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Florida State Seminoles football
2019 Florida State Seminoles football team
First season	1902[1]
Head coach	Willie Taggart 2nd season, 5–7 (.417)
Other staff	Kendal Briles, OC Harlon Barnett, DC
Stadium	Doak Campbell Stadium (Capacity: 79,560)
Field	Bobby Bowden Field
Year built	1950
Field surface	419 Tifway Bermuda[2]
Location	Tallahassee, Florida
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference (since 1992)
Division	Atlantic Division (since 2005)
Past conferences	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1902–1904) Independent (1947, 1951–1991) Dixie Conference (1948–1950)
All-time record	551–263–18 (.673)
Bowl record	28–16–3 (.628)
Playoff appearances	1 (2014)
Playoff record	0−1
Claimed nat'l titles	3 (1993, 1999, 2013)
Unclaimed nat'l titles	5 (1980, 1987, 1992, 1994, 1996)
National finalist	3 (1996, 1998, 2000)
Conference titles	18 (1948, 1949, 1950, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Division titles	6 (2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Rivalries	Florida (rivalry) Miami (rivalry) Clemson (rivalry)
Heisman winners	3 (Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke, Jameis Winston)
Consensus All-Americans	45
Current uniform
Colors	Garnet and Gold[3]
Fight song	FSU Fight Song
Mascot	Osceola and Renegade[4]
Marching band	Marching Chiefs
Outfitter	Nike
Website	Seminoles.com

The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team is known for its storied history, distinctive helmet, fight song and colors as well as the many traditions associated with the school.

Florida State has won three national championships, eighteen conference titles and six division titles along with a playoff appearance. The Seminoles have achieved three undefeated seasons, finished ranked in the top four of the AP Poll for 14 straight years from 1987 through 2000 and completed 41 straight winning seasons from 1977 through 2017. The 1999 team received votes from ESPN as one of the top teams in college football history.^[5]

The team has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: quarterbacks Charlie Ward in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000 and Jameis Winston in 2013. The Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the top receiver in college football, is named for Florida State hall of famer Fred Biletnikoff. Other awards won by Florida State players include the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Lombardi Award, the Dick Butkus Award, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the Lou Groza Award, the Dave Rimington Trophy and the Bobby Bowden Award. Florida State coaches have been honored with the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award, the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award, the Broyles Award, and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award. Many former Seminoles have gone on to have successful careers in the NFL.

The program has produced 219 All-Americans (45 consensus and 15 unanimous) and 250 professional players. Florida State has had six members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, two members inducted into the College Football Coaches Hall of Fame and four members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Seminoles have the tenth-highest winning percentage among all college football programs in Division I FBS history with over 500 victories. Florida State has appeared in forty-eight postseason bowl games and rank ninth nationally for bowl winning percentage and fourth for bowl wins. The Seminoles' archrivals are Florida, whom they meet annually in the last game of the regular season, and Miami; both games are considered among the greatest rivalries in college football.^[6] A rivalry with Clemson has developed and grown due to both teams competing yearly for the ACC Atlantic division.

The team is coached by Willie Taggart and plays its home games at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, currently the 18th largest stadium in college football and the 2nd largest in the ACC, located on-campus in Tallahassee, Florida.

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History

Early history

As early as the 1890s, Florida State had a football team. Florida State University traces the start of its athletic program to 1902, when Florida State College played the first of its three seasons.^[7] From 1902 to 1904, the institution then known as Florida State College fielded a varsity football team called "The Eleven" that played other teams.^[8] The Florida State players wore gold uniforms with a large purple F on the front. Their pants were lightly padded, but their upper bodies were largely unprotected. Leather helmets with ear guards covered their heads, and shoehorn-shaped metal nose guards were strapped across their faces.^[9] In 1905, the state reorganized its secondary education under the Buckman Act and the football team moved to the University of Florida.^[7] In 1947, Florida's university system faced a heavy influx of returning soldiers taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. To accommodate the demand, on May 15, 1947, the Governor signed an act of the Legislature returning Florida State College for Women to coeducational status and naming it The Florida State University. This is recognized as the beginning of Florida State University's current American football program.

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.^[10] 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.^[11] The following year Jack Forsythe, later the first head coach of the Florida Gators, replaced Hughes as coach, and the Eleven won the unofficial "state championship" by defeating Stetson in Tallahassee.^[12]Jock Hanvey assisted Forsythe.

This would be The Eleven's last season, however, as the Florida State Legislature passed the Buckman Act, which reorganized Florida's six colleges into three institutions segregated by gender and race: a school for white males, a school for white females, and a school for African Americans. Florida State College became Florida Female College until 1909, when it became Florida State College for Women.^[13] 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.^[14] Males who formerly attended Florida State College were required to transfer to the Gainesville campus,^[13] although 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).^[14]

Foundation of the modern team (1947–1959)

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 to Florida State University and allowing men to attend the university for the first time since 1905; football then returned to the university, beginning with the 1947 season. From 1948 through 1959, the Seminole football program achieved much success under coaches Don Veller and Tom Nugent.

Ed Williamson, who introduced football to the school, served as the first coach of the Florida State Seminoles. In his first and only season with Florida State, the Seminoles posted an 0–5 record. Williamson has the worst record out of all the head coaches at Florida State and the only coach to have a winless mark.

As the second coach at Florida State, Don Veller coached at Florida State for five years and compiled a record of 31–12–1. Veller was the first coach to find success coaching the Seminoles. In 1950, Veller led the Seminoles to an 8–0 record, the first unbeaten season in school history.

Once Veller left the school, Tom Nugent became the third coach at Florida State. He stayed at Florida State for six years and compiled a record of 34–28–1. In one of his most notable accomplishments, Nugent gave the Seminoles their first win over an SEC opponent with a 10–0 victory against Tennessee in 1958.

The fourth coach at Florida State was Perry Moss who coached the Seminoles for one year after compiling a 4–6 record. He became the second Florida State coach to leave the school with a losing record and the second to coach at the school for only one season after leaving to coach in the CFL.

Bill Peterson era (1960–1970)

With the arrival of head coach 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.^[15]

Although not widely known, the Seminoles achieved their first ever number one ranking during this period. In October 1964, the Dunkel College Football Index, a popular power index of that era, placed the Seminoles at the top of their poll after a stunning 48–6 win over highly ranked Kentucky (AP #5, Dunkel #3). Peterson would be named UPI national coach of the week after this program changing victory.^[16][17] In an era of very few bowl games, Peterson's innovative offensive system helped earn the Seminoles four bowl bids from 1964 through 1968. During this time, only Alabama and Mississippi appeared in more bowl games than did Peterson's Seminoles. In 1968, Peterson's eighth year at the helm, the Seminoles claimed their third straight bowl bid as Florida State became the first major college in the state of Florida to earn such a distinction. The Seminoles would not repeat this feat again until the ninth season of the Bobby Bowden era.^[18]

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 African American to play in a varsity game for the Seminoles.^[19][20]

Larry Jones and Darrell Mudra eras (1971–1975)

Following Peterson's successful run, the next two coaches had disappointing tenures. Larry Jones was appointed as the sixth head coach at Florida State. Jones coached for three years from 1971-1973 and compiled a record of 15–19, becoming the third Florida State coach to have a losing record. Darrell Mudra was then hired to be the seventh coach of the Seminoles. Mudra lasted just two years from 1974-1975 and compiled a record of 4–18. He became the fourth head coach to have a losing record at Florida State.

Bobby Bowden era (1976–2009)

Under head coach Bobby Bowden, who came to Florida State from West Virginia, the Seminoles became one of the nation's most competitive programs, greatly expanding the tradition of football at Florida State. The Seminoles played in five national championship games between 1993 and 2000, 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' 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.

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

In the spring of 2007, several FSU athletes including football players were accused of cheating in an online music history class. The NCAA ruled that Florida State was guilty of major violations, announced that it would reduce scholarship limits in 10 sports and force Florida State to vacate all of the victories in 2006 and 2007 in which the implicated athletes participated and placed the university on probation for four years.^[21] FSU vacated 12 football victories from the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Bowden finished his career with 377 career wins.^[22]

Jimbo Fisher era (2010–2017)

On January 5, 2010, Jimbo Fisher officially became the ninth head football coach in Florida State history. Fisher had been a member of the Florida State staff for three years, serving as offensive coordinator. He was named head coach-in waiting during the 2008 season. 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 both of its in-state rivals, the Miami Hurricanes 45–17 and the Florida Gators 31–7, for the first time since 1999. Florida State would go on to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where they would beat Steve Spurrier's South Carolina team, 26–17. In his second season, Florida State went 9–4 with a 5–3 record in ACC conference play. For the second year in a row, the Seminoles defeated both of their in-state rivals. 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. In his third season, he led the Seminoles to their first conference title in seven years and defeated Northern Illinois to win the Orange Bowl. In the 2013 season, Jimbo Fisher guided his team to a perfect 14–0 record and a national championship with a comeback win against Auburn. In Fisher's fifth season with the Seminoles, he guided Florida State to another undefeated regular season and a playoff berth. Florida State had victories over both in-state rivals, Florida and Miami, in six of Jimbo Fisher's first seven seasons as head coach and won ten or more games in six of his eight seasons.

Fisher resigned as FSU head coach on December 1, 2017, to accept a record ten-year, $75 million contract to become head coach at Texas A&M. Defensive line coach and former defensive lineman Odell Haggins was named interim head coach, becoming Florida State's first African-American head coach, and coached in his first game the next day against Louisiana Monroe. The Seminoles won, extending their bowl streak to an NCAA record 36 seasons. He went on to coach the Seminoles in the bowl game, leading them to a win and their 41st consecutive winning season.

Willie Taggart era (2018–present)

On December 5, 2017, Willie Taggart left Oregon to become the new head coach at Florida State. ^[23]

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.

• 
  Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1902–1904)


• 
  Independent (1947)


• 
  Dixie Conference (1948–1950)


• Independent (1951–1991)


• 
  Atlantic Coast Conference (1992–present)
  
  • Atlantic Division (2005–present)

Championships

National championships

Florida State has been selected national champions in eight seasons by NCAA-designated major selectors.^{[24][25]:114–115} Florida State claims the 1993, 1999 and 2013 national titles.^[26]

Year	Coach	Selector	Record	Bowl	Opponent	Result
1980	Bobby Bowden	FACT	10–2	Orange	Oklahoma	L 17–18
1987	Bobby Bowden	Berryman	11–1	Fiesta	Nebraska	W 31–28
1992	Bobby Bowden	Sagarin	11–1	Orange	Nebraska	W 27–14
1993	Bobby Bowden	Associated Press, Berryman, Billingsley Report, DeVold System, Dunkel System, Eck Ratings System, FACT, Football News, Football Writers Association of America, National Championship Foundation, New York Times, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), Sporting News, United Press International, USA Today/CNN (coaches), USA Today/NFF	12–1	Orange	Nebraska	W 18–16
1994	Bobby Bowden	Dunkel	10–1–1	Sugar	Florida	W 23–17
1996	Bobby Bowden	Alderson System	11–1	Sugar	Florida	L 20–52
1999	Bobby Bowden	BCS, USA Today, AP, FW, NFF	12–0	Sugar	Virginia Tech	W 46–29
2013	Jimbo Fisher	BCS, USA Today, AP, FW, NFF	14–0	BCS NC Game	Auburn	W 34–31

1993 season

The Seminoles entered 1993 with a number one ranking and were led by quarterback and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward.

Florida State cruised to a 9–0 record with their closest game being an eighteen-point win over Miami. The only loss of the season came at second-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame by a score of 31–24, in one of the greatest games in college football history. Despite the loss, Florida State still went on to play for the national title, beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl with a field goal in the final seconds to claim the school's first national title.

1999 season

After falling short in the national title game against Tennessee in 1998, the Seminoles began the 1999 season ranked first in the country.

Florida State would go on to complete just the second undefeated season in school history and became the first team in history to be ranked number one for an entire season. The Noles would clinch their second national title with a victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

2013 season

After the 2012 season, FSU lost six coaches including defensive coordinator Mark Stoops Despite the numerous coaching changes and off the field incidents, Florida State would go on to become the highest scoring team in FBS history by scoring 723 points in a single season en route to their third national championship. The 2013 Seminoles would hand then third ranked Clemson their worst home loss, set a new attendance record at Doak Campbell Stadium of 84,409 against the seventh ranked Miami Hurricanes, and set a school scoring record of 80 points in a game against the University of Idaho behind freshman quarterback and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.

Conference championships

Season	Conference	Coach	Overall	Conference
1948	Dixie	Don Veller	7–1	4–0
1949	Dixie	Don Veller	9–1	4–0
1950	Dixie	Don Veller	8–0	2–0
1992	ACC	Bobby Bowden	11–1	8–0
1993	ACC	Bobby Bowden	12–1	8–0
1994	ACC	Bobby Bowden	10–1–1	8–0
1995†	ACC	Bobby Bowden	10–2	7–1
1996	ACC	Bobby Bowden	11–1	8–0
1997	ACC	Bobby Bowden	11–1	8–0
1998†	ACC	Bobby Bowden	11–2	7–1
1999	ACC	Bobby Bowden	12–0	8–0
2000	ACC	Bobby Bowden	11–2	8–0
2002	ACC	Bobby Bowden	9–5	7–1
2003	ACC	Bobby Bowden	10–3	7–1
2005	ACC	Bobby Bowden	8–5	5–3
2012	ACC	Jimbo Fisher	12–2	7–1
2013	ACC	Jimbo Fisher	14–0	8–0
2014	ACC	Jimbo Fisher	13–1	8–0

† Co-champions

Division championships

Year	Division	Coach	Opponent	ACC CG Result
2005†	ACC Atlantic	Bobby Bowden	Virginia Tech	W 27–22
2008†	ACC Atlantic	Bobby Bowden	Boston College won the divisional tiebreaker
2010	ACC Atlantic	Jimbo Fisher	Virginia Tech	L 33–44
2012†	ACC Atlantic	Jimbo Fisher	Georgia Tech	W 21–15
2013	ACC Atlantic	Jimbo Fisher	Duke	W 45–7
2014	ACC Atlantic	Jimbo Fisher	Georgia Tech	W 37–35

† Co-champions

Head coaches

Florida State has had thirteen head coaches since organized football began in 1902.^[27][28] Bobby Bowden, who spent thirty-four years at Florida State, is the winningest coach in school history and has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. During his tenure, Bobby Bowden won two national championships with the Seminoles, while Jimbo Fisher won one.

Tenure	Coach	Years	Record	Pct.	Bowl Games
1902–1903	W. W. Hughes	2	5–3–1	.611	0–0–1
1904	Jack Forsythe	1	2–3	.400
1947	Ed Williamson	1	0–5	.000
1948–1952	Don Veller	5	31–12–1	.716	1–0
1953–1958	Tom Nugent	6	34–28–1	.548	0–2
1959	Perry Moss	1	4–6	.400
1960–1970	Bill Peterson	11	62–42–11	.587	1–2–1
1971–1973	Larry Jones	3	15–19	.441	0–1
1974–1975	Darrell Mudra	2	4–18	.182
1976–2009	Bobby Bowden	34	304–97–4‡	.756	20–9–1‡
2010–2017	Jimbo Fisher	8	83–23	.783	5–2
2017	Odell Haggins†	1	2–0	1.000	1–0
2018–present	Willie Taggart	1	5–7	.417

† Interim head coach

‡ Bobby Bowden's record omits 12 vacated victories including 1 bowl victory, that would otherwise make his record 316–97–4.

Doak S. Campbell Stadium

The Florida State Seminoles originally played their home games at Centennial Field until 1950. The Seminoles had an 8–4 record at Centennial, including two undefeated home records. The team currently play their home games at Doak Cambell Stadium, which has a capacity of 79,560. Florida State is 298–95–4 in 397 games played at Doak Campbell.

The stadium, named after former school president Doak Sheridan Campbell, hosted its first game against the Randolph-Macon College Yellowjackets on October 7, 1950 with the Seminoles winning the game 40–7. At that time the facility had a seating capacity of 15,000. 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 second 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 as well as The College of Motion Picture Arts, The Dedman School of Hospitality, and The College of Social Work. 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, and Doak Campbell Stadium has been named one of the top stadiums in college sports.^[29]

Doak Campbell Stadium has been a great home field advantage for the Noles. Florida State is one of only three schools that can boast a decade home field unbeaten streak. The Seminoles never lost a home game from 1992–2001, a total of 54 games, and have completed twenty-three undefeated seasons at their home stadiums, including twenty-one at Doak Campbell.

The record crowd for the stadium is 84,409; set during a game against the Miami Hurricanes on November 2, 2013.

Rivalries

Florida

The Florida Gators are the main rival of the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State and Florida have played each other 63 times, with the Gators holding a 35–26–2 advantage^[30]; since the arrival of Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles have compiled a record of 23–17–1. The game alternates between Florida's home stadium, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida and Florida State's home stadium, Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.

Miami

The 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 leading the series 33–30.^[31] Florida State holds a 10–5 advantage since the Hurricanes became a conference foe in 2004.

During the 1980s and 90s, the series emerged as one of the premier rivalries in college football. Between 1983 and 2013, the Hurricanes and Seminoles combined to win 8 national championships (5 for Miami, 3 for Florida State) and played in 15 national championship games (1983, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 96, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02, 13). 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 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 (a 6.9 rating). It trailed only the 1994 game between Miami and FSU, which notched a 7.7 rating.^[32]

Clemson

Florida State has a rivalry with Atlantic Division foe Clemson Tigers. Florida State leads the all-time series 20–12.^[33] The Seminoles 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 was played before Tommy's resignation, taking 5 of those games with all four losses within the last five seasons.

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 1981–91. 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.

Virginia

The 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 18 times, with FSU receiving it 14 times (FSU vacated its 2006 win). The Seminoles hold the all-time advantage 14–3.^[34] Because of conference expansion, the teams no longer play annually; the teams last met in 2014, and they will meet once again during the 2019 season.

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. Florida State has been awarded the trophy fourteen times. Florida State is the current trophy holder after their win in Tallahassee in 2014.

Florida Cup

The Florida Cup is the trophy sponsored by the state of Florida given to either the Florida State University Seminoles, the University of Florida Gators, or the University of Miami Hurricanes for winning a round-robin against the other two teams in the same season (including bowl games if necessary).^[35]

It was created in 2002 by the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the state of Florida, and the Florida Championships Awards, Inc. The idea of finally having a trophy for the round robin winner between the three schools was enthusiastically endorsed by then governor Jeb Bush. Along with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (given to the winner of the round robin between Army, Navy and Air Force), the Florida Cup is one of the very few three way rivalries that presents a trophy to the winner.

The Florida Cup was awarded to the Florida State Seminoles in 2013, as Florida and Miami played in the regular season. However, unless the Gators and Hurricanes meet in a bowl game, this will be the last year they play for a long time, as Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley is reluctant to add Miami as an annual opponent due to alleged financial and scheduling concerns. Unless Florida and Miami are paired together in a bowl game, it remains to be seen when the next time the cup will be on the line. Thus, 2013 was the last year that the Florida Cup was awarded.

The Makala Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Florida–Florida State game at the winning team's spring scrimmage.^[36]

Notable games

• 
  1950 – First Game at Doak – Florida State played the first game at Doak Campbell Stadium, a 40–7 win over Randolph-Macon College.^[37]


• 
  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 touchdown. 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 an 8–1–1 chart, a showing exceeded only by an unbeaten 1950 season.^[38]


• 
  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.^[39][40]


• 
  1991 – Big Win at the Big House – In their first trip ever to Michigan Stadium, Florida State would beat the #3 Michigan Wolverines 51–31 behind quarterback Casey Weldon's 268 yards and 2 touchdowns and Amp Lee's 122 yards rushing. One of the most memorable plays in Florida State history occurred on Michigan's 1st play in the 1st quarter when cornerback Terrell Buckley returned an Elvis Grbac interception for a 40-yard touchdown.^[41]


• 
  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.^[42]


• 
  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.^[43][44]


• 
  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.^[45]


• 
  1995 – The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter – After the Choke at Doak game ended in a 31–31 tie both teams where selected to the 1995 Sugar Bowl. The game would become known as "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter." With 1:32 left in the game All-America linebacker Derrick Brooks intercepted a pass from Danny Wuerffel to seal FSU's victory 23–17.^[46][47]


• 
  1996 – #1 vs #2 – The #1–ranked and undefeated Gators came into 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.^[48]


• 
  1997 – Top Five Matchup in Chapel Hill – In the first ACC game between two teams ranked in the top five, Florida State dominated North Carolina 20-3, the Tar Heels' only defeat on the season.^[49]


• 
  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.^[50]


• 
  2005 – The Miami Muff – In 2005, the Florida State Seminoles finally gained some redemption for the past Wide Right heartbreaks. Miami kicker John Peattie missed two field goals in the 1st quarter, while FSU kicker Gary Cismesia was 1/2 for the game. Trailing 10–7 in the 4th, 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. Florida State took over on downs and ran out the clock to end Miami's six-game winning streak in the rivalry.^[51]


• 
  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.^[52]


• 
  2013 – Top Five Matchup in Death Valley – In the second ACC game between two teams ranked in the top five, Florida State handed Clemson their worst home loss in school history.^[53]


• 
  2014 – FSU Wins Third National Championship – After Florida State scored a field goal on their first drive, Auburn responded with a touchdown in the first quarter and two in the second to storm out to a 21–3 lead. After a successful punt fake, the Seminoles managed a late touchdown before halftime to go into the locker room down, 21–10. Both teams dominated on defense in the third quarter with the Seminoles hitting a field goal to cut the lead to 8. In the fourth quarter, Florida State scored a touchdown early to make it a one-point game. After Auburn made a field goal, Levonte Whitfield returned the following kickoff 100 yards to give the Seminoles the lead, 27–24. Auburn answered with a touchdown to go up 31–27 with 1:19 remaining. On their final drive of 7 plays, Florida State scored a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining, benefiting from a pass interference by Auburn's Chris Davis Jr. on a crucial 3rd and 8. The Seminoles emerged victorious 34–31 to end the SEC's streak of 7 consecutive BCS titles.^[54]


• 
  2016 – The Block at The Rock - Late in the fourth quarter against rival Miami, Florida State had a touchdown lead. Miami scored on an 11-yard reception by Stacey Coley with 1:38 left in the game to make the score 20–19 with an extra point attempt coming. Defensive end DeMarcus Walker blocked the extra point to give Florida State a one-point win.^[55]

Individual accomplishments

Individual national award winners

Players

Heisman Trophy Best Player	Maxwell Award Best Player	Walter Camp Award Best Player	Chic Harley Award Best Player	Archie Griffin Award Most Valuable Player	AP Player of the Year
1993 – Charlie Ward, QB 2000 – Chris Weinke, QB 2013 – Jameis Winston, QB	1993 – Charlie Ward, QB	1993 – Charlie Ward,QB 2013 – Jameis Winston, QB	1993 – Charlie Ward, QB	2013 – Jameis Winston, QB	2013 – Jameis Winston, QB

Davey O'Brien Award Best Quarterback	Manning Award Best Quarterback	Kellan Moore Award Best Quarterback	Johhny Unitas Award Best Senior Quarterback	Sammy Baugh Trophy Best Passer	Jim Brown Award Best Runningback	Paul Warfield Award Best Wide Receiver	John Mackey Award Best Tight End	Dave Remington Trophy Best Center
1993 – Charlie Ward 2000 – Chris Weinke 2013 – Jameis Winston	2013 – Jameis Winston	1991 – Casey Weldon 1993 – Charlie Ward	1991 – Casey Weldon 1993 – Charlie Ward 2000 – Chris Weinke	2000 – Chris Weinke	2015 – Dalvin Cook	1999 – Peter Warrick	2014 – Nick O'Leary	2013 – Bryan Stork

Jim Thorpe Award Best Defensive Back	Jack Tatum Trophy Best Defensive Back	Lombardi Award Best Lineman/Best Linebacker	Bill Willis Trophy Best Defensive Lineman	Butkus Award Best Linebacker	Jack Lambert Trophy Best Linebacker
1988 – Deion Sanders 1991 – Terrell Buckley	1991 – Terrell Buckley 2016 – Tarvarus McFadden	1992 – Marvin Jones 2000 – Jamal Reynolds	1997 – Andre Wadsworth 2000 – Jamal Reynolds	1987 – Paul McGowan 1992 – Marvin Jones	1992 – Marvin Jones 1994 – Derrick Brooks

Lou Groza Award Best Kicker	Vlade Award Most Accurate Kicker
1998, 1999 – Sebastian Janikowski 2008 – Graham Gano 2013 – Roberto Aguayo	2013, 2014 – Roberto Aguayo

Bobby Bowden Award Best Student Athlete
2010 – Christian Ponder

Coaches

Bobby Dodd Award Coach of the Year	Walter Camp Award Coach of the Year	Home Depot Award Coach of the Year
1980 – Bobby Bowden	1991 – Bobby Bowden	1994 – Bobby Bowden

Broyles Award Best Assistant Coach
1996 – Mickey Andrews, DC

Paul "Bear" Bryant Award Lifetime Achievement	Bobby Bowden Award Lifetime Achievement
2010 – Bobby Bowden	2011 – Bobby Bowden

Individual conference awards

Players

Coaches

Consensus All-Americans

219 Florida State players have been honored as All-American players with thirty-eight being awarded as consensus All-Americans. Seven Florida State players have been two-time consensus All-Americans.

Consensus All-Americans
Year(s)	Name	Number	Position
1964	Fred Biletnikoff	25	WR
1967-1968	Ron Sellers	34	WR
1979–1980	Ron Simmons	51	DL
1983	Greg Allen	26	RB
1985	Jamie Dukes	64	OL
1987–1988	Deion Sanders	2	CB
1989	LeRoy Butler	6	CB
1991–1992	Marvin Jones	55	LB
1991	Terrell Buckley	27	CB
1993	Charlie Ward	17	QB
1993–1994	Derrick Brooks	10	LB
1993	Corey Sawyer	8	CB
1994	Clifton Abraham	2	CB
1995	Clay Shiver	53	C
1996	Peter Boulware	58	DE
1996	Reinard Wilson	55	DE
1997	Sam Cowart	1	LB
1997	Andre Wadsworth	85	DE
1998–1999	Sebastian Janikowski	38	K
1998–1999	Peter Warrick	9	WR
1999	Corey Simon	53	DL
1999	Jason Whitaker	68	OL
2000	Tay Cody	27	CB
2000	Snoop Minnis	13	WR
2000	Jamal Reynolds	58	DE
2003–2004	Alex Barron	70	OL
2010	Rodney Hudson	62	OL
2011	Shawn Powell	45	P
2012	Björn Werner	95	DL
2013	Lamarcus Joyner	20	S
2013	Bryan Stork	52	C
2013	Jameis Winston	5	QB
2014	Roberto Aguayo	19	K
2014	Tre' Jackson	54	OL
2014	Nick O'Leary	35	TE
2015	Jalen Ramsey	8	CB
2016	Dalvin Cook	4	RB
2016	DeMarcus Walker	44	DE

Unanimous All-Americans

15 Florida State players have been selected as unanimous All-Americans. Deion Sanders is the only Seminole to have been honored as a two-time unanimous selection.^[57]

Unanimous All-Americans
Year(s)	Name	Number	Position
1987–1988	Deion Sanders	2	CB
1991	Terrell Buckley	27	CB
1992	Marvin Jones	55	LB
1993	Charlie Ward	17	QB
1993	Derrick Brooks	10	LB
1999	Sebastian Janikowski	38	K
1999	Peter Warrick	9	WR
2000	Jamal Reynolds	58	DE
2004	Alex Barron	70	OL
2010	Rodney Hudson	62	OL
2012	Björn Werner	95	DL
2013	Lamarcus Joyner	20	S
2014	Tre' Jackson	54	OL
2016	Dalvin Cook	4	RB

Honored jersey numbers

Number	Name	Position	Career	Ref.
2	Deion Sanders	CB	1985–88	[58]
9	Peter Warrick	WR	1995-1999	[59]
10	Derrick Brooks	LB	1991–1994	[58]
16	Chris Weinke	QB	1997–2000	[58]
17	Charlie Ward	QB	1989–1993	[58]
25	Fred Biletnikoff	WR	1962–1964	[58]
27	Terrell Buckley	CB	1989–1991	[58]
28	Warrick Dunn	RB	1993–1996	[58]
34	Ron Sellers	WR	1966–1968	[58]
50	Ron Simmons	DT	1977–1980	[58]
55	Marvin Jones	LB	1990–1992	[58]

Bob Crenshaw and Monk Bonasorte awards

The Tallahassee Quarterback Club^[60] sponsors an award, known as the Bob Crenshaw Award that is given in memory of a special Seminole football player whose courage and fighting spirit was an inspiration to others.

The award is given in the memory of Robert E. (Bob) Crenshaw who played football from 1952 to 1955. The 175 pounds offensive lineman was the captain of the team in 1954 and a student leader. He was killed in a jet crash in 1958.^[61] The plaque's inscription reads: "To the football player with the Biggest Heart." The recipient is chosen by his teammates as the man who best exemplifies the qualities that made Bob Crenshaw an outstanding football player and person. Following the 2016 season, the award is given to offensive players.

Year	Name	Position
1958	Al Ulmer	Guard
1959	Ramon Rogers	Center
1960	Abner Bigbie	Fullback
1961	Paul Andrews	Fullback
1962	Jim Sims	Tackle
1964	Larry Brinkley	Fullback
1964	Dick Hermann	Linebacker
1965	Howard Ehler	Defensive back
1966	Ed Pope	Guard
1967	Kim Hammond	Quarterback
1968	Billy Gunter	Running back
1969	Stan Walker	Guard
1970	Bill Lohse	Linebacker
1971	Bill Henson	Defensive tackle
1972	David Snell	Defensive back
1973	Steve Bratton	Defensive end
1974	Jeff Gardner	Offensive guard
1975	Lee Nelson	Defensive back
1976	Joe Camps	Defensive back
1977	Aaron Carter	Linebacker
1978	Scott Warren	Defensive end
1979	Greg Futch	Offensive tackle
1980	Monk Bonasorte	Defensive back
1981	Barry Voltapetti	Offensive tackle
1982	Blair Williams	Quarterback
1983	Ken Roe	Linebacker
1984	Todd Stroud	Noseguard
1985	Pete Panton	Tight end
1986	Greg Newell	Free safety
1987	Mark Salva	Center
1988	Jason Kuipers	Offensive guard
1989	Tony Yeomans	Offensive guard
1990	Lawrence Dawsey	Wide receiver
1991	Dan Footman	Defensive end
1992	Robbie Baker	Center
1993	Jon Nance	Noseguard
1994	Steve Gilmer	Safety
1994	Enzo Armella	Noseguard
1995	Todd Rebol	Linebacker
1996	Connell Spain	Defensive tackle
1997	Greg Spires	Defensive end
1998	Troy Saunders	Cornerback
1999	Reggie Durden	Cornerback
2000	Patrick Newton	Linebacker
2001	Bradley Jennings	Linebacker
2002	Anquan Boldin	Wide receiver
2003	David Castillo	Center
2004	Bryant McFadden	Cornerback
2005	Andre Fluellen	Defensive tackle
2006	Darius McClure	Safety
2007	Anthony Houllis	Rover
2008	Ryan McMahon	Center
2009	Ryan McMahon	Center
2009	Markus White	Defensive end
2010	Andrew Datko	Offensive tackle
2011	EJ Manuel	Quarterback
2011	Lamarcus Joyner	Safety
2012	Telvin Smith	Linebacker
2012	Devonta Freeman	Running back
2013	Devonta Freeman	Running back
2013	Lamarcus Joyner	Defensive back
2014	Josue Matias	Offensive guard
2014	Eddie Goldman	Defensive tackle
2015	Kareem Are	Offensive guard
2015	Reggie Northrup	Linebacker
2016	Deondre Francois	Quarterback
2017	Derrick Kelley	Offensive guard
2018	Derrick Kelley	Offensive guard

Beginning in 2017, The Tallahassee Quarterback Club^[60] began sponsoring another award, known as the Monk Bonasorte Award. The award is given in the memory of Monk Bonasorte who played football from 1977 to 1980. He would later return to the university to work in the athletic department before dying of cancer. The award is given to defensive players and the recipient is also chosen by his teammates as the man who best exemplifies the qualities that made Monk Bonasorte an outstanding football player as well as person.

Year	Name	Position
2017	Josh Sweat	Defensive End
2018	Dontavious Jackson	Linebacker

Heisman Trophy

Three Florida State players have been awarded the Heisman Trophy. Charlie Ward received the award in 1993, Chris Weinke in 2000 and Jameis Winston in 2013. Casey Weldon finished as runner-up in 1991.^[62]

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Year	Name	Position	Place
1984	Greg Allen	RB	7th
1988	Deion Sanders	DB	8th
1991	Casey Weldon	QB	2nd
1992	Marvin Jones Charlie Ward	LB QB	4th 6th
1993	Charlie Ward	QB	1st
1995	Warrick Dunn	RB	9th
1996	Warrick Dunn	RB	5th
1999	Peter Warrick	WR	6th
2000	Chris Weinke	QB	1st
2013	Jameis Winston	QB	1st
2014	Jameis Winston	QB	6th
2015	Dalvin Cook	RB	7th
2016	Dalvin Cook	RB	10th

Hall of Fame inductees

College Football Hall of Fame

Seven FSU players and three coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Name	Position	Career	Inducted	Ref.
Ron Sellers	WR	1966–1968	1988	[63]
Fred Biletnikoff	WR	1962–1964	1991	[63]
Darrell Mudra	Coach	1974–1975	2000	[63]
Bobby Bowden	Coach	1976–2009	2006	[63]
Charlie Ward	QB	1989, 1991–1993	2006	[63]
Ron Simmons	DT	1977–1980	2009	[63]
Deion Sanders	CB	1985–1988	2011	[63]
Derrick Brooks	LB	1992–1994	2016	[64]
Mack Brown	Coach	1972–1973 (player)	2018	[65]
Terrell Buckley	CB	1989–1991	2019	[66]

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Four former Seminoles have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Name	Position	Career	Inducted
Fred Biletnikoff	WR	1965–1978	1988
Deion Sanders	CB	1989–2000, 2004–2005	2011
Derrick Brooks	LB	1995–2008	2014
Walter Jones	OL	1997–2008	2014

Canadian Football Hall of Fame

One former Seminole has been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.^[67]

Name	Position	Career	Inducted
Danny McManus	QB	1984–1987	2011

Records and results

Undefeated seasons

Florida State has completed three "perfect seasons" in its history as well as having gone through the regular season undefeated six times:

Year	Coach	Regular Season	Final Win/Loss
1950	Don Veller	8–0	8–0
1979	Bobby Bowden	11–0	11–1
1996	Bobby Bowden	11–0	11–1
1999	Bobby Bowden	11–0	12–0
2013	Jimbo Fisher	12–0	14–0
2014	Jimbo Fisher	12–0	13–1
Total undefeated seasons	3

All-time bowl record

This is a partial list of the ten most recent bowl games Florida State has competed in. For the full FSU bowl game history, see List of Florida State Seminoles bowl games

Florida State has played in 48 bowl games in its history and has a 28–16–3 record in those games. The Seminoles are the ninth most successful bowl team in history and played in a record 36 consecutive bowl games from 1982-2017, although the NCAA doesn't recognize this because their 2006 Emerald Bowl win and appearance were both vacated as a result of the 2007 academic scandal.

Season	Date	Bowl	Result	Opponent	Score
2008	December 27, 2008	Champs Sports Bowl	W	Wisconsin	42–13
2009	January 1, 2010	Gator Bowl	W	West Virginia	33–21
2010	December 31, 2010	Chick-fil-A Bowl	W	South Carolina	26–17
2011	December 29, 2011	Champs Sports Bowl	W	Notre Dame	18–14
2012	January 1, 2013	Orange Bowl	W	Northern Illinois	31–10
2013	January 6, 2014	BCS National Championship Game	W	Auburn	34–31
2014	January 1, 2015	Rose Bowl (College Football Playoff)	L	Oregon	20–59
2015	December 31, 2015	Peach Bowl	L	Houston	24–38
2016	December 30, 2016	Orange Bowl	W	Michigan	33–32
2017	December 27, 2017	Independence Bowl	W	Southern Mississippi	42–13

Playoffs

The Seminoles have made one appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Year	Seed	Opponent	Round	Result
2014	3	#2 Oregon	Semifinal – Rose Bowl	L 20–59
Total appearances	1	0–1

All-time record vs. current ACC teams

Opponent	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct.	Streak	First	Last
Boston College	111	5	0	.688	Won 1	1957	2018[68]
Clemson	20	12	0	.625	Lost 4	1970	2018[69]
Duke	182	0	0	1.000	Won 18	1992	2017[70]
Georgia Tech	14	11	1	.558	Lost 1	1903	2015[71]
Louisville	15	4	0	.789	Won 1	1952	2018[72]
Miami	30	33	0	.476	Lost 2	1951	2018[73]
North Carolina	15	3	1	.816	Lost 2	1983	2016[74]
NC State	251	13	0	.658	Lost 2	1952	2018[75]
Notre Dame*	6	3	0	.667	Lost 1	1981	2018[76]
Pittsburgh	4	5	0	.444	Won 1	1971	2013[77]
Syracuse	10	2	0	.833	Lost 1	1966	2018[78]
Virginia	141	3	0	.824	Won 1	1992	2014[79]
Virginia Tech	23	13	1	.635	Lost 1	1955	2018[80]
Wake Forest	30	6	1	.824	Won 7	1956	2018[81]
Totals	235	113	4	.673

*Notre Dame is an associate member of the ACC with a scheduling agreement in football
*¹Denotes one win vacated during the 2006 and 2007 seasons
*²Denotes two wins vacated during the 2006 and 2007 seasons

All-time record vs. non-conference opponents

School Record First Last Abilene Christian 1–2 1953 1957 Alabama 11–3–1 1965 2017 Alabama-Birmingham 21–0 2001 2007 Arizona State 3–1 1971 1984 Auburn 5–13–1 1954 2014 Baylor 1–2 1965 1974 Bethune-Cookman 1–0 2013 2013 Brigham Young 4–0 1991 2010 Central Florida 1–0 1995 1995 Charleston Southern 2–0 2011 2016 Cincinnati 6–0 1977 1990 Citadel 6–0–1 1955 2014 Colorado 31–0 2003 2008 Colorado State 1–1 1972 1974 Cumberland 1–1 1947 1948 Delaware State 1–0 2017 2017 Delta State 1–0 1951 1951 East Carolina 7–0 1980 1990 Erskine 1–1 1948 1949 Florida 26–35–2 1958 2018 Furman 8–2 1952 1987 George Washington 1–0 1961 1961 Georgia 4–6–1 1954 2003 Georgia Southern 2–0 1988 1990 Houston 2–13–2 1960 2015 Idaho 1–0 2013 2013 Indiana 1–0 1986 1986 Iowa State 1–1 1975 2002 Jacksonville NAS 1–0 1951 1951 Jacksonville State 1–1 1947 2009 Kansas 5–2 1971 1993 Kansas State 3–0 1970 1977 Kentucky 1–4–1 1960 2007

School Record First Last Louisiana State 7–2 1968 1991 Louisiana-Monroe 2–0 2011 2017 Louisiana Tech 2–2 1952 1999 Maryland 211–2 1966 2013 Memphis 10–7–1 1959 1990 Michigan 2–1 1986 2016 Michigan State 2–0 1987 1988 Middle Tennessee 1–0 1991 1991 Millsaps 2–0 1948 1949 Mississippi 1–1 1961 2016 Mississippi College 3–0 1948 1950 Mississippi State 7–2 1966 1979 Murray State 1–0 2012 2012 Navy 1–0 1978 1978 Nebraska 6–2 1980 1994 Nevada 1–0 2013 2013 New Mexico State 1–0 1964 1964 Newberry 1–0 1950 1950 North Texas 2–0 1976 1977 Northern Illinois 2–0 2013 2018 Ohio 1–0 1956 1956 Ohio State 3–0 1981 1998 Oklahoma 1–6 1965 2011 Oklahoma State 4–1 1958 2014 Oregon 0–1 2015 2015 Penn State 1–1–1 1967 2006 Randolph-Macon 1–0 1950 1950 Rice 01–0 2006 2006 Richmond 3–0 1959 1961 Samford 3–0 1950 2018 San Diego State 0–2 1973 1977 Savannah State 1–0 2012 2012 Sewanee 2–0 1949 1950

School Record First Last South Carolina 16–3 1966 2010 South Florida 3–1 2009 2016 Southern California 2–0 1997 1998 Southern Illinois 1–0 1982 1982 Southern Mississippi 14–8–1 1952 2017 Stetson 6–1–1 1947 1954 Sul Ross State 1–0 1951 1951 Tampa 9–2 1948 1959 Temple 1–0 1984 1984 Tennessee 1–1 1958 1999 Tennessee-Chattanooga 3–0 1984 2015 Tennessee Tech 1–1 1947 1958 Texas A&M 4–0 1967 1998 Texas Christian 1–2 1963 1965 Texas State 1–0 2015 2015 Texas-El Paso 0–1 1955 1955 Texas Tech 4–1 1966 1987 Toledo 1–0 1986 1986 Troy 5–1 1947 2006 Tulane 103–0 1983 1992 Tulsa 5–0 1969 1985 UCLA 01–0 2006 2006 Utah State 1–0 1975 1975 Villanova 3–1 1954 1957 Virginia Military Institute 2–1 1952 1954 West Alabama 1–1 1948 1949 West Virginia 3–0 1982 2010 Western Michigan 11–0 1991 2006 Whiting Field NAS 1–0 1949 1949 Wichita State 2–0 1969 1986 William & Mary 1–1 1959 1950 Wisconsin 1–0 2008 2008 Wofford 3–0 1950 1952 Wyoming 0–1 1966 1966

*¹Denotes win vacated during the 2006 and 2007 seasons
*³Denotes win via forfeit

Polls

Florida State has ended their football season ranked 38 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll.^[82]
Top-10 finishes are colored ██

Traditions

Many Florida State traditions are associated with athletics events, especially football, such as Osceola and Renegade, the planting of the spear at midfield during pregame, the lighting of the spear on the night before games, the FSU Fight Song, the Marching Chiefs, the FSU Hymns, the War Chant, and the Tomahawk Chop. Fans of the Florida State Seminoles are known as The Tribe, a nod to the nickname that the team carries.

Osceola and Renegade

Osceola and Renegade are the official symbols of the Florida State Seminoles. During home football games, Osceola, portraying the Seminole leader Osceola, charges down the field at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium riding an appaloosa horse named Renegade, and hurls a burning spear at midfield to begin every game. The Seminole Tribe of Florida officially sanctions the use of the Seminole as Florida State University's nickname and of Osceola as FSU's symbol.^[83]

Marching Chiefs

The Marching Chiefs is the official marching band of the Florida State Seminoles. The band plays at every home game as well as at most away games (Clemson, Miami, South Florida, and Florida) as well as any Championship or Bowl game. There are upwards of 470 members in the band, holding the distinction of being the world's largest collegiate marching band.

Fight song

The Florida State University fight song first appeared as a poem by Doug Alley, a student at the school, in the Florida Flambeau.^[84] The Professor of music Thomas Wright then saw the poem in the newspaper and wrote a melody to it. During the 1950 homecoming halftime show, during a dedication ceremony naming the stadium, the band premiered the song.

The FSU Hymns include the alma mater (High O'er Towering Pines), hymn (Hymn To the Garnet and Gold), and fight song of The Florida State University. The school hymn is performed following the end of each home game.

War Chant

The Seminole War Chant was first used in a 1984 game against Auburn.^[85] The chant was started in FSU's Marching Band – The Marching Chiefs, originally by members of the percussion section. The melody is based on the 1960s cheer, massacre.^[86] The chant has also become associated with the tomahawk chop.

The War Chant would be adopted by the Atlanta Braves when FSU football alumnus Deion Sanders joined the team, and has been used ever since. Craig Day began the Chop at now-defunct Fulton County stadium in response to UF Gator fans doing the Gator Chomp every time Deion came up to the plate. It is also used by the NFL team the Kansas City Chiefs, Mexican soccer club Santos Laguna and the Turkish soccer club Galatasaray.

Legacy Walk

The Legacy Walk takes place before every home game. The walk begins at the Heritage Tower Fountain near Chieftan Way and continues to the Doak entrance as fans line the route and welcome the team to the stadium.

Sod Cemetery

For Florida State Football, "sod games" and the Sod Cemetery have been a rich part of the Seminoles college football history, commemorating many of the greatest victories. Away from home and against the odds, Florida State sod games represent the most difficult battles on the football field. The Sod Cemetery stands as a tribute to those triumphs. There are currently 102 pieces of sod in the cemetery.

In 1962, as the Seminoles completed their Thursday practice in preparation to face Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Dean Coyle Moore – a long-time professor and member of FSU's athletic board – issued a challenge: "Bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia." On Saturday, October 20, the Seminoles scored an 18–0 victory over the favored Bulldogs. Team captain Gene McDowell pulled a small piece of grass from the field, which was presented to Moore at the next football practice. Moore and FSU coach Bill Peterson had the sod buried on the practice field as a symbol of victory. A monument was placed to commemorate the triumph and the tradition of the sod game was born.

Before leaving for all road games in which Florida State is the underdog, all road games at the University of Florida and all ACC championship and bowl games, Seminole captains gather their teammates to explain the significance of the tradition. Victorious captains return with a piece of the opponent's turf to be buried in the Sod Cemetery inside the gates of the practice field.^[87] In recent years, as the Florida State program has been successful, games of significance regardless of whether or not the Seminoles are the underdog, can be designated a "sod game." This most recently occurred in 2013 when the Seminoles traveled to Clemson, South Carolina in what was called the biggest game in ACC history. The Seminoles defeated Clemson, 51–14, in what was the biggest margin of victory in Clemson's Memorial Stadium.

Uniform

Florida State's uniforms are considered among the most iconic in the sport of college football. The uniforms pay respect to the Seminole culture using tribal influences with Native American symbols representing an arrow, a man on a horse, and fire.^[88] The team's jersey and helmet have remained relatively unchanged throughout the years.

College Gameday

The Seminoles have appeared on ESPN's College Game Day 34 times, with 6 bowl appearances. The first ever broadcast of the show took place in South Bend, Indiana when then #1 FSU traveled to play the #2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in what was called the Game of the Century. Florida State is 17–17 in games played when College GameDay has traveled to Seminole games. Florida State has hosted the program 11 times, the most by any ACC school. The most recent visit came in 2014 when Notre Dame played in Tallahassee. The Seminoles have a 7–4 record when Gameday is on campus.

Date	Location	Home Team	Away Team	Result	PF	PA
November 13, 1993	South Bend, Indiana	#2 Notre Dame	#1 Florida State	L	24	31
October 8, 1994	Miami, Florida	#13 Miami	#3 Florida State	L	20	34
October 7, 1995	Tallahassee, Florida	#1 Florida State	Miami	W	41	17
November 25, 1995	Gainesville, Florida	#3 Florida	#6 Florida State	L	24	35
November 30, 1996	Tallahassee, Florida	#2 Florida State	#1 Florida	W	24	21
January 2, 1997	New Orleans, Louisiana (Sugar Bowl)	#1 Florida State	#3 Florida	L	20	52
November 8, 1997	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	#5 North Carolina	#3 Florida State	W	20	3
November 22, 1997	Gainesville, Florida	#10 Florida	#2 Florida State	L	29	32
October 24, 1998	Atlanta, Georgia	#20 Georgia Tech	#6 Florida State	W	34	7
January 4, 1999	Tempe, Arizona (Fiesta Bowl)	#1 Tennessee	#2 Florida State	L	16	23
November 20, 1999	Gainesville, Florida	#3 Florida	#1 Florida State	W	30	23
January 4, 2000	New Orleans, Louisiana (Sugar Bowl)	#1 Florida State	#2 Virginia Tech	W	46	29
October 7, 2000	Miami, Florida	#7 Miami	#1 Florida State	L	24	27
November 18, 2000	Tallahassee, Florida	#3 Florida State	#4 Florida	W	30	7
January 3, 2001	Miami, Florida (Orange Bowl)	#1 Oklahoma	#3 Florida State	L	2	13
October 13, 2001	Tallahassee, Florida	#14 Florida State	#2 Miami	L	27	49
October 26, 2002	Tallahassee, Florida	#11 Florida State	#6 Notre Dame	L	24	34
October 11, 2003	Tallahassee, Florida	#5 Florida State	#2 Miami	L	14	22
November 29, 2003	Gainesville, Florida	#11 Florida	#9 Florida State	W	38	34
September 17, 2005	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	#17 Boston College	#8 Florida State	W	28	17
September 4, 2006	Miami, Florida	#12 Miami	#11 Florida State	W	13	10
October 3, 2009	Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	Boston College	Florida State	L	21	28
November 28, 2009	Gainesville, Florida	#1 Florida	Florida State	L	10	37
September 17, 2011	Tallahassee, Florida	#5 Florida State	#1 Oklahoma	L	13	23
September 22, 2012	Tallahassee, Florida	#4 Florida State	#10 Clemson	W	49	37
October 19, 2013	Clemson, South Carolina	#3 Clemson	#5 Florida State	W	51	14
November 2, 2013	Tallahassee, Florida	#3 Florida State	#7 Miami	W	41	14
January 6, 2014	Pasadena, California (BCS National Championship)	#1 Florida State	#2 Auburn	W	34	31
August 30, 2014	Fort Worth, Texas	Oklahoma State	#1 Florida State	W	37	31
September 20, 2014	Tallahassee, Florida	#1 Florida State	#22 Clemson	W	23	17
October 18, 2014	Tallahassee, Florida	#2 Florida State	#5 Notre Dame	W	31	27
January 1, 2015	Pasadena, California (Rose Bowl)	#3 Oregon	#2 Florida State	L	20	59
September 17, 2016	Louisville, Kentucky	#10 Louisville	#2 Florida State	L	20	63
September 2, 2017	Atlanta, Georgia	#1 Alabama	#3 Florida State	L	7	24
		Totals	17–17		885	925

Famous alumni

• 
  Lee Corso – Retired college football head coach, College Gameday analyst^[89]


• 
  Danny Kanell – Former Pro football player and ESPN analyst^[90]


• 
  Burt Reynolds – Actor^[91]


• 
  Ron Simmons – A football legend in his own right when he played at Florida State, after a short stint with the Cleveland Browns and the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League, Simmons would later go on to fame as a professional wrestler under his own name and under the name Faarooq, becoming the first African-American world champion. He is also famously known in the wrestling world for his 'DAMN' catchphrase.^[92]


• 
  Mack Brown – Head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels and former coach of the Texas Longhorns^[93]


• 
  T. K. Wetherell – Former President of Florida State University from 2003-2009^[94]


• 
  Deion Sanders – Hall of Fame NFL player, football analyst and celebrity personality. Noted as the being the only player to play in both the World Series and Super Bowl.

Seminoles in the NFL

Florida State has sent 281 players to the National Football League since 1951.^{[citation needed][when?]} This includes 47 first-round draft picks. Jameis Winston holds the record as the highest Seminole taken in the NFL Draft as he was selected with the first overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 2015 draft, the highest by a Florida State player since Andre Wadsworth was selected third overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998.^[95] Eleven players, a school record, were taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, a record tied in 2015.^[96] Florida State had 29 players drafted over a three-year period from 2013–2015, the most of any team in the modern draft.^[97]

Seventy-two former players have gone on to play in the Super Bowl^{[citation needed]} and eighty-three former players have been selected to the Pro Bowl.^{[citation needed][when?]} Three former Seminoles (Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn and Anquan Boldin) have won the Walter Payton Award while two (Fred Biletnikoff and Dexter Jackson) have been named Super Bowl MVP.

Florida State currently has 45 players active in the NFL.^[98]

Player	Drafted	Round	Position	Current NFL team
Kelvin Benjamin	2014	1st (28)	WR	Kansas City Chiefs
Nigel Bradham	2012	4th (105)	LB	Philadelphia Eagles
Terrence Brooks	2014	3rd (79)	S	New York Jets
Dalvin Cook	2017	2nd (41)	RB	Minnesota Vikings
Ronald Darby	2015	2nd (50)	CB	Philadelphia Eagles
Mario Edwards, Jr.	2015	2nd (35)	DE	New York Giants
Javien Elliott	2016	Undrafted	CB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cameron Erving	2015	1st (19)	OG	Kansas City Chiefs
Devonta Freeman	2014	4th (103)	RB	Atlanta Falcons
Graham Gano	2009	Undrafted	K	Carolina Panthers
Eddie Goldman	2015	2nd (39)	DT	Chicago Bears
Rashad Greene	2015	5th (139)	WR	Jacksonville Jaguars
Bobby Hart	2015	7th (226)	OG	Cincinnati Bengals
Dustin Hopkins	2013	6th (177)	K	Washington Redskins
Rodney Hudson	2011	2nd (55)	C	Oakland Raiders
Ryan Izzo	2018	7th (250)	TE	New England Patriots
Derwin James	2018	1st (17)	S	Los Angeles Chargers
Sebastian Janikowski	2000	1st (17)	K	Seattle Seahawks
Timmy Jernigan	2014	2nd (48)	DT	Philadelphia Eagles
Roderick Johnson	2017	5th (160)	T	Houston Texans
Christian Jones	2014	Undrafted	LB	Detroit Lions
Lamarcus Joyner	2014	2nd (41)	CB	Los Angeles Rams
Rick Leonard	2018	4th (127)	T	Houston Texans
Trey Marshall	2018	Undrafted	DB	Denver Broncos
Derrick Nnadi	2018	3rd (75)	DT	Kansas City Chiefs
Nick O'Leary	2015	6th (194)	TE	Miami Dolphins
Jalen Ramsey	2016	1st (5)	CB	Jacksonville Jaguars
Xavier Rhodes	2013	1st (25)	CB	Minnesota Vikings
Patrick Robinson	2010	1st (32)	CB	New Orleans Saints
Garrison Sanborn	2009	Undrafted	LS	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Telvin Smith	2014	5th (144)	LB	Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Sweat	2018	4th (130)	DE	Philadelphia Eagles
Auden Tate	2018	7th (253)	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
Matthew Thomas	2018	Undrafted	LB	Baltimore Ravens
Chris Thompson	2013	5th (154)	RB	Washington Redskins
DeMarcus Walker	2017	2nd (51)	DE	Denver Broncos
Dekoda Watson	2010	7th (217)	LB	San Francisco 49ers
Kermit Whitfield	2017	Undrafted	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
P.J. Williams	2015	3rd (78)	CB	New Orleans Saints
Vince Williams	2013	6th (206)	LB	Pittsburgh Steelers
Bobo Wilson	2017	Undrafted	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston	2015	1st (1)	QB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Current coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at FSU	Alma Mater
Willie Taggart	Head Coach	2nd	Western Kentucky (1998)
Kendal Briles	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	1st	Houston (2005)
Harlon Barnett	Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs	2nd	Michigan State (1989)
Randy Clements	Offensive Line	1st	Stephen F. Austin (1988)
Odell Haggins	Defensive Line	26th	Florida State (1993)
Raymond Woodie	Linebackers	2nd	Bethune-Cookman (1995)
Telly Lockette	Tight Ends	2nd	Idaho State (1998)
Ron Dugans	Wide Receivers	1st	Florida State (1999)
Donte Pimpleton	Running Backs	2nd	Western Kentucky (2001)
Mark Snyder	Special Teams	2nd	Marshall (1988)
Irele Oderinde	Strength & Conditioning	2nd	Western Kentucky (2003)
David Kelly	Recruiting Coordinator	2nd	Furman (1979)

Future opponents

Intra-division opponents

Florida State plays the other six ACC Atlantic opponents once per season.^{[citation needed]}

Even Numbered Years	Odd Numbered Years
vs Boston College	at Boston College
vs Clemson	at Clemson
at Louisville	vs Louisville
at NC State	vs NC State
at Syracuse	vs Syracuse
vs Wake Forest	at Wake Forest

Non-division opponents

Florida State plays Miami as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the Coastal division among the other six schools.^[99]

2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
vs Miami	at Miami	vs Miami	at Miami	vs Miami	at Miami
at Virginia	vs Pittsburgh	at North Carolina	vs Georgia Tech	at Virginia Tech	vs Duke

Non-conference opponents

Florida Statue schedule as of April 9, 2019.^[100] By decree of the Florida Board of Regents, Florida State and Florida must play each other every year.^[101]

2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2027	2028
vs Boise State (Jacksonville)	vs West Virginia (Atlanta)	Notre Dame			at Notre Dame	Georgia
Louisiana–Monroe	at Boise State						at Georgia
Alabama State
at Florida	Florida	at Florida	Florida	at Florida	Florida	at Florida	Florida

See also

• Florida State Seminoles


• List of Florida State University professional athletes

References

• 
  Florida State Seminoles Football Media Guide, Florida State University Athletics Department, Tallahassee, Florida


• 
  Kabat, Ric A. (July 1991). "Before the Seminoles: Football at Florida State College, 1902–1904". Florida Historical Quarterly. Florida Historical Society. 70 (1): 20–37. JSTOR 30148092.
  

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Florida State Seminoles football.

• 
  Official website