On this day 20 years, Florida State showed up in Chapel Hill for a contest dubbed the biggest in the history of the ACC. The Seminoles were ranked third nationally and undefeated at 8-0 while the North Carolina Tar Heels were fifth with an identical perfect record.
About 62,000 fans packed Keenan Stadium on Nov. 8, 1997 as the Tar Heels looked to become just the second ACC team to hand FSU a loss in conference play. That never materialized as FSU left with a decisive 20-3 victory.
FSU quarterback Thad Busby and tight end Melvin Pearsall got the scoring start on an 8-yard hook-up with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Seminoles doubled their lead to 14-0 late in the first half when Busby found E.G. Green from 14 yards out.
Sebastian Janikowski added a 32-yard field goal with under a minute to play in the half to give FSU a 17-0 lead at the break. His 40-yard make with less than seven minutes to play in the third capped the scoring for the Seminoles.
20 points would be all that Florida State needed as the defense dominated the day. The FSU defense held North Carolina to just 73 total yards, including a negative-28 on the ground.
North Carolina quarterback Oscar Davenport could only duck and cover as defensive end Greg Spires finished with four of the nine FSU sacks and five tackles for loss. Fellow defensive end Andre Wadsworth added three sacks of his own.
In the secondary, safeties Shevin Smith and Dexter Jackson along with cornerback Samari Rolle all came away with interceptions for an FSU defense that forced four turnovers. Wadsworth also forced a fumble that was recovered by Spires.
The only saving grace for North Carolina was that it avoided being shut out by the Seminoles for a second straight year. A 46-yard field goal by Josh McGee early in the fourth quarter provided all the scoring for the Tar Heels.
While it was a defense-dominated night, Travis Minor carried the FSU offense with 128 yards rushing on 30 carries. Busby passed for 159 yards and the pair of scores while Peter Warrick led the FSU receivers with four catches for 64 yards.
The victory clinched a sixth straight ACC crown for Florida State and would serve as North Carolina’s only loss in a season where the Tar Heels finished ranked sixth nationally — their best finish in 49 years. Unfortunately for FSU, its national title hopes would die with a loss at Florida two weeks later, but the Seminoles still finished ranked third nationally in 1997.
What FSU was also able to do that season was remain king of the ACC. The exclamation point was put on that achievement in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on this day 20 years ago.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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