We’ve started a new segment here at The Daily Nole and this time, we need your help. Each day, we’ll be presenting two of Florida State’s most thrilling wins of all-time, but it’s up to you to decide which FSU victory was more thrilling.
For the contest to be on the list, it needs to have been decided in the final five minutes. The implication of the victory will obviously play a role, but ultimately, the criteria is simply which contest was more thrilling to watch.
Our series opened Thursday with the No. 1 vs. No. 16 match-up. You voted Florida State’s 1994 Orange Bowl victory — the top-seed in our bracket — over FSU’s 1989 Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn. The victory to cap off the Seminoles’ first national championship received 83 percent of the vote and moves on to the semifinals to take on the winner of our next match-up — the No. 8 and 9 seeds in our bracket.
Thursday’s match-up was a pair of bowl games and the current one is a contest of season-openers. The No. 8 seed in our poll of most thrilling victories in FSU history is the Seminoles’ 10-7 victory over Miami to open 2005. The No. 9 seed is the 2002 Eddie Robinson Classic as Florida State held off Iowa State, 38-31.
No. 8: Florida State 10, Miami 7
Sept. 5, 2005
Florida State entered the 2005 Labor Day opener at Doak Campbell Stadium having lost six straight to Miami. The Seminoles raced to a 10-0 lead behind a short touchdown run from James Coleman and a field goal by Gary Cismesia. Miami cut the lead to 10-7 in the second quarter on a touchdown pass from Kyle Wright to Ryan Moore. Neither team would score again, but with time ticking away, Miami was threatening to rip out FSU’s heart once again. On a drive that started inside the Hurricanes’ own 10-yard-line, Miami took more than nine minutes off the clock and reached Florida State’s 2. Though the FSU defense bent, it wouldn’t break as the Seminoles’ ninth sack of Wright on the evening pushed the Hurricanes back to the 11-yard-line. Jon Peattie came on for the Hurricanes to attempt a 28-yard field goal which looked to be a sure thing. Throughout FSU and Miami’s history, it was always kicking woes that seemed to go against the Seminoles, but this time, it was the Hurricanes who would be bitten. Peattie was never able to get the kick away as punter and holder Brian Monroe was unable to handle the snap. The Seminoles took over and picked up one first down to run out the clock and snap their 6-game skid to the Hurricanes.
No. 9: Florida State 38, Iowa State 31 (Eddie Robinson Classic, Kansas City)
Aug. 24, 2002
Florida State’s 2002 season-opener seemed like a laugher early on as the Seminoles raced to a 31-7 second quarter lead behind touchdowns from Anquan Boldin, Greg Jones and Nick Maddox as well as a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive end Alonzo Jackson. Late in the first half however, Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace caught fire and FSU didn’t seem capable of stopping him. Behind 313 yards passing from Wallace and the Cyclones had cut the FSU lead down to seven and were driving late for the potential tying touchdown. With four seconds remaining, Iowa State was sitting at Florida State’s 1-yard-line. The Cyclones put the ball in the hands of their best player as Wallace ran to his right, but the Seminoles were up to the challenge. Linebackers Kendyll Pope and Jerel Hudson combined to stop Wallace short, giving FSU head coach Bobby Bowden his 324th career victory which moved Bowden past the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant on the all-time wins list.
Make Your Pick
To pick which contest was more thrilling, click below to vote in our Twitter poll. If you do not have a Twitter account, you can vote by emailing TDN editor Mike Ferguson at Mike@TheDailyNole.com. You can also vote in the comment section below. The winner will be announced with the next first round match-up.
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