10-Year Nole Anniversary: FSU Beats UCLA in Emerald Bowl to Clinch Winning Season

Fresh off an ACC championship, Florida State began the 2006 season ranked in the top 15 and with high hopes for the year. As the Seminoles headed west for bowl season however, their first losing season in 30 years was not only a reality, but was expected.

FSU and UCLA both arrived at the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco with records of 6-6. The Bruins however, were playing a virtual home game and coming off a thrilling 13-9 win over No. 2 USC to end the rival Trojans’ national championship aspirations.

On this day 10 years ago, FSU was able to put a disappointing campaign behind it and show resolve to win 44-27 and finish the year with a winning record.

The Seminoles drew first blood on a 25-yard touchdown run by Lorenzo Booker with less than five minutes to play in the first quarter, but it took the Bruins less than a minute to respond as quarterback Patrick Cowan hit Brandon Breazell for a 78-yard touchdown. Cowan’s second touchdown pass to Junior Taylor in the second quarter helped UCLA build a 20-13 halftime lead.

After a third Gary Cismesia field goal and a blocked punt return for a touchdown by Lawrence Timmons in the third quarter, FSU went back in front, 23-20. Again, UCLA had an answer as Chane Moline scored from nine yards out to make it 27-23 at the end of three.

Facing a 4th-and-9 from the UCLA 30-yard-line with 10 minutes remaining in the final quarter, head coach Bobby Bowden rolled the dice and decided to go for it. The gamble paid off as quarterback Drew Weatherford hit Greg Carr for the touchdown to cap a 90-yard drive and put FSU ahead for good.

Booker, who finished with 208 yards of total offense, scored a second rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 10 before Tony Carter’s 86-yard return of a Cowan interception put the exclamation point on the victory. The only interception in the FSU career of Rhodes Scholar safety Myron Rolle ended the contest.

Weatherford finished with 325 yards passing in the victory with 117 going to Booker. The FSU defense led by linebackers Geno Hayes and Buster Davis and defensive end Everette Brown forced three turnovers.

The victory isn’t one that FSU fans tend to rave about, but it was a nice ending to an otherwise dismal season. It also extended the Seminoles’ streak of consecutive winning seasons to 30 — a streak that is now 40 today.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson