How FSU Has Responded to 30-Plus-Point Losses Last 30 Years

Florida State will do its best to get off the mat this week as it travels to Raleigh to face NC State. The Seminoles are coming off their worst home loss in program history, falling to Clemson on Saturday, 59-10.

Given FSU’s football success over the last three or four decades, beatings of that nature are rare. Here’s a look at how the Seminoles have bounced back following losses of 30 or more points over the previous 30 seasons:

30-point losses have only occurred nine times since 1988 and on two of those occasions, they happened in bowls. In the seven other instances, FSU went 6-1 with the exception being the Music City Bowl loss to Kentucky.

In five of those six wins, the Seminoles won by at least 20 points. When the contest following a loss occurs during the regular season, FSU is 5-0.

While the Seminoles seem to be sputtering heading to Carter-Finley Stadium, it should be noted that so are the Wolfpack. Following a 5-0 start, NC State has lost consecutive games to Clemson and Syracuse while allowing an average of 46 points.

Head coach Willie Taggart has not been slow to embrace Florida State’s football-rich past and on Saturday, he will need to continue the tradition of being able to bounce back from an embarrassing loss. FSU has current streaks of 41 straight winning seasons and 36 bowl appearances. For that to be kept alive, Saturday’s contest in Raleigh may be a must-win.

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