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

1992 Florida State @ Georgia Tech, final score 29-24

The recording I watched started in the studio for a little pregame transition. Then the graphics lead the way, with x’s and o’s and game clips all flying through until you reach the title screen. Marvin Jones had a solo introduction shot in the pregame, much like we see today.

Also was the first time I noticed that there were ad reads that transitioned to commercial breaks which is also very similar to today. The graphics overall were different as you can see them transition and modernize. It is of much the same quality as the older games, but there were now impact player graphics, line-up graphics, scoring drive graphics, and even real-time studio updates.

There were even down and distance graphics consistently. I think this is a channel-to-channel variation thing because the ‘88 Clemson game had lineup graphics with pictures and a neat spinning transition in between them, where this game and the national title a year later had the lineups listed on the screen.

There was even a rudimentary real-time lower third graphic that would pop up occasionally with an Energizer battery advertisement.

As for the game choice, I chose this as the game where football and FSU turn away from strictly under center football. Nearly every snap from every game before was either in I-formation or strictly under center with a heavy run scheme that included lots of pitches and sweeps. This is one of the first games I saw both teams deviate from that consistently.

This also happens to be the game where Charlie Ward comes into his own and sets himself up for his Heisman season.

However, for the micro-level of the game, it was a high-ranked matchup in the amid of a title race during the ACCs infancy. The division was starting to garner more attention, and we were referred to as “the new kid on the block,” as it was one of our first seasons there as well.

The game itself was very physical. Marvin Jones and Derrick Brooks were very impressive throughout. Jones was around every play defensively, and Brooks was smacking out souls and had incredible closing speed.

Brooks was superb in coverage as well. This was also one of the first games I saw quarterbacks really throw on the run. Not to say that there weren’t mobile or running quarterbacks, but they normally set themselves before throwing or had designed runs, whereas both Ward and the Georgia Tech QB consistently threw on the run or were out of rhythm on throws.

FSU did score early on a play-action throw to William Floyd, who is an absolute dog and I need to watch more of his games. Outside of that, much of the first half was a field position battle with tons of pre-snap penalties, newer penalties like roughing the passer and block in the back, and some more frequent trick plays.

Overall, FSU football moved the ball well but had some bad penalties and a fluky fumble. The defense got pressure nearly every play, and the Tech QB had to pull some amazing stunts to pull off positive plays.

At the start of the second half, things started to slow down. Tech got an INT but couldn’t capitalize, and both offenses became pretty impotent until late in the third.

Tech got a big play to the 5-yard line and scored. That really started to open up the game because, after another interception, Tech scored on a 3rd down and 30. After that, Danny Kanell got some time at QB, and the team started to implode. Injuries became a factor, and FSU was slipping out of the game.

Then Ward came back out, played in the shotgun, and just like the Drake album, nothing was the same. The game became a seesaw affair with FSU taking the lead late after a successful onside kick and a controversial non-fumble (which wouldn’t have affected the game because we recovered the ball, had two timeouts, and was at the two-yard-line).

The game itself was very immersive. The commentating crew was very good and had a Herbstreit/Fowler vibe going. They did their homework on the wide vs. Miami saga, called us QBU (just for the record), and called the game really well. They had some cute, “old-timey,” sayings like “watch out for the cold water,” when referring to Deion Sanders’ outfit, which gives me a reason to believe it is the same thing as today’s “drip.”

The game still suffered from some inconsistent officiating, audio and camera problems of the era, and watching was hard at times. But overall, it was a great back and forth game with intrigue and controversy. You’ll love every minute of this 3 ½ hour game, and you’ll wish there was more.

3.5 out of 5 footballs.