FSU Football’s Best 15 Games Of The Last 40 Seasons: No. 9

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 has been everything from 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. 9 – Florida State 27 Virginia Tech 22 (December 3, 2005)

For FSU football, the world had come to an end over the past four seasons. No longer were the ‘Noles ranked in the top five to end the year and the program had combined for 15 losses over the past four campaigns (2001-2004), which was the same amount they had from 1990 until 2000. Even more embarrassing in the eyes of some Seminoles fans was that the ACC championship was no longer guaranteed, as FSU football watched other schools win the conference in 2001 and 2004.

Things were about to change in the ACC in 2005. After welcoming Boston College that season (following Miami and Virginia Tech’s arrival the season before), the conference was going to split into two divisions and have and annual championship game to decide their league’s winner. Despite a three game losing streak to end the season that included two conference losses, the ‘Noles were the inaugural champions of the Atlantic Division and had a date set for Jacksonville, Florida and a showdown with the fifth ranked Hokies, who were looking to defend their conference title from the season before.

It was suppose to be just a slight roadblock for the Hokies on their way to the Orange Bowl and possibly a top three finish. They were led by quarterback Marcus Vick, the younger brother of Michael (who harassed the ‘Noles in the 1999 season’s national title game). FSU had been embarrassed the week before by rival Florida and their first year coach, Urban Meyer, and weren’t supposed to be able to compete with the ACC’s new “power”. After a defensive battle in the first half that saw a 3-3 tie, the third quarter was where the ‘Noles woke up and showed the conference title still went through the 850.

Willie Reid made memories with an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown after the defense stopped the Hokies on their opening drive of the second half. That momentum led to a 24 point quarter for the ‘Noles, including a touchdown run by Jacksonville native Leon Washington and a pass from Drew Weatherford to Chris Davis. As it turns out, the ‘Noles would need all of those points as the Hokies mounted quite the comeback effort in the final quarter. Vick would find Josh Morgan for a touchdown pass and ran for two more scores, but they would fall just short and the War Chant would get louder and louder through what was then called Alltel Stadium.

It would be FSU football that made a trip to South Florida for the Orange Bowl, a game in which they would go three overtimes with a Penn State team before losing 26-23 to end the year with a record of 8-5. The ‘Noles wouldn’t play for another ACC title until 2010, not winning another one until two seasons later. But for one night on Florida’s First Coast, things were back to normal in the ACC, with the ‘Noles hoisting the trophy as the best team in the conference.