FSU Football’s Best 15 Games Of The Last 40 Seasons: No. 15

Here’s a look at one of the best 15 games over the last 40 seasons of FSU football.

For the four decades, two men have led FSU football: Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher. Over that span, the Seminoles have gone from a football program that seemed to be just weeks from being cancelled to one of the top teams in the country and a known brand across the country and all over the world.

There have been big road wins that set the tone for FSU football’s “play anyone at anytime” attitude to rivalry wins against Florida and Miami. The 34 seasons with Bowden at the helm saw two national titles won and one of the greatest dynasty eras in the history of the sport take place. The last six seasons under Fisher have seen the ‘Noles bring another title to Tallahassee and restored FSU football’s place as one of college football’s elite teams.

Of all the games over the past four decades, which are the ones that meant the most to where FSU football is today? Let’s take a look at the best games over the past 40 seasons the ‘Noles have taken the field.

No. 15 – Florida State 24 LSU 19 (October 27, 1979)

Even before Bobby Bowden took over as head coach of FSU football before the 1976 season, the ‘Noles had been notorious for going on the road and playing whoever they had to. Part of it was to get respectability and notoriety…while another big reason was the paydays that kept the program above water during some difficult seasons. FSU football had played opponents like Alabama, Arizona State, Georgia and Pittsburgh, to name a few, during their history and Bowden’s first years with the school.

What many didn’t know was that entering the 1979 season, Bowden had been approached by LSU regarding their head coaching position. Entering the seventh game of the 1979 season, the ‘Noles were undefeated and looking like they had turned the corner into going from a good team to one that could compete for a title. Bowden has since told the story that him and his wife, Ann, decided that if FSU could go to Baton Rouge and beat the Tigers, they would stay in Tallahassee.

More from Chop Chat

• FSU football: 3 reasons Noles beat Clemson, two reasons they lose
• FSU football: QB Brock Glenn out with an injury for ‘a few weeks’
• FSU football: Which TV announcers will call Clemson game?
• FSU football: Is Jared Verse ready to make an impact versus Clemson?
• FSU football: Impact players versus the Clemson Tigers

The two teams had met just one time before (with LSU winning the 1968 Peach Bowl), so it wasn’t as if they were familiar with one another. On a fall afternoon with the game being shown to most of the country by ABC, the ‘Noles got a win in what Bowden called at the time “the biggest win in FSU history”. FSU football never trailed in the game, as Jimmy Jordan threw for three touchdowns and the ‘Noles left with a victory. The FSU defense made their presence felt during the game as well, sacking LSU’s quarterbacks twice and forcing five turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble recovery by Monk Bonasorte.

Next: FSU Basketball: Top 5 Areas To Improve In 2016

FSU football would finish the 1979 season undefeated and accept an invitation to the Orange Bowl game, where the Oklahoma Sooners handed them a 24-7 defeat.