Top FSU Football Wins Under Jimbo Fisher: No. 1
By Jason Parker
FSU football has had plenty of great wins under Jimbo Fisher – here’s a look at one of the 10 best during his time as head coach.
In seven seasons as the head coach for FSU football, Jimbo Fisher has led the Seminoles on the field and left it victorious 78 times. Those wins have involved victories over hated rivals, conference foes and national powers to go along with big bowl victories, conference titles and the third national title in program history.
While some have been easier than others, there have been dozens that have been memorable for fans of the Seminoles – whether it was who they beat, what it meant or even the time of the season it took place. Over his seven seasons in Tallahassee as the headman, Fisher has averaged more wins per season than any other coach in FSU football history – including the legendary Bobby Bowden.
So, which of the wins have been the best? Which are the ones that stand out above all the others when you look at the first years of the Jimbo Fisher era? We took a look at all the wins and ranked them up just for you. Without further ado, here’s another one of the top 10 wins for FSU football under Fisher.
No. 1 – January 6, 2014 vs. Auburn (W 34-31)
On paper, it was going to be a coronation for FSU football as they went for the third national title in program history. After dominating for the entire season – trailing just once all year – the Seminoles were a double-digit favorite over the SEC champion Tigers, who had won two regular season games over Georgia and Alabama based on two of the year’s craziest plays. Florida State was in the driver’s seat for an easy win – until the game kicked off.
After scoring the game’s opening points on a field goal by Roberto Aguayo, the Tigers rattled off the game’s next 21 points and were looking like they were not just going to win the game – but embarrass the Seminoles in the process. Then, the most important play of the season took place when Karlos Williams ran a fake punt for a FSU first down.
That trick play kept the drive alive and allowed the Noles to get a much needed touchdown, as Devonta Freeman would eventually punch it in from three yards out to cut the deficit to 11 points with one half of football to play.
That number would go down to one after the third quarter, which consisted of another Aguayo field goal and a touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to fullback Chad Abram. After Auburn connected on a fourth quarter field goal with less than five minutes to go, freshman kick return Kermit Whitfield went 102 yards to give FSU football the lead again. The Tigers got into the end zone with 79 seconds left – more than enough time for Winston and the Florida State offense.
With 80 yards to go and just over a minute to play, Winston found Rashad Greene for a 49-yard reception on the second play of the drive that gave the Seminoles some life. The offense would work their way inside the 10-yard line and then be aided by a pass interference penalty on Auburn’s Chris Davis, their hero earlier in the year against Alabama, which put the ball on the two-yard line.
Related Story: Top FSU Football Players Under Jimbo Fisher
On the next play, Winston threw up a jump ball that Kelvin Benjamin went up and got over the much smaller Davis – and the Florida State Seminoles were the 2013 national champions of college football. Just four seasons after the “lost decade” of FSU football, the Noles were back on top of the world – thanks to the leadership of Jimbo Fisher.