FSU’s 1993 National Title Team’s Silver Anniversary — Part X: FSU Prepares for Orange Bowl Rematch

It’s been 25 years since Florida State claimed its first national championship. The 1993 team delivered FSU college football’s ultimate prize for the first time. In a multi-part series commemorating the silver anniversary of Florida State’s first title team, we’ll be remembering that season with five former players who played a prominent role in the team’s success.

Florida State had complete an 11-1 regular season and held on to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll and the No. 3 spot in the Coaches Poll. It appeared all that was standing in between FSU and its first national championship was undefeated Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were 11-0, No. 1 in the Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the AP.

The Seminoles had defeated Nebraska 27-14 in the Orange Bowl the year before and that’s where the teams would meet again on Jan. 1, 1994. But before FSU could play for its first national championship, another school-first took place.

Redshirt senior quarterback Charlie Ward became the school’s first winner of the Heisman Trophy. Ward received 740 of a possible 790 first-place votes and more than three times the number of total votes as second-place Heath Shuler, the quarterback from Tennessee.

Ward would also capture the Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards as the nation’s top player. Linebacker Derrick Brooks and cornerback Corey Sawyer, both juniors, were named Consensus All-Americans. As New Year’s Day approached, the focus turned to the ultimate team prize and that was the national championship.

“I think Charlie winning the Heisman took our focus away a little bit,” said Clay Shiver, a redshirt sophomore center in 1993. “The amount of distraction, I think that played into it.”

Against a Nebraska team that FSU had defeated the previous year, the Seminoles were a 17-point favorite.

“That Nebraska team was very similar to Florida State with players who were battle-tested from the year before,” said Todd Rebol, who was a sophomore linebacker in 1993. “The fact that they were 17-point underdogs was completely wrong. That was an outstanding team.”

The meeting between FSU and Nebraska was the fourth bowl meeting in seven years. The Seminoles had won each of the previous three, including Fiesta Bowl wins in 1987 and 1989.

“We weren’t 17 points better than them,” said Clifton Abraham, a redshirt junior cornerback at the time. “They were getting bigger and faster each year.”

As FSU was with Bobby Bowden at the helm, the Cornhuskers were led by a coaching legend in Tom Osborne and known for their triple-option attack.

“I’ll admit, it is harder to get motivated when you’re such a big favorite,” Shiver said. “Tom Osborne was brilliant in the way he talked that up. He was cut from the same cloth as Bowden in that respect. We had beat them the year before, so it kind of felt like we had to beat them twice in the same year.”

Running the attack was quarterback Tommie Frazier with Calvin Jones and Lawrence Phillips at running back and a talented duo of fullbacks in Cory Schlesinger and Jack Mackovicka. Zach Wiegert anchored the offensive line while linebacker and Butkus Award winner Trev Alberts led the defense.

“This was everybody outside of Tallahassee who was disrespecting Nebraska,” Brooks said. “We didn’t underestimate Nebraska one bit. We knew it was going to be a dog fight.”

Shiver recalls the pregame being delayed for network coordination and having to sit in the locker room for an extended period of time, which he thinks hampered the offense early on.

“On defense, you’re kind of just reacting and running around and making plays,” Shiver said. “With an offense, you kind of lose your spark. The pregame and halftime took forever.”

The lone score of the first quarter was negated by a penalty as a block in the back against Nebraska made Corey Dixon’s 71-yard punt return for a touchdown all for naught. Florida State would score the game’s first points on a 34-yard field goal by Scott Bentley midway through the second quarter.

Nebraska was able to answer with the game’s first touchdown on the ensuing drive as Frazier’s pass was deflected before ending up the hands of Reggie Baul, who walked in for a 34-yard touchdown to put the Cornhuskers ahead, 7-3. Bentley’s second field goal of the night — this one from 25 yards out — concluded the first half scoring as FSU went to the locker room down by a point. It was the first time all season that the Seminoles were held without a touchdown in the first half.

“We could see in the ’92 film where Nebraska was inches from making a play,” wide receiver Kez McCorvey said. “Their front seven was really good. We respected them. They had learned from the little things that went wrong the year before. They put a lot of pressure on us.”

The second half kickoff went to Florida State. Led by Ward, the Seminoles methodically marched down the field and ultimately found the end zone, but not without controversy. Fullback William Floyd dove over the top for FSU’s first touchdown of the night, but fumbled the football while colliding with safety Toby Wright. On the field, the officials ruled that Floyd had broken the plane and the Seminoles led 12-7.

“I don’t think we understood how good they were,” Shiver said. “Throughout the night, we just had this inability to run the ball.”

With over three minutes to play in the third quarter, Bentley’s third field goal of the night — a 39-yard make — extended the lead to eight. As the final quarter began however, the Nebraska ground attack, which finished with 183 yards began to wear down the smaller, faster Seminoles.

“What they did, they did well,” Rebol said. “They would just eat away at you. I’ll never forget that game, but I try to, because I don’t remember ever being beaten up more in a football game.”

Nebraska was able to draw to within two on the first play of the fourth quarter as Phillips scored from 12 yards out. The 2-point conversion failed and the Seminoles maintained a 15-13 lead.

“We knew Nebraska was going to load the box and try to beat us with their size,” Brooks said. “That’s the way they played and it takes a toll.”

“Derrick and I were the outside backers,” Rebol said. “Our job — whoever’s side they ran to — was to try to take out both blockers. I felt like a ping pong ball the whole game. That said, I did my job. It took a disciplined defense to beat it. It was a long, hard-fought game, but Nebraska deserved a lot of credit.”

With more than a minute to play in the contest, Nebraska had something better than credit. It had a lead. The Seminoles were able to force the Cornhuskers to stall in the red zone, but kicker Byron Bennett’s 27-yard field goal with 1:16 remaining split the uprights. Nebraska led 16-15.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, giving FSU the ball at its own 35-yard-line. Down one point in the stadium where the Seminoles had suffered their only loss the year before, the game rested in the hands of Ward, the Heisman Trophy winner and the Florida State offense.

“I was still calm,” Abraham said. “As long as Charlie Ward was on the field, I always thought we had a chance.”

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