1994 Orange Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Orange Bowl a 1993–1994 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1994, for the national championship. This 60th edition to 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. Despite their unbeaten record, the Huskers were underdogs by as much as 17½ points before the game.
The first quarter of play featured great defense, as no points were scored, though Nebraska had an apparent touchdown on a punt return called back due to a clip. Florida State's Scott Bentley
provided the first points of the contest, after he kicked a 33 yard field goal to open up a 3-0 lead. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier
got the Huskers back on track, after he fired an errant pass that was tipped into the hands of wide receiver Reggie Baul. The touchdown gave Nebraska a 7-3 lead. With only 29 seconds left in the first half, Bentley drilled a 25 yard field goal to bring the Seminoles to 7-6, which was the halftime score.
With 12:30 left in the third quarter, Florida State's running back William Floyd gave the Seminoles a 12-7 lead when he scored on a 1 yard touchdown run. Florida State went for two on the ensuing PAT, but failed, and the score remained 12-7. Later in the third, FSU added another Bentley field goal to increase the lead to eight.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips
scored on a 12 yard touchdown run. The Huskers attempted a 2-point conversion which would have tied the game, but failed, and trailed 15-13. The Huskers would hold the Seminoles and take over the ball late, driving to the FSU 10 yard line before stalling out. Byron Bennett kicked a 27 yard field goal with just 1:18 remaining on the clock to give the Huskers a slim 16-15 lead.
Aided by a kickoff out of bounds, FSU took over with excellent field position at their own 35 yard line. 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 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, 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.
. Notre Dame had lost on a last second field goal to #15 Boston College
in their last home game of the season, just a week after they defeated the Seminoles. B.C.'s triumph opened the door for Florida State to challenge undefeated Nebraska for the national crown. The win was Bobby Bowden
's first championship, and left Nebraska coach Tom Osborne still searching for his first.
The Huskers had exceeded everyone's expectations by playing the highly-fancied Seminoles right to the wire, and used the loss as motivation for their 1994 campaign
, which was entitled "Unfinished Business". During spring and fall practice prior to the 1994 season, the scoreboard at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium was set to show Nebraska leading Florida State 16-15 with 1:16 remaining on the clock, which was the last point at which Nebraska had taken the lead. Nebraska would defeat Miami
in the Orange Bowl
to win the national championship.
Bobby Bowden
continued to coach Florida State until the end of the 2009 season when he announced his retirement. He won a second national title in 1999, defeating Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl
.
1993 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1993 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
, and the Florida State Seminoles
1993 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1993 Florida State Seminoles football team was the national champion of the 1993 college football season. The team finished with a 12-1 record.-Regular season:...
. 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. Despite their unbeaten record, the Huskers were underdogs by as much as 17½ points before the game.
The first quarter of play featured great defense, as no points were scored, though Nebraska had an apparent touchdown on a punt return called back due to a clip. Florida State's Scott Bentley
Scott Bentley
Scott L. Bentley is a former American football kicker in the National Football League. He played parts of four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Washington Redskins. He was also a member of the 2001 World Bowl Champion Berlin Thunder of NFL...
provided the first points of the contest, after he kicked a 33 yard field goal to open up a 3-0 lead. Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier
Tommie Frazier
Tommie James Frazier, Jr. is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He played quarterback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers....
got the Huskers back on track, after he fired an errant pass that was tipped into the hands of wide receiver Reggie Baul. The touchdown gave Nebraska a 7-3 lead. With only 29 seconds left in the first half, Bentley drilled a 25 yard field goal to bring the Seminoles to 7-6, which was the halftime score.
With 12:30 left in the third quarter, Florida State's running back William Floyd gave the Seminoles a 12-7 lead when he scored on a 1 yard touchdown run. Florida State went for two on the ensuing PAT, but failed, and the score remained 12-7. Later in the third, FSU added another Bentley field goal to increase the lead to eight.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips
Lawrence Phillips
Lawrence Lamond Phillips is a former professional American football and Canadian football running back. Phillips's trouble with the law and inability to produce in the NFL have led many critics to label him as a bust....
scored on a 12 yard touchdown run. The Huskers attempted a 2-point conversion which would have tied the game, but failed, and trailed 15-13. The Huskers would hold the Seminoles and take over the ball late, driving to the FSU 10 yard line before stalling out. Byron Bennett kicked a 27 yard field goal with just 1:18 remaining on the clock to give the Huskers a slim 16-15 lead.
Aided by a kickoff out of bounds, FSU took over with excellent field position at their own 35 yard line. FSU's Heisman trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winning quarterback Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...
drove the Seminoles all the way to the Nebraska 3 yard line. The Huskers held and forced 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, 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
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
.
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.
Aftermath
Florida State had finished the season number 1 in the nation to claim their first national championship, just ahead of the only team to beat them in 1993: Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. Notre Dame had lost on a last second field goal to #15 Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in their last home game of the season, just a week after they defeated the Seminoles. B.C.'s triumph opened the door for Florida State to challenge undefeated Nebraska for the national crown. The win was Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
's first championship, and left Nebraska coach Tom Osborne still searching for his first.
The Huskers had exceeded everyone's expectations by playing the highly-fancied Seminoles right to the wire, and used the loss as motivation for their 1994 campaign
1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
, which was entitled "Unfinished Business". During spring and fall practice prior to the 1994 season, the scoreboard at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium was set to show Nebraska leading Florida State 16-15 with 1:16 remaining on the clock, which was the last point at which Nebraska had taken the lead. Nebraska would defeat Miami
1994 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1994 Miami Hurricanes represented the University of Miami in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The club was coached by Dennis Erickson and played in the Orange Bowl. In the regular season, the only loss the Hurricanes suffered was against the Washington Huskies The 1994 Miami...
in the Orange Bowl
1995 Orange Bowl
The 1995 Orange Bowl a 1994-1995 college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1995, for the national championship. This 61st edition to the Orange Bowl featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the Miami Hurricanes. Nebraska came into the game with a 12-0 and #1 AP ranking, whereas Miami came...
to win the national championship.
Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
continued to coach Florida State until the end of the 2009 season when he announced his retirement. He won a second national title in 1999, defeating Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl
2000 Sugar Bowl
The 2000 Sugar Bowl was the designated Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game for the United States 1999 college football season and was played on January 4, 2000, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana...
.
External links
- http://web.archive.org/web/19991006021018/omaha.com/Bigred/Barfknecht010294/0,1859,,FF.html