49 Days Until FSU Football: 1949 Season Ends With First FSU Bowl Victory

Now that the halfway point has been crossed, there are just 49 days until Florida State football begins the 2018 season. As part of the offseason, we’re highlighting players, games, and specific moments from FSU football history.

On Sunday, it was Ron Simmons sporting the No. 50 jersey at FSU and finishing his career as a legend.

Today, it’s the 1949 FSU team becoming the first ever to win a bowl game.

This countdown talks a lot about notable seasons and program firsts. For today’s edition, we’re going all the way back to 1949, which featured the very first FSU team to reach a bowl game.

College football before the 1960s was an entirely different scene. No traditional powers had been established, scheduling was based almost solely on proximity, and bowl games were really just extra contests with little meaning.

Still, what the Seminoles did in 1949 deserves recognition. The newly formed program made giant steps towards being a legitimate team and evolving from an amateur squad.

Head coach Don Veller was entering his second year with Florida State. They had finished first in the Dixie Conference the year prior, but the amateur status meant that the Seminoles were not ranked and did not receive a bowl invite.

They began the 1949 season with a 74-0 win over Whiting Field that is reminiscent of modern blowouts. They then reeled off four straight victories over Mississippi College, Erskine, Sewanee, and Stetson. Their only loss happened in the middle of the season vs. Livingston State (now named West Alabama) in a disappointing 13-6 upset.

Three more regular season victories over Millsaps College, Tampa, and Troy closed out the season, though the win over Tampa was what secured their Cigar Bowl bid. It doesn’t seem all that spectacular, but keep in mind that FSU football had started back up only two years prior and that was an 0-5 campaign. To receive a bowl bid after just three seasons was considered very impressive.

(Photo provided by Garnet and Great, FSU Archivist)

As a side note: Here’s the game program for the contest vs. Troy. What uh…what is the thing marketing exactly?

Florida State capped off the season with one of its biggest wins of Veller’s tenure. The Seminoles traveled to Tampa for their match-up with the Wofford Terriers, who were favored by at least two touchdowns. Wofford had won 23 consecutive games going into the contest.

The Seminoles stunned everyone by winning 19-6. The amateur team from Tallahassee pulled off a victory in a game that many were surprised they made in the first place. FSU dominated the game, outgaining the Terriers, 379-139. Red Parish scored two of three touchdowns for the Seminoles in the win.

The Seminoles cruised past Wofford in the Cigar Bowl, 19-6, on Jan. 2, 1950. (Photo provided by Garnet and Great, FSU Archivist)

Veller’s tenure didn’t end like it was supposed to, but his accomplishments early on were essential in legitimizing FSU football. 1949 played a big part in that.