Ranking FSU’s best-ever games: 10-1
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Across 898 games and 80 seasons in the books, there have been plenty of memorable moments in the story of Florida State Seminoles football.
The challenge we issued to you was helping narrow them down, establishing the 50 best Seminole games. It was a difficult task, but one that you all helped make happen.
We took one more vote to fully lock in the top 10 matchups in the illustrious history of the program, and while the top three were shoo-ins, the order in which everything shook out was a nice surprise.
Three national championship wins, program-trajectory-changing victories and iconic plays round out the last of the series.
FSU’s best-ever games: 10-1
- No. 10: 51–14 at No. 3 Clemson (2013)
by Perry Kostidakis
If you wanted some indication that Jameis Winston was a special quarterback, you saw that in Florida State’s season-opener vs. Pitt.
If you wanted proof that Florida State was a special team, that came in the form of its beatdown of the Clemson Tigers on the road.
Before the game, it was being portrayed as an ACC Game of the Century, the first time since 2005 that a conference matchup would feature two top-five teams. Florida State was seen as potentially a year away in the eyes of many, Clemson seemingly ready to ascend after an 11-win season and led by senior quarterback Tajh Boyd. To break with third-person for a moment, I remember being a guest on a Clemson talk show, where I thought that FSU would potentially win last minute after a Boyd interception. I was laughed off by the radio hosts, who said that the idea of a senior quarterback committing a turnover at home in the biggest game of the season was unimaginable.
All I could think about after the game was how badly they wished my prediction was what happened, since that would have actually given some sort of relief in the result.
Instead, FSU dominated each and every minute of the game, announcing itself to the college football world as a death machine, terrorizing the Tigers and clearing out Death Valley in one of the biggest statement wins in program history.
Telvin Smith forced a fumble on the first play of the game, leading to a Jameis Winston-to-Kelvin Benjamin touchdown two plays later to give FSU a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, Lamarcus Joyner stripped Boyd and Mario Edwards Jr. scooped it up, running it back for another Seminole touchdown.
Clemson made it 14-7 in the second, but Rashad Greene tore out the Tigers’ hearts shortly after on a 72-yard touchdown run. Florida State led 27-7 after a second Roberto Aguayo field goal to close out the first half, then proceeded to pile it on in the third.
Outside of Greene shushing the crowd and Winston’s exuberant postgame interview, the most memorable moment of the blowout perhaps came from Nick O’Leary, who demolished a Clemson defensive back to turn a 5-yard catch into a 27-yard run.
The win, which featured the most points ever scored by an opponent inside Memorial Stadium, snapped a five-game losing streak inside Death Valley for the Seminoles. And, as a bonus, it gave Florida State a hilarious reference for the rest of time, as Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney claimed afterward that “we’d probably win five, they’d probably win five” if the teams were to play 10 times.
- No. 9: 24–21 over No. 1 Florida (1996)
by Jon Marchant
At the time, it was just the fourth-ever meeting between two undefeated teams in the regular season finale.
The game against the two undefeated 10-0 rivals opened with Florida State safety Shevin Smith intercepting Florida quarterback legend Danny Wuerffel in the end zone after Wuerffel threw a bad pass off his back foot. FSU would turn and march 72 yards on the back of Dunn and kick a field goal.
On Florida’s next possession, Fred Taylor took a first-down shovel pass at the 40-yard line and was tackled for a 1-yard loss. On second down, Wuerffel was flushed out of the pocket by Reinard Wilson and Peter Boulware off the edges, then sacked by Connell Spain, though the referees called holding on the play. The penalty was accepted and on third and 23 with 4:43 left in the first quarter, Andre Wadsworth did Andre Wadsworth things, shooting right through the A gap past hapless Florida center Wyley Ritch and absolutely leveling Wuerffel from behind, setting up a fourth-and-forever.
All-American Peter Boulware proceeded to block the punt, electrifying the record-crowd of 80,932 in what is surely one of the loudest moments ever in Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida would try and mount a comeback, cutting the Seminole lead to 17-14 in the second half and missing and a wide-right field goal just before halftime that would have tied it. But in the end, Wuerffel’s 362 passing yards and three touchdowns were all for naught. Mostly because he was harassed all day by the FSU pass rush.
Three straight carries by fullback Pooh Bear Williams would give FSU a 24-14 lead with 7:15 left to play in the fourth quarter. Wuerffel would cut it to 24-21 with 2:28 to play but the Gators’ NCAA-best scoring offense wouldn’t touch the ball again. Florida State ran out the clock on the No. 1 team in the nation and clinched its second-ever undefeated regular season and a trip to the national championship. After the final whistle, fans stormed the field and tore down the goal posts in Doak, bringing one of the uprights to Lee Corso — who had picked the Gators to win earlier that day during College GameDay.
- No. 8: 1989: 24–10 over No. 2 Miami (Dexter Carter)
by Matt Minnick
Despite finishing in the top five three different seasons between 1980 and 1988, the reality of the situation in 1989 was that Bobby Bowden and his Barbarians had yet to beat a truly elite Miami Hurricanes squad. Yes, there was the 38-3 shellacking of the defending national champs and No. 4 ‘Canes in 1984, but the Miami team lost four other games and finished just inside the top 20. By the end of the decade, people were beginning to wonder if Bowden would ever get his team over the Miami hump. 1989 changed that and in a way legitimized the rivalry.
Of course, the way the season began you never would have guessed this type of performance was coming. FSU opened the season with a 30-26 loss to Southern Miss and followed it up the next week by getting physically dominated at home by a Clemson team out for revenge from the previous year’s Puntrooskie game. At 0-2, the ‘Noles dropped out of the top 25 for the first time since 1986. But the Seminoles found their footing over the next few weeks. A 41-10 demolition over a top-20 Syracuse team in the Carrier Dome raised eyebrows and a home victory two weeks later over the 11th-ranked Auburn Tigers moved FSU to 5-2, setting the stage for a top-10 showdown in Tallahassee against Dennis Erickson’s undefeated Hurricanes, who came into the game having defeated five of six opponents by 28 or more points.
In a classic “Doak after Dark” game, the electricity was palpable from the start. A pregame fight where Miami refused to let Osceola and Renegade come to midfield ratcheted the atmosphere up another level and a hit stick of a tackle on the opening kickoff whipped the frenzy even further (I made sure the video below shows the pregame activities). Then Florida State did what they seemed to pull off more than any other program in the country in that era — landed an uppercut to the chin in round one.
LeRoy Butler picked off Gino Torretta on the game’s first play from scrimmage after Kirk Carruthers forced a rushed an errant pass. One play later, Dexter Carter smoked the “fastest defense in the country” for a 37-yard touchdown run and pandemonium ensued. For many people the game ends there in their minds. But while Miami was knocked to the canvas, they picked themselves up and made a game of it, at least for a little while. FSU’s defense forced not one, but two stops at the 1-yard line, recovered two fumbles, and controlled the time of possession to shut Miami out after the opening quarter for a 24-10 win.
FSU used the game as a launchpad, running roughshod over the rest of their schedule. In the playoff era, the ‘Noles would have marched into the postseason playing the best team in the country and favorites to win it all. Alas, the bowl and poll era did not allow for a title shot, and Miami of all teams wound up winning the national championship anyway. As it is, the 1989 team is still one of just two FSU teams (along with 1996) to defeat the eventual national champs.
- No. 7: 1991: 51–31 at No. 3 Michigan (No. 1 vs. No. 3, the Big House)
by Matt Minnick
By 1991, Florida State was solidly into the era that would later become known as “The Dynasty,” having finished the season ranked in the AP top four each year from 1987-1990. To put this into perspective, after FSU’s 14 straight, the next longest streak of consecutive years finishing in the top five of the AP poll is seven years (Miami, USC and Oklahoma). So, four straight years was a pretty big deal on its own at the time.
Nevertheless, there was a large segment of national college football pundits and fans who still didn’t fully place FSU’s program among the sport’s elite. Sure, the ‘Noles had tremendous athletes with lots of flash and style, and yes, Florida State had done well to beat other southern teams like Miami, Auburn and Clemson, or even a Big Eight power like Nebraska. But this was different. This was a true blue blood of the sport. This was The Big House and Keith Jackson. This was the Maize and Blue with their massive offensive line, pro-ready quarterback, and Heisman favorite Desmond Howard. “Let’s see how those flash and dash boys from Florida handle this” was the general refrain heading into the game. (the first video below shows the entire pregame lead-in and it’s worth a watch if you want a sense of what I’m talking about).
Three hours later, FSU walked out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, having scored the most points of any visiting team in the Wolverines’ 113-year history.
Terrell Buckley, the latest in FSU’s chorus line of game-changing defensive backs, let everyone know early how this one would go when he stepped in front of Howard on an out-route to house an interception on the second play from scrimmage. (He might have even given LeRoy Butler inspiration for the not-yet-invented Lambeau Leap when he jumped into the arms of Seminole faithful who made the trip north). But it was Bobby Bowden’s high-flying offense that would ultimately steal the show. FSU rolled up 460 yards of offense against the third-ranked team in the country, had three different quarterbacks complete a pass (one of them thrown to Casey Weldon himself), faked a field goal for a touchdown, and senior running back Amp Lee piled up 201 total yards from scrimmage while breaking the ankles of hapless UM defenders all game long.
Devastating injuries to the offensive line later in the 1991 season capped the offense — and the season — at the knees and a national title quest would have to wait a couple more years. But on a picture-perfect late September afternoon, Florida State put on what might be argued as their most entertaining and best offensive performance in the history of the school up to that point.
- No. 6: The Puntrooskie, 24–21 at Clemson (1988)
by Perry Kostidakis
Florida State knew heading into its matchup vs. Clemson that it might pull out the Puntrooskie at any point.
The Seminoles were still smarting from an embarrassing 31-0 season-opening loss to Miami. A dominant win over Brett Favre and Southern Miss the next week took the sting out of it a bit, but the high was short-lived as Florida State knew it had another major test on the docket in Week 3 — No. 10 Clemson.
And so in the leadup to the matchup, head coach Bobby Bowden decided to install the Puntrooskie, a play he knew was something special after seeing how often it confused his own team in practice. Clemson, in fact, knew that something was coming after LeRoy Butler let it slip to his old high school coach that FSU had cooked up a trick play — a game of telephone ensued, leading to the Tigers being on watch.
Clemson largely controlled the game through the first half, leading 14-7 and outgaining the Seminoles 232-71, boosted by a 99-yard touchdown drive to retake the lead.
The first break for Florida State came in the form of an all-time punt return for a touchdown by Deion Sanders, who called his shot before the kick was even in the air. He took it back 76 yards, floating through Clemson’s punt team with such ease you’d think it was scripted. FSU then took its first lead of the game after FSU wide receiver Bruce LaSane beat out Clemson cornerback Donnell Woolford for a gain of 36 yards to the 1, with running back Dayne Williams punching it in after to make it 21-14. Clemson tied it up with 2:32 on the clock, giving Florida State one last shot at making something happen. The Seminoles, at first, seemed to have squandered the opportunity, first being pushed back on kickoff due to a clipping penalty. FSU picked up just 6 yards, and on fourth and 4, lined up to punt from its own 21, potentially giving Clemson a shot at stealing a win in front of its home crowd.
Instead, the moment that Bowden had been clamoring for all game finally presented itself.
“I had been thinking of it through the last three series we ran,” he said. “But it hadn’t worked out just right to set it up. Actually, I had thought about it the whole game.”
The ball was snapped directly to Dayne Williams, who placed it between the legs of Butler as punter Tim Corlew put on an Oscar-worthy performance and acted like the ball was snapped out of his reach. Butler, who was supposed to wait three seconds before running, took off after just over one second and sprinted straight toward the Clemson end zone, dragged down at the 1-yard line. FSU, at first, seemed to have won it with a Williams touchdown run but because the play clock hadn’t started, the score was nullified and a penalty called. Not wanting to play with fire any longer, FSU opted for a second-down field goal, with Richie Andrews knocking through the 19-yard kick to secure the win and propel FSU to one of its best-ever seasons, one that culminated in the Seminoles’ first Sugar Bowl trophy.
- No. 5:1994: ‘The Choke at Doak,’ 31–31 comeback tie vs. No. 4 Florida
by Matt Minnick
Florida State didn’t have quite the level of team in 1994 as it did in 1991 (pre-OL injuries), 1992 or 1993. That much was clear earlier in the season with a 14-point loss to Miami. But the Seminoles started to resemble a top-five team down the stretch with a 59-20 win over a Duke team that won eight games, a neutral site win over Notre Dame, and a 34-3 beatdown in Raleigh over an NC State team that finished the season ranked in the top 20. So hopes were high coming into the annual showdown against the Gators, despite UF being ranked fourth in the country with their only blemish being a 3-point loss to Terry Bowden’s top-10 Auburn Tigers.
Those hopes did not last long. Steve Spurrier’s “Fun ‘N Gun” offense peaked in the mid-1990s and the aerial attack was on full display in the first half of this one. Operating out of a no-back offense, future Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel threw touchdown passes of 58, 35 and 28 yards in the first half as the Gators went into the locker room leading 24-3. Florida State moved the ball early in the third quarter, but a missed chip-shot field goal led to UF going up 31-3 a few minutes later following an 80-yard drive and many FSU fans began heading for the exits. Keep in mind, this was a Seminoles program that had lost one home game in the previous four seasons, and that was by a single point.
Entering the fourth quarter it appeared as if the Seminoles could do nothing well, while the Gators could do no wrong. Then everything flipped. Forced into desperation mode, Danny Kanell started gunslinging and suddenly he couldn’t miss. A fourth-and-10 conversion to Kez McCorvey kept a drive alive and Zack Crockett plowed into the end zone from 5 yards out to give FSU life with 12:59 left.
Spurrier’s ego wouldn’t let him start running clock and FSU forced a quick three and out. Three passes and 33 seconds later, FSU scored to make it 31-17 and just like that there was that magic feeling back in Doak. Following another UF punt, Kanell hit 6 of 7 passes before calling his own number on a short TD run and with over 5 minutes left FSU was now down just a touchdown. James Colzie grabbed a diving interception on the subsequent drive and despite their being probably only 70% of the record crowd of 80,210 remaining, the roar after this play rivaled nearly any in Seminole history. A 37-yard swing pass to Warrick Dunn set up Rock Preston’s 4-yard lunge into the end zone and with 1:45 left the comeback was complete. Kanell set a school record with 40 completions including 18 of 22 for 232 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter alone.
Some look back and wonder why didn’t Bobby go for two? FSU had as much momentum as any team can have and probably could have converted using any call in its playbook. However, you have to look at the bigger picture. Back in 1987 FSU went for the win, instead of the tie, against Miami and that lost legitimately cost Bobby a title. On top of that, there was still 1:45 left. FSU could conceivably get the ball back with a chance to win the game, and in fact they did. With another eight to 10 seconds, a driving Florida State team probably does win it.
But perhaps most importantly, look at how the tie has preserved the legacy of the game. This tied an NCAA record for largest fourth-quarter comeback and set up the “fifth quarter in the French Quarter” rematch in which FSU won. If the ‘Noles go for two and lose, neither of those happen. Nor does FSU finish in the top five, meaning the streak of top-five finishes ends at seven. UF, on the other hand, perhaps goes on to play for the national title? And Spurrier gets the elusive win in Tallahassee, something he never did accomplish. The tie game preserves the exuberance around this game forever. And as someone who was among those still in the stadium when the final whistle blew, I’ve never felt better after a non-win.
- No. 4: 33–21 at Florida, Ward-to-Dunn (1993)
by Perry Kostidakis
In a series that always features two teams desperate for a win, the pressure had never been higher on Florida State.
FSU was once again the No. 1 team in the country, with a win over No. 4 Florida the only thing in the way of a berth in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles had seemingly squandered their chance at a national title with a loss to Notre Dame, but the Irish gave FSU hope once more after falling to Boston College. Florida State, dejected at the possibility of once again coming up just short of competing for a title, suddenly had a shot once again, now needing to topple the Gators in order to get the dream fully back on track after beating NC State to solidify an ACC Championship the week prior.
At first, it seemed like FSU would make light work of the rivalry matchup, going up 27-7 after three quarters. Entering the fourth, FSU had outgained Florida 401-156, the Seminoles’ defense taking care of business to set them up for what appeared to be a stress-free final 15 minutes.
Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy, as UF scored at the top of the quarter to make it a 27-13 game and then FSU helped keep the Gators in the game with a William Floyd fumble. Florida drove 94 yards to make it a 27-21 game, amping up the Swamp to deadly levels and putting FSU’s national title hopes on the edge for the second time in as many weeks.
With everything — national title hopes, bragging rights — on the line, Charlie Ward saw his first two passes batted down. On third and 10 and the Florida crowd in absolute delirium, Ward rolled to his left, avoided the pass rush and found Warrick Dunn, calling for the ball. The freshman caught the ball in stride, taking off for a 79-yard score and sticking the final dagger in the lizards.
- No. 3: Sugar Bowl, 46–29 over No. 2 Virginia Tech (1999)
by Matt Minnick
It has perhaps been overshadowed in history books by a pair of BCS title games that would be played just a handful of years later (Miami/Ohio State and USC/Texas), but make no mistake, this game had it all. A legendary pair of some of the most electrifying players to ever step onto a college football field? Check. Basketball-like runs with one team racing out to a 28-7 lead, only to see the other team come all the way back and go up 29-28, with a quarter left to play? Check. Massive plays in all three phases of the game? Check. A spectacular finishing blow that became an iconic moment in the sport? Checkmate.
But as great as the game itself was (and having attended in person, trust me — the words really can’t do it justice. Just go watch it), this game rises even higher on the list because of what it meant in the grand scheme of Florida State’s program and what it meant for the legacy of Bobby Bowden.
Consider for a moment that FSU doesn’t win this. That Michael Vick’s dazzling performance allowed Virginia Tech to capture their first national title, not just in football but in any sport. That would mean that FSU would have lost three straight national championship games (1996, 1998, 1999). It would mean that Wire-to-Wire never happens. It would mean Bobby Bowden would still have an empty frame reserved for the elusive undefeated and untied team (something UF is missing to this day). And the only national title FSU would have won during their decade of dominance would have been a year where they lost to a team with the same record and barely survived a sloppy, mistake-filled title game against a team they were 17-point favorites against.
This win changes all of that. This win cemented Bobby as someone who truly belonged among the all-time greats. It confirmed FSU’s title as “Team of the ’90s,” and gave real legitimacy to the “Dynasty” moniker.
Peter Warrick’s pregame entrance in this one is arguably the best national title game walk-out in the sport’s history. It is certainly the brashest. But winning this game proved that, like Warrick, FSU would actually walk the walk when it came to winning at the highest levels of the sport.
- No. 2: BCS National Championship, 34–31 over No. 2 Auburn (2013)
by Perry Kostidakis
They were dead. Dusted. Done for.
Entering the final BCS National Championship, Florida State was acknowledged as an explosive, dominant team, but ridiculed for a regular-season schedule that featured just two ranked opponents. Facing off against Auburn, a team battle-tested by the SEC, plenty were ready to see the Seminoles stumble against an “actual” team and for a good chunk of the game, they got what they wanted.
FSU, hampered by signal-stealing and perhaps pressing too much, quickly saw itself dig a hole that increasingly seemed unable to be overcome. After going up 3-0, FSU punted three times in a row and then fumbled. The Tigers, meanwhile, were taking advantage of field position and FSU mistakes, the exclamation point being a 50-yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Melvin Ray.
Another Auburn score made it 21-3, at which point even the most faithful of fans let a little bit of doubt creep into their minds.
Then came the turning point.
Facing fourth and 4 from its own 40, FSU called a fake punt, converted by Karlos Williams to spark a drive that led to Florida State’s first touchdown of the game.
The third didn’t feature much fireworks, the Seminoles scoring the lone points off a 41-yard Roberto Aguayo field goal to pull within eight points. Florida State punted to start off the fourth, giving Auburn a chance to further pull away, but FSU’s defense came up clutch, forcing its first and only turnover of the game in dramatic fashion — P.J. Williams picking it off and then fumbling it, with the ball recovered by Lamarcus Joyner. FSU capitalized, driving to the red zone and finishing it off with a touchdown reception by Big Pad Chad Abram, making it a 21-20 game and the beginning of back-and-forth scoring to close out the game. Auburn hit a field goal to extend its lead to four, but that was short-lived as on the ensuing kickoff, Kermit Whitfield registered one of the greatest moments in not just FSU history, but college football itself, going 100 yards to the house to give Florida State its first lead since late in the first quarter. The Tigers then reeled off a 3-minute touchdown drive, draining clock en route to a Tre Mason touchdown and a celebration that would have been cold — if the next minute had never taken place.
Whitfield wasn’t able to replicate his magic on the next kickoff, going just 17 yards to force FSU to drive 80 yards to retake the lead. Winston was up to the challenge, steadily completing passes until Rashad Greene broke through, going 49 yards before being dragged down by his horsecollar (a penalty that went uncalled) at Auburn’s 5. Never a team to make things easy, Florida State found itself facing a third and 8 after a delay of game — and after an incomplete pass, looked like it was going to be facing a fourth and long for all the marbles. Instead, Chris Davis, who the month before had been the hero of Auburn’s Kick Six, was whistled for pass interference, setting FSU up at the 2-yard line and leading to a moment that will forever be etched in the minds of Florida State fans.
Seventeen seconds on the clock. Ball snapped. Play action, fake to Devonta Freeman. Ball in the air. Ball caught by Kelvin Benjamin.
Touchdown Florida State.
Auburn would get one last shot at making something ridiculous happen and, at first glance, it seemed like the Tigers would somehow pull it off. But in reality, there was no hope for the schoolyard malarkey Auburn had set up, Tre Mason was pulled down and the greatest comeback in the history of the BCS Championship was solidified. The SEC’s seven-year winning streak was over, FSU’s national title drought was over and with it, the honor of being one of the greatest teams of all time.
- No. 1: Orange Bowl, 18–16 over No. 2 Nebraska, first-ever national championship (1993)
by Perry Kostidakis
It almost didn’t happen.
The Seminoles were supposed to be down for the count in 1993, after No. 1 FSU took on No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and slipped up as a favorite. Game of the Century was an understatement, as there was hype and excitement surrounding the game that was previously unseen, to the point that ESPN’s College GameDay decided to go on-site for the first time, heading to South Bend and starting one of the sport’s now most-cherished traditions.
FSU that year was feared beyond belief; FSU had a Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Charlie Ward, the nation’s best scoring defense led by Derrick Brooks, the Seminoles’ average margin of victory coming into the game was 37.9 points and the entire nation was on alert about facing them. In a preview of the game, then-Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly wrote:
“The NCAA should just ship the championship rings to Tallahassee right now—that’s what other coaches think. When asked how Notre Dame could beat Florida State, coach Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee said, ‘Play 12 or 13 people on defense.’ Ray Goff of Georgia suggested that the Irish sneak the Dallas Cowboys into their uniforms. The coach at Auburn said, ‘Kidnap Charlie Ward. Or sneak into [Seminole coach] Bobby Bowden’s house and steal the game plans. Both of those things I could do.’ The Auburn coach is Terry Bowden. Bobby’s son.”
But then Notre Dame came in, and laid down the law as big underdogs. The Irish led 21-7 at halftime, and clung onto a 24-14 lead going into the fourth quarter. FSU posted a furious comeback, including Ward hitting Kez McCorvey on 4th and 20 with 1:39 to go. Ward drove the Seminoles to the 14-yard line in the waning seconds of the game, but as he rolled out and threw his final pass, Notre Dame batted the ball and the Seminoles down, seemingly ending Florida State’s hopes of a championship.
But one week later, Notre Dame lost to Boston College on a last-second field goal, and FSU found themselves in the Orange Bowl at the end of the season, where they would face No. 2 Nebraska for the title.
The game started off slow, and as the two teams went to halftime with a 7-6 Nebraska lead, it became painfully obvious the showdown would be about defense. It was, in fact, FSU kicker Scott Bentley, not Ward, who was the star for the Seminoles, scoring at least once in every quarter to keep Florida State in it.
FSU took the lead for the first time in the third quarter, with William Floyd scoring from 1 yard out for the Seminoles’ only touchdown of the game. Florida State’s two-point attempt failed, but a Bentley field goal later that quarter put FSU up 15-7.
Nebraska clawed its way back, first with a touchdown at the top of the fourth and then a field goal with 1:16 remaining in the game; FSU trailed 16-15.
“Everybody was looking at me,” Ward said to Sports Illustrated of getting in the huddle when the game was on the line. “I got no problem with that. I know I’m going to have to make a play sooner or later.”
Ward proceeded to lead the Seminoles on a drive from their own 35-yard line to Nebraska’s 5. For years, the kicking game haunted FSU teams, as last-second field goals terrorized the Seminoles. Bentley lined up, and the freshman prepared for the biggest moment of his life.
“It was like everyone expected me to miss,” Bentley said to Sports Illustrated after the game. “It’s like, ‘If it comes down to Bentley, he’ll miss it.'”
It was for a moment like this that FSU had so prioritized Bentley as a recruit — he was, at that point, the most sought-after kicking prospect in the history of the sport. More than 90 schools had offered him, including Miami, which told him he would be able to play receiver as well. He had jilted Nebraska in his recruiting process, ultimately choosing FSU over Notre Dame because of the Seminoles’ belief in him as a football player, not just a kicker.
With so much riding on the swing of his right foot, the confident freshman kicker lined up on the right hash mark near the 10-yard line, took one final look at the goal posts, nodded to his holder Danny Kanell, and with the collective breath of all Seminole faithful held, he split the uprights.
Florida State led once again, but it wasn’t over yet, as the Seminoles had to turn around and defend a last-second effort by the Cornhuskers — one where it seemed like everything was about to go right for them and shatter Florida State’s hearts. First, an excessive celebration penalty following Bentley’s kick helped set up Nebraska up on its 43-yard line to begin its final possession. Quarterback Tommie Frazier hit a 29-yard pass to move the Cornhuskers to the FSU 28, with the clock initially ticking down to zero before the officials ruled there was one second left on the clock.
One last attempt to win lay on the shoulders of Nebraska kicker Byron Bennett, a manageable 45-yard attempt. Just 21 seconds after Bentley had his heroic moment, Bennett had the same opportunity, the chance to snatch a win away in the most heartbreaking way. He lined up, the ball was snapped, and he kicked it.
Wide left.
Florida State, for the first time, had finally reached the mountaintop.
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