Florida-Florida State rivalry
Encyclopedia
The Florida–Florida State football rivalry is an American college football
rivalry
between the teams of the two oldest public universities of the U.S. state of Florida
: the University of Florida
Gators
and the Florida State University
Seminoles
. Although both universities participate in a range of intercollegiate sports, the competition between the Gators and the Seminoles has most often focused on football.
The first game in the Florida–Florida State series was played in 1958. The Gators dominated the nineteen games played before 1976, but the rivalry has become remarkably balanced since then. The Gators lead the overall series 33–21–2, but the series record has been split 19–18–1 over the last thirty-eight meetings in favor of FSU. For the past three decades, one or both squads have usually been highly ranked coming into the game, adding national championship implications to a rivalry already heavily weighted with in-state bragging rights.
, sponsored a varsity football team from 1902 to 1904 and won "state championships" in each of those seasons. With its passage of the Buckman Act in 1905, the Florida Legislature abolished the coeducational Florida State College and rededicated its Tallahassee campus as the all-women Florida Female College for the 1905 fall term, ending the football program. The college's name was officially changed to "Florida State College for Women" in 1909.
During the same 1905 reorganization mandated by the Buckman Act, four smaller state-supported colleges were abolished and their assets and academic programs consolidated to form the new "University of the State of Florida," an all-male school located in Gainesville. Florida State College's last coach, Jack Forsythe
, became the first coach of the new University of the State of Florida football team in 1906. The name of the new men's university was officially shortened to the "University of Florida" in 1909. The university has fielded an officially recognized and sponsored varsity football team every season since 1906, with the exception of 1943, when World War II
manpower shortages precluded most intercollegiate athletics.
In 1947, the Florida Legislature reorganized the state's university system again. In order to accommodate the post-World War II surge in college enrollment, both the University of Florida and Florida State College for Women became coeducational, with the Tallahassee institution taking its present name, "Florida State University." Florida State immediately established a football program, and its coach, players and students began calling for games against the Gators. The University of Florida administration, however, was reluctant to treat Florida State as an equal, less for reasons of intercollegiate sports rivalry than for reasons of limited state funding for higher education and the perception that Florida State's demands for a greater share of those funds might undercut Florida's role as the state's historic flagship university.
As the impasse dragged on, a bill was proposed in the Florida Legislature in 1955 which would have mandated that the two schools compete against each other in football and other sports. The bill was voted down. Shortly thereafter, however, Florida Governor LeRoy Collins
personally requested president J. Wayne Reitz
of the University of Florida to schedule a yearly football series between the two state universities, and the two schools' athletic director
s eventually negotiated a contract that started the football series in 1958, the first available opening on the Gators' schedule.
One of the stipulations in the first contract was that all games be played in the Gators' home stadium, Florida Field
in Gainesville
, because the Seminoles' stadium facilities at the time were too small. As a result, the first six games in the series were all played in Gainesville. Florida State initiated a series of expansions to Doak Campbell Stadium, and beginning in 1964, the game site has alternated on an annual home-and-away basis between Gainesville and Tallahassee. The Gators hold a 20–9–1 series advantage in games held in Gainesville, and have a one-game edge for those played in Tallahassee, 12–11–1. The Gators and Seminoles have split two neutral-site games—both Sugar Bowl
s played in the Louisiana Superdome
in New Orleans (1994 and 1997).
, the Seminoles became the first collegiate football program in the state of Florida to go unbeaten and untied, finishing 8–0 in 1950. Under Coach Tom Nugent
, the Seminoles made the move to major college status in 1955. Just three years later, Nugent would lead the Seminoles onto Florida Field to face the Gators, with Florida winning 21–7. With the arrival of Bill Peterson
in 1960, the Seminoles began their move to national prominence. Under Peterson's direction, the Seminoles beat the 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. While Peterson was taking the Seminole program to new heights, Ray Graves
had been hired as the Gators new head coach to improve the Florida football program. When the two teams fought to a 3–3 tie in 1961, Graves likened the result to "a death in the family." From that point on, the game took on new significance and the rivalry intensified.
With a strong advantage in both resources and facilities, the Gators would dominate the rivalry in its formative years, as the Gators were a remarkable 16–2–1 against the Seminoles from 1958 until 1976. One particularly poor stretch for the Seminoles was from 1969–1972 when wide receiver Barry Smith was playing for Florida State. He didn't play in the 1969 contest since freshmen were not eligible then but recalled the 1970–1972 games in a recent article in The Tampa Tribune
,
arrived at Florida State in 1976 and began to turn around the anemic program. After losing his first game against Florida in 1976, the Seminoles would win the next four in the rivalry, their first wins in the series since 1967. This would begin a decade and a half period in which the rivals would take turns running off winning streaks against the other.
The Gators changed leadership as well, hiring Coach Charlie Pell from Clemson University
to replace Doug Dickey
in 1979. After a dismal 0-10-1 first season, Pell quickly turned around the Florida program, fielding championship-contending teams by the early 1980s.
Under Pell's leadership, Florida took their turn dominating the rivalry from 1980–1986, including putting a series-record 53 points on the scoreboard in the 1983 contest. However, an NCAA investigation of Florida's football program revealed multiple violations of rules in the early years of Pell's tenure. Pell was fired and the program put on probation beginning in 1985. For the next 3 seasons, Florida played with a reduced number of scholarship players and Gator football games could not appear on television, setting the program back considerably and allowing Florida State to sign more talented in-state high school recruits.
In 1986, the Gators extended their winning streak against FSU with a 17-13 upset in Tallahassee. However, FSU then ran off four consecutive victories over Florida as they became a fixture in the top-10 rankings and Florida's program floundered under heavy NCAA sanctions.
From the arrival of Bowden in 1976 to the end of the 1980s, the series was tied 7-7. The return of a familiar face to the Gators' sideline before the 1990 season would bring the rivalry to new national prominence.
, who had won a Heisman Trophy
as Florida's quarterback in 1966, returned as the head coach of the Gators for the 1990 season. During the eleven seasons that followed, the Florida–Florida State rivalry reached its peak of national importance. Because of the Sugar Bowl rematches following the 1994 and 1996 regular seasons, Florida and Florida State met fourteen times on the football field during the twelve seasons Spurrier coached the Gators. And each time, one or both teams were ranked in the top ten in the AP football poll.
The decade began auspiciously with the first meeting of top-10 squads in the history of the rivalry (UF No. 6, FSU No. 8) heading into FSU's 45–30 win in Tallahassee. The stakes were even higher in 1991 in Gainesville, as both teams were ranked in the AP Poll top five (FSU No. 3, UF No. 5). The Gators had just clinched their first SEC Championship while the Seminoles were still feeling the sting of a defeat at the hands of the rival Miami Hurricanes. The game was a defensive struggle that culminated in a Gator defensive stand late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 14–9 win. FSU won the 1992 contest in Tallahassee, yet another meeting of top ten squads.
1993 brought about a collection of talent perhaps unequaled in the history of the rivalry. Two future Heisman trophy winners in Charlie Ward and Danny Wuerffel were starting at quarterback. The No. 1 Seminoles beat the No. 7 Gators 33–21, and went on to win the Bowl Alliance
national championship. In the 1994 contest in Tallahassee, Florida held a 31–3 lead at the start of the 4th quarter, but a furious FSU comeback ended in a 31–31 tie in what became known as the "Choke at Doak". The teams were given a rematch in the Sugar Bowl
("The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter"), which the Seminoles won 23–17. The No. 3 Gators beat the No. 6 Seminoles 35–24 in Gainesville in 1995, capping off Florida's first undefeated regular season.
For national championship implications, 1996 was the high point of the series. Both teams were undefeated and ranked No. 1 (UF) and No. 2 (FSU) coming into their regular season finale in Tallahassee, where the Seminoles won a hard-fought contest 24–21. However, the season belonged to Florida, as their 52–20 win in a Sugar Bowl rematch gave them their first national title. No.1 FSU was undefeated coming into the 1997 contest against the No. 10 Gators in Gainesville, but Florida won again 32–29. After these setbacks, Florida State won three straight victories over Florida, winning the 1998 and 2000 games in Tallahassee and the 1999 contest in Gainesville on their way to a second national championship.
Florida State and Florida combined for fourteen conference championships and three national championships during the 1990s. In addition, the winner of the game would play for the national championship five times in the decade. Through those years, FSU held a 7–4–1 advantage in a rivalry that was arguably the most important in college football during that time.
The 2001 game was Steve Spurrier's twelfth and final Florida–Florida State game as the head coach of the Gators. The 2001 Gators
entered the game with national title aspirations, and easily defeated the Seminoles 37–13. Florida finished the season 10–2 ranked third nationally in both major polls; Florida State finished 8–4 and ranked fifteenth. The 2001 game was also the end of a twelve-year era for Florida; Spurrier would resign as the Gators head coach following the season, finishing with a 5–8–1 record in the rivalry series. The twelve Bowden–Spurrier face-offs provided several of the most memorable games in the series history.
made his rivalry debut as Florida's head coach in 2002, and the game would mark the first time since 1986 that neither team was ranked in the AP Poll Top 10. Despite being a home underdog, Bowden's Seminoles won easily 31–14, starting a two-game series winning streak, which they continued in 2003 with a controversial 38–34 win in Gainesville.
Entering the 2004 game, the unranked and 7–4 Gators were heavy underdogs when they arrived to face the No. 8 Seminoles in Tallahassee, where they had not won since 1986. Zook had already been fired as the Gators' head man, but was allowed to finish the season. But on the night in which the turf at Doak Campbell Stadium was re-christened "Bobby Bowden Field" in honor of the long-serving Florida State coach, victory belonged to Zook's Florida Gators, 20–13, and Zook was carried from the field by his players and received a standing ovation from the visiting Florida fans.
Zook's third and final Florida–Florida State game as the Gators' coach started a six-game series winning streak for the Gators. With Florida's hiring of head coach Urban Meyer
after Zook's departure, the Gators again rose to national prominence, winning the program's second and third national championships in 2006 and 2008, while Florida State struggled to regain the level of success for which the program was known during the 1990s.
The 2009 Florida–Florida State game marked Bobby Bowden's thirty-sixth against the Gators in thirty-four seasons as the Seminoles head coach; it was also his last, as he retired at the conclusion of the 2009 season. He finished his head coaching career with a 17–18–1 record against the Gators. Remarkably, Bowden's thirty-four years in Tallahassee spanned the tenures of eight different Gators head coaches: Doug Dickey
(1970–1978), Charley Pell (1979–1985), Galen Hall (1985–1989), Gary Darnell
(1989), Steve Spurrier (1990–2001), Ron Zook (2002–2004), Charlie Strong
(2004), and Urban Meyer (2005–2010).
Florida State ended Florida's winning streak with an exclamation point in 2010. Under first-year head coach Jimbo Fisher
, the Seminoles defeated the Gators in dominant fashion with a 31–7 blowout in Tallahassee. The 2010 game was also the last one for Urban Meyer as the Gators head coach, and his only loss to Florida State in six tries. In 2011, Fisher's Seminoles extended their winning streak to two games by defeating the Gators 21–7 despite the fact that they gained less than 100 yards of total offense. It was their first win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2003. The 2011 meeting marked the first time since 1986 that neither team was ranked coming into the contest.
AThe Gators and Seminoles played twice during the 1994 and 1996 college football seasons; in both cases, the second meeting was in the Sugar Bowl
(1994 and 1997).
Records table sources: 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, 2010 Florida State Football Media Guide, and College Football Data Warehouse.
were enjoying their best season since joining the ranks of major college football programs. However, the Gators still felt confident that another victory was in the offing, coming out onto the playing field with the boast "Never, FSU, Never!" attached to their helmets.
Florida State quarterback Steve Tensi
hit Fred Biletnikoff
with a first-half touchdown, helping the Seminoles to a 13–0 lead at the half as the Gator offense fumbled four times, including once at the FSU one yard line. Florida, led by quarterback Steve Spurrier
, finally scored in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 13–7, but were unable to find the endzone again. Les Murdock kicked a 42-yard field goal to secure the win for FSU, 16–7.
After the win, the Seminoles accepted their first bid to a major bowl game, defeating Oklahoma
in the Gator Bowl
to finish the season 9–1–1.
UF ended up holding on for a 22–19 win, but the controversy heated up after the game when photos that apparently showed Fenner making the catch in the endzone were published in state newspapers. Debate over whether or not the play should have been ruled a touchdown continues to this day.
two week prior and FSU was off to a good start as well. The Gators won this matchup 21–6 on the back of a defensive surge that was unparalleled in Gator history. The Gators defense, led by junior defensive lineman Jack Youngblood
and sophomore defensive lineman Robert Harrell, sacked FSU quarterback Bill Cappleman eleven times for 91 yards leaving FSU with a total of negative 18 yards rushing in the game. In addition to the pass rush, the FSU offense fumbled the ball eight times, losing five. Two other Gator Sophomores starred in the game as well, All-America
n wide out Carlos Alvarez and quarterback John Reaves. The Gators went on to a 9–1–1 record including a victory over the University of Tennessee
in the Gator Bowl
.
into the game and he quickly completed two long passes, the second a 43-yard touchdown pass. The FSU defense forced John Reaves and the Gator offense into a three and out, and on the next drive Huff used four plays to score a touchdown with 2:30 left in the game. With the score cut to 38–21 FSU tried an onside kick which failed but didn't fail to cause a both bench-clearing brawl. The FSU defense again forced Florida to punt and as time expired, Huff led the Seminoles to another touchdown making the final score 38–27. Gators All-American Jack Youngblood was criticized by the press for doing a "disrespectful rear-end wagging dance" on a wall near the FSU student section. Both teams ended the season 7–4 but neither received a bowl bid. Huff's passing caused FSU to actually out gain the Gators in the game and it set, at the time, a record for most points scored by both teams in the rivalry.
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. Unfazed, 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.
23–17, referred to as "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter."
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.
The stars of the game were FSU running back Warrick Dunn
, who rushed for 185 yards; Wuerffel, who threw for 362 yards; and the FSU defense, which sacked Wuerffel six times and knocked him to the turf on many other occasions. That Seminole pass rush became a source of controversy after the game when Gators' coach Steve Spurrier claimed that FSU players had deliberately tried to injure his star quarterback with late hits and "cheap shots". The Seminoles had been flagged for roughing the passer twice during the game, and Spurrier had the UF video staff compile footage which he claimed showed FSU players tackling Wuerffel late a half-dozen additional times.
upset third-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers
in the Big 12 Championship Game
and Florida defeated Alabama
in the SEC Championship Game
, creating an FSU–UF rematch in the Sugar Bowl
. Spurrier continued to complain to the press about the issue while FSU coach Bobby Bowden responded that he thought the hits in question were clean while admitting that "we just hit to the echo of the whistle instead of the whistle."
The Sugar Bowl match-up gained even more importance the night before the game when the second-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils
lost to the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes
in the Rose Bowl
, making the contest between the No. 3 Gators and the No. 1 Seminoles the de facto national championship game.
To counter FSU's pass rush, Spurrier installed the shotgun formation in an attempt to give quarterback Danny Wuerffel more time to throw. The plan worked, as the Gators turned a close game (it was 24–20 early in the second half) into a 52–20 rout behind Wuerffel's 306 yards and three touchdown passes, earning the Gators their first national championship.
would have a monster day, scoring four touchdowns as the Gators upset the Seminoles 32–29. Down 29–25 with 2:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Gators began a drive from their own 20-yard-line. The first play was a 63-yard pass from Doug Johnson to Jacquez Green to the Seminoles 17-yard-line. Taylor then ran the ball to down the two-yard-line, and scored his fourth touchdown on the next play. The Gators drove eighty yards in forty-four seconds on three plays. On the ensuing Seminoles' drive, Gators linebacker Dwayne Thomas intercepted Thad Busby's third-down-and-eleven pass with 1:06 remaining to seal the win for Florida.
, and a couple walk-on FSU players who were not even dressed, to be ejected from the game. In the midst of the fight, it is rumored that Florida quarterback Doug Johnson
attempted to peg FSU coach Bobby Bowden
with a football. Johnson did later apologize to Bowden, claiming that he had no target, he just threw the ball. Florida State's defense came in the ballgame rated No. 1 in the nation, Florida's defense was rated No. 1 in the SEC, so the game was set to be a defensive battle. Florida struck first with a 50-yard Doug Johnson touchdown pass, but Seminoles Peter Warrick
and Travis Minor
put the Seminoles in scoring position twice and Placekicker Sebastian Janikowski
kicked two field goals to make the game 7–6. After a Florida punt the Seminoles were at their own 5-yard-line and Florida forced a safety. And then Doug Johnson drove Florida deep into Florida State territory after the safety kick, but Florida State's defense stiffened and forced Florida to settle for three points. At halftime, the game was 12–6, Florida.
In the second half Florida State's defense held Florida scoreless. Florida State's first touchdown of the game came when Seminoles quarterback Marcus Outzen connected with Peter Warrick on a touchdown throw, then later in the game, Peter Warrick threw a touchdown to Ron Dugans
. The game ended 23–12, with Florida State the winner.
hit wide receiver PK Sam for a 52-yard touchdown pass, giving Florida State a 38–34 win. Before the winning score, Rix had completed a first down pass on a fourth-and-17 play deep in Seminoles territory to keep the drive alive.
After the game, a fight broke out on the field between the Florida and Florida State players after some Seminole players celebrated the win by jumping on the "F" logo in the center of Florida Field. FSU's athletic director apologized on behalf of the university for sparking the incident and both schools took steps to make sure similar incidents did not recur.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
rivalry
College rivalry
Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...
between the teams of the two oldest public universities of the U.S. state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
: the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
and the Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. Although both universities participate in a range of intercollegiate sports, the competition between the Gators and the Seminoles has most often focused on football.
The first game in the Florida–Florida State series was played in 1958. The Gators dominated the nineteen games played before 1976, but the rivalry has become remarkably balanced since then. The Gators lead the overall series 33–21–2, but the series record has been split 19–18–1 over the last thirty-eight meetings in favor of FSU. For the past three decades, one or both squads have usually been highly ranked coming into the game, adding national championship implications to a rivalry already heavily weighted with in-state bragging rights.
Roots of a rivalry
Florida State College, one of the predecessor institutions of Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, sponsored a varsity football team from 1902 to 1904 and won "state championships" in each of those seasons. With its passage of the Buckman Act in 1905, the Florida Legislature abolished the coeducational Florida State College and rededicated its Tallahassee campus as the all-women Florida Female College for the 1905 fall term, ending the football program. The college's name was officially changed to "Florida State College for Women" in 1909.
During the same 1905 reorganization mandated by the Buckman Act, four smaller state-supported colleges were abolished and their assets and academic programs consolidated to form the new "University of the State of Florida," an all-male school located in Gainesville. Florida State College's last coach, Jack Forsythe
Jack Forsythe
Jack A. "Pee Wee" Forsythe, Jr. was an American college football player and coach. Forsythe has an important place in the history of college athletics in the U.S. state of Florida as the first head coach of the team now known as the University of Florida Gators...
, became the first coach of the new University of the State of Florida football team in 1906. The name of the new men's university was officially shortened to the "University of Florida" in 1909. The university has fielded an officially recognized and sponsored varsity football team every season since 1906, with the exception of 1943, when World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
manpower shortages precluded most intercollegiate athletics.
In 1947, the Florida Legislature reorganized the state's university system again. In order to accommodate the post-World War II surge in college enrollment, both the University of Florida and Florida State College for Women became coeducational, with the Tallahassee institution taking its present name, "Florida State University." Florida State immediately established a football program, and its coach, players and students began calling for games against the Gators. The University of Florida administration, however, was reluctant to treat Florida State as an equal, less for reasons of intercollegiate sports rivalry than for reasons of limited state funding for higher education and the perception that Florida State's demands for a greater share of those funds might undercut Florida's role as the state's historic flagship university.
As the impasse dragged on, a bill was proposed in the Florida Legislature in 1955 which would have mandated that the two schools compete against each other in football and other sports. The bill was voted down. Shortly thereafter, however, Florida Governor LeRoy Collins
LeRoy Collins
Thomas LeRoy Collins was the 33rd Governor of Florida.-Early life:Collins was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, where he attended Leon High School. He went on to attend the Eastman Business College in New York and then went on to the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama to...
personally requested president J. Wayne Reitz
J. Wayne Reitz
Julius Wayne Reitz was an American agricultural economist, professor and university president. Reitz was a native of Kansas, and earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in his chosen field. After working as an agricultural economist, university professor and U.S...
of the University of Florida to schedule a yearly football series between the two state universities, and the two schools' athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
s eventually negotiated a contract that started the football series in 1958, the first available opening on the Gators' schedule.
One of the stipulations in the first contract was that all games be played in the Gators' home stadium, Florida Field
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
in Gainesville
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, because the Seminoles' stadium facilities at the time were too small. As a result, the first six games in the series were all played in Gainesville. Florida State initiated a series of expansions to Doak Campbell Stadium, and beginning in 1964, the game site has alternated on an annual home-and-away basis between Gainesville and Tallahassee. The Gators hold a 20–9–1 series advantage in games held in Gainesville, and have a one-game edge for those played in Tallahassee, 12–11–1. The Gators and Seminoles have split two neutral-site games—both Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
s played in the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in New Orleans (1994 and 1997).
Early contests
After the Florida State College for Women became the co-educational Florida State University in 1947, the newly-formed Florida State Seminoles football team achieved immediate success on the gridiron. Under head coach Don VellerDon Veller
-External links:...
, the Seminoles became the first collegiate football program in the state of Florida to go unbeaten and untied, finishing 8–0 in 1950. Under Coach Tom Nugent
Tom Nugent
Thomas N. "Tom" Nugent was an American college football coach and innovator, sportscaster, public relations man. He served as the head football coach at the Virginia Military Institute, Florida State University, and the University of Maryland. His career record was 89–80–3...
, the Seminoles made the move to major college status in 1955. Just three years later, Nugent would lead the Seminoles onto Florida Field to face the Gators, with Florida winning 21–7. With the arrival of Bill Peterson
Bill Peterson
William E. "Bill" Peterson was an American football coach. His career included head coaching stops at Florida State, Rice University and with the Houston Oilers. Considered one of the unique characters in college sports, Peterson is credited with bringing the pro passing game to college football...
in 1960, the Seminoles began their move to national prominence. Under Peterson's direction, the Seminoles beat the 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. While Peterson was taking the Seminole program to new heights, Ray Graves
Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves is a former American college and professional football player and former college football coach. He is a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, where he played college football...
had been hired as the Gators new head coach to improve the Florida football program. When the two teams fought to a 3–3 tie in 1961, Graves likened the result to "a death in the family." From that point on, the game took on new significance and the rivalry intensified.
With a strong advantage in both resources and facilities, the Gators would dominate the rivalry in its formative years, as the Gators were a remarkable 16–2–1 against the Seminoles from 1958 until 1976. One particularly poor stretch for the Seminoles was from 1969–1972 when wide receiver Barry Smith was playing for Florida State. He didn't play in the 1969 contest since freshmen were not eligible then but recalled the 1970–1972 games in a recent article in The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
,
"My sophomore year . . . I ran a reverse . . . and I remember being nailed by Jack YoungbloodJack YoungbloodHerbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
. I remember watching the ball being pitched to me and thinking, when the ball was about halfway, that it was kind of race to see whether he was going to get to the ball first or me. He was foaming at the mouth. I still have nightmares from the hit he gave me . . . . My junior year, we were 5–0 and Florida was 0–5. There is no question that we were the much better team, and they beat us . . . . My senior year, we're playing Florida at home and we're 4–0. They had a decent team, but it wasn't like the year before . . . . Chan GaileyChan GaileyThomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
was their quarterback, and he had a big game. That game was a blowout. They torched us. It got so bad, I had to throw a touchdown pass . . . ." http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/24/sp-mental-toughness-is-a-must/?sports
1976–1989: Arrival of Bowden; the rise and fall of Pell
Bobby BowdenBobby 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...
arrived at Florida State in 1976 and began to turn around the anemic program. After losing his first game against Florida in 1976, the Seminoles would win the next four in the rivalry, their first wins in the series since 1967. This would begin a decade and a half period in which the rivals would take turns running off winning streaks against the other.
The Gators changed leadership as well, hiring Coach Charlie Pell from Clemson University
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
to replace Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
in 1979. After a dismal 0-10-1 first season, Pell quickly turned around the Florida program, fielding championship-contending teams by the early 1980s.
Under Pell's leadership, Florida took their turn dominating the rivalry from 1980–1986, including putting a series-record 53 points on the scoreboard in the 1983 contest. However, an NCAA investigation of Florida's football program revealed multiple violations of rules in the early years of Pell's tenure. Pell was fired and the program put on probation beginning in 1985. For the next 3 seasons, Florida played with a reduced number of scholarship players and Gator football games could not appear on television, setting the program back considerably and allowing Florida State to sign more talented in-state high school recruits.
In 1986, the Gators extended their winning streak against FSU with a 17-13 upset in Tallahassee. However, FSU then ran off four consecutive victories over Florida as they became a fixture in the top-10 rankings and Florida's program floundered under heavy NCAA sanctions.
From the arrival of Bowden in 1976 to the end of the 1980s, the series was tied 7-7. The return of a familiar face to the Gators' sideline before the 1990 season would bring the rivalry to new national prominence.
1990–2001: Bowden vs. Spurrier
Steve SpurrierSteve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, who had won a 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...
as Florida's quarterback in 1966, returned as the head coach of the Gators for the 1990 season. During the eleven seasons that followed, the Florida–Florida State rivalry reached its peak of national importance. Because of the Sugar Bowl rematches following the 1994 and 1996 regular seasons, Florida and Florida State met fourteen times on the football field during the twelve seasons Spurrier coached the Gators. And each time, one or both teams were ranked in the top ten in the AP football poll.
The decade began auspiciously with the first meeting of top-10 squads in the history of the rivalry (UF No. 6, FSU No. 8) heading into FSU's 45–30 win in Tallahassee. The stakes were even higher in 1991 in Gainesville, as both teams were ranked in the AP Poll top five (FSU No. 3, UF No. 5). The Gators had just clinched their first SEC Championship while the Seminoles were still feeling the sting of a defeat at the hands of the rival Miami Hurricanes. The game was a defensive struggle that culminated in a Gator defensive stand late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 14–9 win. FSU won the 1992 contest in Tallahassee, yet another meeting of top ten squads.
1993 brought about a collection of talent perhaps unequaled in the history of the rivalry. Two future Heisman trophy winners in Charlie Ward and Danny Wuerffel were starting at quarterback. The No. 1 Seminoles beat the No. 7 Gators 33–21, and went on to win the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
national championship. In the 1994 contest in Tallahassee, Florida held a 31–3 lead at the start of the 4th quarter, but a furious FSU comeback ended in a 31–31 tie in what became known as the "Choke at Doak". The teams were given a rematch in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
("The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter"), which the Seminoles won 23–17. The No. 3 Gators beat the No. 6 Seminoles 35–24 in Gainesville in 1995, capping off Florida's first undefeated regular season.
For national championship implications, 1996 was the high point of the series. Both teams were undefeated and ranked No. 1 (UF) and No. 2 (FSU) coming into their regular season finale in Tallahassee, where the Seminoles won a hard-fought contest 24–21. However, the season belonged to Florida, as their 52–20 win in a Sugar Bowl rematch gave them their first national title. No.1 FSU was undefeated coming into the 1997 contest against the No. 10 Gators in Gainesville, but Florida won again 32–29. After these setbacks, Florida State won three straight victories over Florida, winning the 1998 and 2000 games in Tallahassee and the 1999 contest in Gainesville on their way to a second national championship.
Florida State and Florida combined for fourteen conference championships and three national championships during the 1990s. In addition, the winner of the game would play for the national championship five times in the decade. Through those years, FSU held a 7–4–1 advantage in a rivalry that was arguably the most important in college football during that time.
The 2001 game was Steve Spurrier's twelfth and final Florida–Florida State game as the head coach of the Gators. The 2001 Gators
2001 Florida Gators football team
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season...
entered the game with national title aspirations, and easily defeated the Seminoles 37–13. Florida finished the season 10–2 ranked third nationally in both major polls; Florida State finished 8–4 and ranked fifteenth. The 2001 game was also the end of a twelve-year era for Florida; Spurrier would resign as the Gators head coach following the season, finishing with a 5–8–1 record in the rivalry series. The twelve Bowden–Spurrier face-offs provided several of the most memorable games in the series history.
2002–present: The evolving rivalry
Ron ZookRon Zook
Ron Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
made his rivalry debut as Florida's head coach in 2002, and the game would mark the first time since 1986 that neither team was ranked in the AP Poll Top 10. Despite being a home underdog, Bowden's Seminoles won easily 31–14, starting a two-game series winning streak, which they continued in 2003 with a controversial 38–34 win in Gainesville.
Entering the 2004 game, the unranked and 7–4 Gators were heavy underdogs when they arrived to face the No. 8 Seminoles in Tallahassee, where they had not won since 1986. Zook had already been fired as the Gators' head man, but was allowed to finish the season. But on the night in which the turf at Doak Campbell Stadium was re-christened "Bobby Bowden Field" in honor of the long-serving Florida State coach, victory belonged to Zook's Florida Gators, 20–13, and Zook was carried from the field by his players and received a standing ovation from the visiting Florida fans.
Zook's third and final Florida–Florida State game as the Gators' coach started a six-game series winning streak for the Gators. With Florida's hiring of head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
after Zook's departure, the Gators again rose to national prominence, winning the program's second and third national championships in 2006 and 2008, while Florida State struggled to regain the level of success for which the program was known during the 1990s.
The 2009 Florida–Florida State game marked Bobby Bowden's thirty-sixth against the Gators in thirty-four seasons as the Seminoles head coach; it was also his last, as he retired at the conclusion of the 2009 season. He finished his head coaching career with a 17–18–1 record against the Gators. Remarkably, Bowden's thirty-four years in Tallahassee spanned the tenures of eight different Gators head coaches: Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
(1970–1978), Charley Pell (1979–1985), Galen Hall (1985–1989), Gary Darnell
Gary Darnell
Gary Brent Darnell is a former American college football player and coach. Darnell is native of Arkansas and an alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where he played college football...
(1989), Steve Spurrier (1990–2001), Ron Zook (2002–2004), Charlie Strong
Charlie Strong
Charlie R. Strong is an American college football coach and former player. Strong is a native of Arkansas and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, where he played college football...
(2004), and Urban Meyer (2005–2010).
Florida State ended Florida's winning streak with an exclamation point in 2010. Under first-year head coach Jimbo Fisher
Jimbo Fisher
John James "Jimbo" Fisher is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently head coach at Florida State University....
, the Seminoles defeated the Gators in dominant fashion with a 31–7 blowout in Tallahassee. The 2010 game was also the last one for Urban Meyer as the Gators head coach, and his only loss to Florida State in six tries. In 2011, Fisher's Seminoles extended their winning streak to two games by defeating the Gators 21–7 despite the fact that they gained less than 100 yards of total offense. It was their first win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2003. The 2011 meeting marked the first time since 1986 that neither team was ranked coming into the contest.
Game results
Florida victories are colored ██ blue. Florida State victories are colored ██ garnet. Ties are white.| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 22, 1958 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 21–7 |
| November 21, 1959 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 18–8 |
| September 24, 1960 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 3–0 |
| September 30, 1961 | Gainesville, FL | Tie | 3–3 |
| November 17, 1962 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 20–7 |
| November 30, 1963 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 7–0 |
| November 30, 1964 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 16–7 |
| November 27, 1965 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 30–17 |
| October 8, 1966 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 22–19 |
| November 25, 1967 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 21–16 |
| September 28, 1968 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 9–3 |
| October 4, 1969 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 21–6 |
| October 10, 1970 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 38–27 |
| October 16, 1971 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 17–15 |
| October 7, 1972 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 42–13 |
| December 1, 1973 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 49–0 |
| October 19, 1974 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 24–14 |
| October 18, 1975 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 34–8 |
| October 16, 1976 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 33–26 |
| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 3, 1977 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 37–9 |
| November 25, 1978 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 38–21 |
| November 24, 1979 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 27–16 |
| December 6, 1980 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 17–13 |
| November 28, 1981 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 35–3 |
| December 4, 1982 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 13–10 |
| December 3, 1983 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 53–14 |
| December 1, 1984 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 27–17 |
| November 30, 1985 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 38–14 |
| November 29, 1986 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 17–13 |
| November 28, 1987 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 28–14 |
| November 26, 1988 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 52–17 |
| December 2, 1989 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 24–17 |
| December 1, 1990 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 45–30 |
| November 30, 1991 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 14–9 |
| November 28, 1992 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 45–24 |
| November 27, 1993 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 33–21 |
| November 26, 1994 | Tallahassee, FL | Tie | 31–31 |
| January 2, 1995 | New Orleans, LA | FSU | 23–17A |
| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 25, 1995 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 35–24 |
| November 28, 1996 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 24–21 |
| January 2, 1997 | New Orleans, LA | Florida | 52–20A |
| November 22, 1997 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 32–29 |
| November 21, 1998 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 23–12 |
| November 20, 1999 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 30–23 |
| November 18, 2000 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 30–17 |
| November 17, 2001 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 37–13 |
| November 30, 2002 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 31–14 |
| November 29, 2003 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 38–34 |
| November 20, 2004 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 20–13 |
| November 26, 2005 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 34–7 |
| November 25, 2006 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 21–14 |
| November 24, 2007 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 45–12 |
| November 29, 2008 | Tallahassee, FL | Florida | 45–15 |
| November 28, 2009 | Gainesville, FL | Florida | 37–10 |
| November 27, 2010 | Tallahassee, FL | FSU | 31–7 |
| November 26, 2011 | Gainesville, FL | FSU | 21–7 |
AThe Gators and Seminoles played twice during the 1994 and 1996 college football seasons; in both cases, the second meeting was in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
(1994 and 1997).
Records table sources: 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, 2010 Florida State Football Media Guide, and College Football Data Warehouse.
1964: FSU breaks through
Even though many of the early games in the series were close (and the 1961 contest ended in a 3–3 tie), Florida State had yet to beat their in-state rivals in six attempts. The 1964 game would be the first time that the Gators would journey to Doak Campbell Stadium, and the Seminoles under coach Bill PetersonBill Peterson
William E. "Bill" Peterson was an American football coach. His career included head coaching stops at Florida State, Rice University and with the Houston Oilers. Considered one of the unique characters in college sports, Peterson is credited with bringing the pro passing game to college football...
were enjoying their best season since joining the ranks of major college football programs. However, the Gators still felt confident that another victory was in the offing, coming out onto the playing field with the boast "Never, FSU, Never!" attached to their helmets.
Florida State quarterback Steve Tensi
Steve Tensi
Stephen Michael "Steve" Tensi is a former professional American football quarterback in the American Football League and the National Football League. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos .-See also:* Other American Football League players...
hit Fred Biletnikoff
Fred Biletnikoff
Frederick S. "Fred" Biletnikoff is a former American football wide receiver and coach. He spent the majority of his professional playing and coaching days with the Oakland Raiders...
with a first-half touchdown, helping the Seminoles to a 13–0 lead at the half as the Gator offense fumbled four times, including once at the FSU one yard line. Florida, led by quarterback Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
, finally scored in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 13–7, but were unable to find the endzone again. Les Murdock kicked a 42-yard field goal to secure the win for FSU, 16–7.
After the win, the Seminoles accepted their first bid to a major bowl game, defeating Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
to finish the season 9–1–1.
1966: Catch or not?
In an otherwise unremarkable game coming in to this eighth annual contest between the burgeoning rivals, this game established the rivalry in full due to the controversy that surrounded its outcome. In a tight contest, the Gators led the Seminoles late in the game, 22–19. FSU had the ball at the Gators' 45-yard-line with seventeen seconds left in the game. On first down, little used and previously injured wide receiver Lane Fenner entered the game in place of FSU's star receiver Ron Sellers. FSU quarterback Gary Pajcic took the snap, Fenner got behind UF defenders, and Pajcic lofted a pass to Fenner in the front corner of the end zone for what appeared to be a game-winning FSU touchdown. However, referee Doug Moseley signaled that Fenner did not have control of the ball before rolling out of bounds and ruled the pass incomplete.UF ended up holding on for a 22–19 win, but the controversy heated up after the game when photos that apparently showed Fenner making the catch in the endzone were published in state newspapers. Debate over whether or not the play should have been ruled a touchdown continues to this day.
1969: Cappleman crunch
Both Florida and Florida State were 2–0 when the teams met in 1969. The Gators had defeated number one ranked University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
two week prior and FSU was off to a good start as well. The Gators won this matchup 21–6 on the back of a defensive surge that was unparalleled in Gator history. The Gators defense, led by junior defensive lineman Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
and sophomore defensive lineman Robert Harrell, sacked FSU quarterback Bill Cappleman eleven times for 91 yards leaving FSU with a total of negative 18 yards rushing in the game. In addition to the pass rush, the FSU offense fumbled the ball eight times, losing five. Two other Gator Sophomores starred in the game as well, All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n wide out Carlos Alvarez and quarterback John Reaves. The Gators went on to a 9–1–1 record including a victory over the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
.
1970: Huff the magic quarterback
The Florida Gators dominated Florida State for the first fifty-three minutes of the 1970 game. FSU quarterbacks Frank Whigham and Tommy Warren failed to move the ball and with seven minutes left in the game the Gators led 38–7. FSU coach Peterson put sophomore Gary HuffGary Huff
Gary Earl Huff , who graduated from Leto Senior High School in Tampa, Florida and played college football and baseball at Florida State University, was a professional football quarterback. He was an All-American at FSU, where he led the nation in touchdown passes in 1971 and 1972...
into the game and he quickly completed two long passes, the second a 43-yard touchdown pass. The FSU defense forced John Reaves and the Gator offense into a three and out, and on the next drive Huff used four plays to score a touchdown with 2:30 left in the game. With the score cut to 38–21 FSU tried an onside kick which failed but didn't fail to cause a both bench-clearing brawl. The FSU defense again forced Florida to punt and as time expired, Huff led the Seminoles to another touchdown making the final score 38–27. Gators All-American Jack Youngblood was criticized by the press for doing a "disrespectful rear-end wagging dance" on a wall near the FSU student section. Both teams ended the season 7–4 but neither received a bowl bid. Huff's passing caused FSU to actually out gain the Gators in the game and it set, at the time, a record for most points scored by both teams in the rivalry.
1993: Ward to Dunn
The Seminoles came into The SwampBen Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
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. Unfazed, 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...
hit freshman Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
up the sideline for a 79-yard game-clinching touchdown run and a 33–21 FSU win.
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. The Seminoles then won a rematch in the Sugar BowlSugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
23–17, referred to as "The Fifth Quarter in the French Quarter."
1996: No. 1 vs. No. 2
The No. 1–ranked and undefeated Gators came in to Tallahassee favored against the second-ranked Seminoles. The 'Noles got off to a quick start when Peter BoulwarePeter Boulware
Peter Nicholas Boulware , is a former American football linebacker who played his whole NFL career for the Baltimore Ravens. He was a Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, District 9. His younger brother, Michael Boulware, a strong safety is currently a free agent.-Early...
blocked the Gator's first punt of the game, resulting in a touchdown. Florida's eventual Heisman Trophy winner
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...
quarterback Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
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
Reidel Anthony
Reidel Clarence Anthony is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for five seasons in the 1990s and early 2000s...
) 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.
The stars of the game were FSU running back Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
, who rushed for 185 yards; Wuerffel, who threw for 362 yards; and the FSU defense, which sacked Wuerffel six times and knocked him to the turf on many other occasions. That Seminole pass rush became a source of controversy after the game when Gators' coach Steve Spurrier claimed that FSU players had deliberately tried to injure his star quarterback with late hits and "cheap shots". The Seminoles had been flagged for roughing the passer twice during the game, and Spurrier had the UF video staff compile footage which he claimed showed FSU players tackling Wuerffel late a half-dozen additional times.
1997: Sugar Bowl rematch for the title
The late-hit controversy that began after the team's regular season meeting intensified when the Texas LonghornsTexas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
upset third-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers
1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 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:...
in the Big 12 Championship Game
1996 Big 12 Championship Game
The 1996 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship Game was held on December 7, 1996 at Trans World Dome in St. Louis, Missouri. The divisional winners from the Big 12 Conference squared off in the 1st edition of the game. The Texas Longhorns represented the South Division and the Nebraska Cornhuskers...
and Florida defeated Alabama
1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1996 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama for the 1996–97 college football season, competing in the Western Division in the Southeastern Conference. Gene Stallings led the Crimson Tide to a 10–3 record in his final year with the program...
in the SEC Championship Game
1996 SEC Championship Game
The 1996 SEC Championship Game was won by the Florida Gators 45-30 over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The game was played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on December 7, 1996 and was televised to a national audience on ABC.-External links:**...
, creating an FSU–UF rematch in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. Spurrier continued to complain to the press about the issue while FSU coach Bobby Bowden responded that he thought the hits in question were clean while admitting that "we just hit to the echo of the whistle instead of the whistle."
The Sugar Bowl match-up gained even more importance the night before the game when the second-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils
1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1996 Arizona State Sun Devils football team represented the Arizona State University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Regular season:...
lost to the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
in the Rose Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
, making the contest between the No. 3 Gators and the No. 1 Seminoles the de facto national championship game.
To counter FSU's pass rush, Spurrier installed the shotgun formation in an attempt to give quarterback Danny Wuerffel more time to throw. The plan worked, as the Gators turned a close game (it was 24–20 early in the second half) into a 52–20 rout behind Wuerffel's 306 yards and three touchdown passes, earning the Gators their first national championship.
1997: Greatest game ever played in the Swamp
The Seminoles came in ranked No. 1 while the Gators were ranked No. 10 with a record of 8–2. The Seminoles needed only to beat their rivals to play for another shot at a national championship, and were heavy favorites. However, Gators senior tailback Fred TaylorFred Taylor
-Sports:* Fred Taylor , American NFL running back* Fred Taylor , American former NBA player* Frederick Taylor, known as Cyclone Taylor , Canadian ice hockey forward...
would have a monster day, scoring four touchdowns as the Gators upset the Seminoles 32–29. Down 29–25 with 2:33 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Gators began a drive from their own 20-yard-line. The first play was a 63-yard pass from Doug Johnson to Jacquez Green to the Seminoles 17-yard-line. Taylor then ran the ball to down the two-yard-line, and scored his fourth touchdown on the next play. The Gators drove eighty yards in forty-four seconds on three plays. On the ensuing Seminoles' drive, Gators linebacker Dwayne Thomas intercepted Thad Busby's third-down-and-eleven pass with 1:06 remaining to seal the win for Florida.
1998: Not in our house!
This 1998 battle between the in state rivals started before the whistle even blew. A pre-game fight caused Florida's starting senior safety, Tony GeorgeTony George
Anton Hulman "Tony" George was the former President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. He founded the Indy Racing League and co-owns Vision Racing...
, and a couple walk-on FSU players who were not even dressed, to be ejected from the game. In the midst of the fight, it is rumored that Florida quarterback Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson is the keyboardist for the Canadian rock band Loverboy. Loverboy just celebrated their 29th year and were honoured at the 2009 JUNO Awards with induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Doug Johnson is also a published classical music composer. He wrote the classical quintet "The...
attempted to peg 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...
with a football. Johnson did later apologize to Bowden, claiming that he had no target, he just threw the ball. Florida State's defense came in the ballgame rated No. 1 in the nation, Florida's defense was rated No. 1 in the SEC, so the game was set to be a defensive battle. Florida struck first with a 50-yard Doug Johnson touchdown pass, but Seminoles Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick
Peter Warrick is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals fourth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
and Travis Minor
Travis Minor
Travis Minor was an American football running back for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
put the Seminoles in scoring position twice and Placekicker Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski
Sebastian Janikowski is a left-footed Polish placekicker who plays for the National Football League's Oakland Raiders. He is nicknamed The Polish Cannon because he is considered to have one of the strongest kicking legs in the league, and leads the NFL in kickoffs for touchbacks. He lives in...
kicked two field goals to make the game 7–6. After a Florida punt the Seminoles were at their own 5-yard-line and Florida forced a safety. And then Doug Johnson drove Florida deep into Florida State territory after the safety kick, but Florida State's defense stiffened and forced Florida to settle for three points. At halftime, the game was 12–6, Florida.
In the second half Florida State's defense held Florida scoreless. Florida State's first touchdown of the game came when Seminoles quarterback Marcus Outzen connected with Peter Warrick on a touchdown throw, then later in the game, Peter Warrick threw a touchdown to Ron Dugans
Ron Dugans
Ron Dugans is a former wide receiver who played his 4 year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Dugans was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Bengals. He signed a deal with the Houston Texans but never played with the team. He is currently an assistant coach at The University...
. The game ended 23–12, with Florida State the winner.
2003: "Swindle in the Swamp"
The following season, Florida State was ranked No. 9 and Florida No. 11, and the game proved to be an evenly-matched tussle. The 2003 game would be remembered for several controversial referee calls and was immediately christened by Florida sportswriters as the "Swindle In The Swamp," as the ACC officiating crew made questionable calls on multiple fumble/no-fumble plays that went against Florida. Florida nevertheless held a slim 34–31 lead late in the fourth quarter when Seminoles quarterback Chris RixChris Rix
Christopher Charles Rix is a former NCAA Division I Filipino-American football quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles football team. Rix is also widely known as a coach and sportscaster.- Early life:...
hit wide receiver PK Sam for a 52-yard touchdown pass, giving Florida State a 38–34 win. Before the winning score, Rix had completed a first down pass on a fourth-and-17 play deep in Seminoles territory to keep the drive alive.
After the game, a fight broke out on the field between the Florida and Florida State players after some Seminole players celebrated the win by jumping on the "F" logo in the center of Florida Field. FSU's athletic director apologized on behalf of the university for sparking the incident and both schools took steps to make sure similar incidents did not recur.
See also
- Clemson–Florida State football rivalry
- Florida CupFlorida CupThe Florida Cup is the American football 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 in return for beating the other two teams in the same season...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida–LSU football rivalry
- Florida–Miami football rivalry
- Florida State SeminolesFlorida State SeminolesThe Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
- Florida–Tennessee football rivalry
- Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic
- History of Florida State UniversityHistory of Florida State UniversityThe history of Florida State University dates to the 19th century and is deeply intertwined with the history of education in the state of Florida and in the city of Tallahassee....
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- Miami–Florida State football rivalry
External links
- GatorZone.com – Official webpage of the Florida Gators football team
- Seminoles.com – Official webpage of the Florida State Seminoles football team