than a minute to set up Scott Bentley’s 22-yard field goal with 21 seconds to play. Nebraska would move into field goal range as time expired, but officials ruled that one second remained. With a chance to steal Florida State’s first national title, kicker Byron Bennett’s field goal attempt sailed wide left. After so many near misses, Florida State was finally national champions.
1994
Florida 17, Florida State 23 (Sugar Bowl)
January 2nd, 1995
Florida State rallied from an improbable 31-3 fourth quarter deficit to tie Florida in the 1994 regular season finale, but the teams would meet again just over a month later in New Orleans in a contest dubbed, “the Fifth Quarter”. Florida State opened up a 17-3 lead on touchdown passes from running back Warrick Dunn and quarterback Danny Kannell, but Florida managed to hang tight. Danny Wuerffel’s quarterback sneak with under four minutes to play drew Florida to within six, but FSU would manage to run out the clock. Omar Ellison finished with 102 yards receiving in the victory while linebacker Derrick Brooks added eight tackles and an interception in his final game as a Seminole.
1995
Florida State 31, Notre Dame 26
January 1st, 1996
Underdog Notre Dame was getting the better of Florida State early in the 1996 Orange Bowl before senior quarterback Danny Kannell took over. With the Seminoles trailing 26-14 in the fourth quarter, Kanell fired a touchdown pass to E.G. Green to draw the Seminoles to within five with 9:47 to play. Less than four minutes later, Kanell hooked up with Andre Cooper in the end zone for a third time as FSU went ahead for good. Defensive end Reinard Wilson forced a safety to put the exclamation point on FSU’s third Orange Bowl victory in four years.
1996
Florida 21, Florida State 24
November 30th, 1996
It was #1 vs. #2 as the top-ranked Gators came to Tallahassee. The Seminoles raced to a 17-0 first quarter lead, but Florida answered with 14 points in the second quarter. Florida State clung to a 3-point lead before Pooh Bear Williams’ second touchdown of the day put FSU back up by 10. Florida scored with 1:19 remaining, but the Seminoles recovered the ensuing onside kick to shore up the victory. Warrick Dunn finished with 185 yards rushing to lead the Seminoles while the FSU defense recorded five sacks, including two from defensive end Andre Wadsworth. Unfortunately for Florida State, FSU would fall to Florida more than a month later in the Sugar Bowl, giving the Gators their first ever national championship.
1997
Miami 0, Florida State 47
October 4th, 1997
In the most lopsided contest ever between Florida State and Miami, the Seminoles dominated the Hurricanes from start to finish in early October of 1997. Florida State held Miami to just 131 yards of offense including a negative 33 on the ground. With Miami threatening to break up the shutout late, defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews put his starters back on the field. Cornerback Samari Rolle’s second interception of the day sealed the shutout as FSU notched its largest margin of victory ever over Miami.
1998
Florida 12, Florida State 23
November 21st, 1998
In a contest between top 5 teams, Florida State was forced to play a backup quarterback named Marcus Outzen against rival Florida late in 1998. Florida had ended the Seminoles’ national championship hopes the previous season and were on the verge of doing it again, leading 12-6 at the break. With FSU driving early in the third quarter, a play that appeared disastrous turned into the game-winner for Florida State. Outzen’s pass was thrown right in the direction of Florida safety Marquand Manuel, but went off Manuel’s hands and into the arms of FSU wide receiver Peter Warrick for a 32-yard touchdown. Warrick would later add a touchdown pass on a trick play while the Florida State defense blanked Florida in the second half.
1999
Virginia Tech 29, Florida State 46 (Sugar Bowl)
January 4th, 2000
A national championship appeared to be slipping away from Florida State as second-ranked Virginia Tech scored 22 unanswered points to take a 29-28 lead into the final quarter. But thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Chris Weinke, the Seminoles outscored the Hokies 18-0 in the final quarter. Weinke’s 14-yard touchdown toss to Ron Dugans put FSU ahead for good before Peter Warrick’s 43-yard acrobatic catch for a score put the game away. Weinke finished with 329 yards passing while Warrick caught six passes for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Warrick also added a punt return for a score as legendary head coach Bobby Bowden notched his first and only perfect season and second national championship as the head coach of the Seminoles.
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