Florida State Football: 10 Best Bowl Victories in School History

Florida State has a storied postseason history despite being a relatively young program (started playing football in 1947) compared to other traditional powerhouses.  

In addition to their streak of finishing in the Associated Press Top Five for 14 straight seasons (1987-2000), Florida State won 11 bowl consecutive bowl games from 1985-1996. 

Florida State will appear in a bowl game for the 30^th year in a row, a streak that currently leads the nation, when it takes the field against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 29. 

Here are the 10 best bowl victories in Florida State history.   

10. 2010 Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs South Carolina

After taking over for the legendary Bobby Bowden, skeptics of new head coach Jimbo Fisher waited to see if the first-year head coach was the right man to lead FSU back to prominence. 

A 2010 season filled with highs (soundly beating rivals Miami and Florida for the first time since 1999) and lows (getting blown out by Oklahoma and last second defeats to North Carolina and N.C. State) culminated with an Atlantic Division championship and Chick-Fil-A bowl berth. 

 With a 26-17 win over SEC Eastern Division champion South Carolina, the Seminoles reached the 10-win plateau for the first time since 2003, and solidified the beginning of the Fisher Era in Tallahassee.  

9. 1992 Cotton Bowl vs. Texas A&M

After losing their last two regular season games to in-state rivals Miami and Florida, the Seminoles made the trek to Dallas to face a powerful Texas A&M squad.  

Sophomore tailback Sean Jackson replaced suspended starter Amp Lee and turned in a 27 carry, 119-yard performance en route to being named the game’s offensive MVP. 

Senior quarterback Casey Weldon scored the game’s only touchdown with a five-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.  

That is all the ‘Noles defense needed, as it stifled the Aggies attack and limited them to 180 yards of total offense.  

8. 1990 Blockbuster Bowl vs. Penn State

This matchup between coaching icons Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno of Penn State was the inaugural game of what is now the Champs Sports Bowl.  

In a back-and-forth contest where both offenses amassed 400 yards of total offense, Seminoles tailback Amp Lee rushed 21 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns to earn MVP honors.  

The Seminoles defense grabbed three interceptions to help seal a 24-17 victory and finish the season at 10-2.  

7. 1989 Sugar Bowl vs. Auburn

The Seminoles and the Tigers came into their New Years Day showdown sporting identical 10-1 records.  

With the ‘Noles holding a 13-7 lead, deep into the fourth quarter the game still hung in the balance with Auburn taking possession of the ball at their own four-yard line.  

Tigers quarterback Reggie Slack would drive to the FSU 22-yard line with five seconds left, but his final pass was intercepted by Seminoles All-American defensive back Deion Sanders, which preserved a six-point victory for the ‘Noles.  

6. 1995 Sugar Bowl vs. Florida

Six weeks earlier, the two in-state rivals played to a 31-31 tie, which featured a memorable comeback by the Seminoles.  

Down 31-3 entering the fourth quarter, quarterback Danny Kanell rallied the ‘Noles to four touchdowns in the final 15 minutes for one of the most memorable games to end in a tie in college football history.  

Known as the “fifth quarter on the French Quarter,” the ‘Noles would settle the score with the Gators by earning a 23-17 victory in the rematch.  

5. 1965 Gator Bowl vs. Oklahoma

FSU had played in three bowl games prior to their showdown with the Sooners, but the argument can be made that this was the game that put the Seminoles on the college football map. 

Led by head coach Bill Peterson (a young Bobby Bowden served on his staff as receivers coach), and All-American wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State had compiled a 8-1-1 regular season record.  

Quarterback Steve Tensi would go on to torch the Sooners secondary, throwing for over 300 yards and five touchdowns, four to Biletnikoff, which spurred the ‘Noles to a convincing 36-19 victory.  

4. 1988 Fiesta Bowl vs. Nebraska

This meeting marked the first of four postseason meetings between legendary Cornhuskers head coach Tom Osborne and Bowden.  

The matchup featured a pair of 10-1 heavyweights taking turns throwing body blows.  

The ‘Huskers jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, but trailed 21-14 at halftime.  

After regaining a 28-24 advantage going into the final period, Seminoles quarterback Danny McManus his wide receiver Ronald Lewis for a 15-yard touchdown for the deciding touchdown and a 31-28 victory. 

The Seminoles would finish second in the final AP poll, and begin their unprecedented run of finishing in the top five for a record 14 consecutive seasons

3. 2010 Gator Bowl vs. West Virginia

Prior to becoming the head coach at Florida State, Bowden compiled a 42-26 record as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers.  

In a fitting end to a legendary career, the Seminoles faced the Mountaineers in Bowden’s final game as the head coach of Florida State.  

Hundreds of former players were present on the sidelines, and in what was an emotional scene for any Seminoles fan, Bowden took the flaming spear normally planted at midfield by Chief Osceola before the game and handled the duty himself.  

The ‘Noles fell behind 14-3, but freshman quarterback EJ Manuel rallied the offense to score 20 straight points en route to a 33-21 victory.  

2. 2000 Sugar Bowl vs. Virginia Tech

The Seminoles began the 1999 season as the nation’s top ranked team, and held onto that ranking entering the BCS National Championship game against the No. 2 Hokies. 

Virginia Tech’s electric freshman quarterback Michael Vick led a furious rally to take a 29-28 lead into the fourth quarter and had ‘Noles fans on the verge of cardiac arrest. 

However, star wide receiver Peter Warrick had other plans, and his 43-yard touchdown (his third touchdown of the game) iced the school’s second national championship, and remains a highlight surely seared forever into the hearts of Seminoles fans.  

The Seminoles made history in their 46-29 victory, becoming the first team to go wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team.  

1. 1994 Orange Bowl vs. Nebraska

Six years after fighting tooth and nail against one another in the 1988 Fiesta Bowl, Osborne and Bowden would do battle for the college football’s ultimate prize.  

The Seminoles, behind Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward, entered as heavy favorites to earn the school’s first national title. 

Nebraska had other plans, and behind their sophomore quarterback Tommie Frazier, surged to a 16-15 with 1:18 left.  

Ward, who had been held in check for the most part, calmly led the ‘Noles down the field and freshman kicker Scott Bentley booted a short field goal to lift Bowden and FSU to a 18-16 victory and the school’s first national championship.