FSU Football: Ranking Every Noles Bowl Win (Nos. 22-27)

There’s no doubt that despite being a late arriving program that played its first game in 1947, Florida State has become one of college football’s blue bloods.

The Seminoles have three national championship, numerous top-10 finishes and plenty of Consensus All-Americans. What FSU also happens to have is 27 bowl wins, which ranks eighth all-time. Technically, the Seminoles have 26 because the 2006 Emerald Bowl was vacated because of ineligible players, but the contest still took place.

In a new series, we’ll count down and rank each of the Seminoles’ 27 bowl wins. We rank the victories based on the way FSU won and the magnitude of each game. To start the series, here’s are bowl wins 22-27:

27. 1986 All American Bowl: Florida State 27, Indiana 13
Dec. 31, 1986
Against a 6-5 Indiana team, Florida State racked up 288 yards on the ground in a 27-13 victory in Birmingham to conclude the 1986 season. Sammie Smith rushed for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win. Tanner Holloman also scored two touchdowns including the 10-yard score that put the game away with under three minutes to play. Deion Sanders came away with an interception for the FSU defense.

26. 1983 Peach Bowl: Florida State 28, North Carolina 3
Dec. 30, 1983
After losing to Miami and Florida to close the regular season, Florida State limped into its 1983 Peach Bowl contest with North Carolina. At 7-4 and unranked, it seemed as though the Seminoles might not have much to play for, but FSU dominated from the start. Quarterback Eric Thomas accounted for three touchdowns, including a pair of tosses to Weggie Thompson while the FSU defense took a shutout into the fourth quarter.

25. 2008 Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Dec. 27, 2008
After finishing 7-6 the two previous seasons, Florida State earned its ninth win of 2008 with a throttling of Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. Christian Ponder passed for a pair of touchdowns while linebackers Derek Nicholson and Dekoda Watson each had long fumble returns for touchdowns. Specialist Graham Gano was named the bowl’s MVP after having three first quarter punts downed inside the 4-yard-line.

24. 1950 Cigar Bowl: Florida State 19, Wofford 6
Jan. 2, 1950
Florida State’s first ever bowl appearance was a successful one as the Seminoles dominated Wofford in Tampa to end the 1949 season. FSU fell behind 6-0 after the Terriers recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, but the Seminoles answered with two 4-yard Red Parish touchdown runs sandwiched around a touchdown run by Buddy Strauss. Florida State outgained Wofford 379-139 and forced three turnovers.

23. 2005 Gator Bowl: Florida State 30, West Virginia 18
Jan. 1, 2005
2004 was an up-and-down campaign for Florida State, but the Seminoles secured a top 15 finish with a 30-18 victory over No. 23 West Virginia in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. Jacksonville native Leon Washington put the Seminoles ahead 7-0 with a 69-yard touchdown run on FSU’s first possession, but the Mountaineers would lead 12-10 after a quarter. From there on out however, it was all FSU. Washington and fellow running back Lorenzo Booker combined for 298 yards rushing while A.J. Nicholson recorded 12 tackles and an interception for the FSU defense. FSU fullback James Coleman scored from one yard out to put the finishing touches on the victory.

22. 2006 Emerald Bowl: Florida State 44, UCLA 27
Dec. 27, 2006
Florida State was able to put a happy ending on a disappointing 2006 season as the Seminoles defeated UCLA to run its streak of consecutive winning seasons to 30. FSU trailed 27-23 after three quarters, but outscored the Bruins 21-0 over the final 15 minutes. Drew Weatherford’s 30-yard touchdown on fourth down to Greg Carr put FSU ahead for good. After Lorenzo Booker’s second touchdown of the night extended the lead, cornerback Tony Carter put the exclamation point on the win by returning a Patrick Cowan interception 86 yards for a touchdown. Weatherford passed for 325 yards in the win while Booker accounted for 208 yards of total offense. For the defense, Geno Hayes notched 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks.