FSU Football: Top 10 best Nole games to re-watch this summer

1999 National Championship, final score 46-29

I would like to say initially, the Bowden/Beemer rivalry is one of the best. I also specifically chose this game for the context it has in both the “Vick” ESPN documentary and “The Bowden Dynasty” ESPN documentary.

Those games were able to give me a frame of reference going into the game of the amount of talent on the field, but seeing it in real-time and not highlight clips was its own experience. I say this to say that watching Michael Vick and Peter Warrick in a full game setting is very different compared to just watching highlights.

The footage I watched was recorded on a VHS, and you can tell by how the commercials were skipped and how eventually the entire audio became un-synced. Some of the commercials that sneak through the recording, like BlockBuster, Payphones, Lance Armstrong, and “The Fifth Element in theaters” really put you in the ’90s.

Moving to the game, Vick escaped contain multiple times early, but they couldn’t capitalize in the red zone. Warrick and Wienke quickly capitalized and got a long touchdown almost immediately. It’s easy to see that Vick is inexperienced early and FSU capitalizes to build an early lead and take a blocked punt to the end zone.

Virginia Tech does get a touchdown late first quarter to stay in the game, but Coach Dugans gets a catch and turns it into a long touchdown. Then another defense stand leads to a Warrick punt return touchdown. It was amazing to watch him make that one cut and outrun everyone to the goal line.

Then for the rest of the first half, momentum plays change hands throughout the rest of the half. Vick then had a nice shuffle-throw, then a long run, then a QB sneak for the touchdown before halftime. In the third quarter, the FSU offense grinds to a halt giving Virginia Tech a chance to get back in the game and build momentum.

The game was getting very chippy, and more jerseys got tangled up after the play. Virginia Tech takes the lead early in the fourth quarter after an interception and a bad third quarter. The FSU offense seemed to wake up spaces and the game back out until the end.

The FSU defense really started to tee off on a weakened and fatigued Virginia Tech team. The graphics were very good. and I believe this is the only pre-2000s game with an Aflac Trivia Question. The full game option I watched was pretty bad.

The audio kept getting worse and worse as it was un-synced by almost an entire play. I suggest watching another “ESPN classic” option, despite the jumping around. The penalties in this game were vast, which I think correlates to the attitude of the era and the increasing legislation in the game.

It was still very physical, and with some hits, you had to turn away. The commentary was ok for this game. Brett Musberger has covered our games multiple times over the years and still can’t say Osceola right. He also had very snide and distasteful comments on Janikowski and Warrick’s off-the-field issues, and it will probably make you mad.

Outside of all of that, this is one of the best games I have ever seen. I think Vick wouldn’t have been considered a quarterback without Ward opening the door for him. I think Vick is still more influential because of his professional career and the controversy keeping him relevant.

This FSU team is one of two teams that were wire-to-wire No. 1 in the CFB polls in the preseason poll era and one of four teams to ever do it.

4.5 out of 5 footballs