The true mark of a great rivalry is back-and-forth competition and great games. But even in the best rivalries, sometimes the game just gets out of hand. That’s what happened in these 10 matchups that should bring back some happy memories for Florida State fans.
For this exercise, we’ve pulled matchups from Florida State’s three biggest rivals: Florida, of course, Miami, and Clemson. These are the 10 most lopsided games by final score differential, simple as that. Sure, sometimes garbage time can skew the final score, but in all of these cases, it’s safe to say that the Seminoles dominated.
Let’s jump into the list.
10. 1996 vs. Clemson 34-3
Clemson is probably the newest rivalry for Florida State. There were some important matchups prior to Florida State’s entrance into the ACC, but the rivalry was largely born out of both teams being the conference’s clear alpha dogs through the 2010s. This win predates that run by quite a bit and harkens back to the days when the two programs first became annual opponents in 1988.
Led by 156 yards and two receiving touchdowns from E.G. Green and a 300-yard, four-touchdown day from quarterback Thad Busby, the No. 2 Noles stomped all over the Tigers in Doak Campbell Stadium.
T8. 1988 vs. Florida 52-17
This is the lone entry on this list from the Sunshine Showdown. The Gators have a few blowout victories over the Seminoles in the 2000s, but for the most part, the teams have been good at the same time.
1988 was a year when the Noles were clearly a cut above, improving to 10-1 with the victory. Florida State finished the year 11-1 with a victory over Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.
T8. 1984 vs. Miami 38-3
Coming off a National Championship under Howard Schnellenberger in 1983, Miami took a significant step back with Jimmy Johnson at the helm in 1984. The Noles nearly upset the Hurricanes the year prior, losing 17-16, and got their revenge in 1984, pounding Miami on the road.
7. 1975 vs. Clemson 43-7
Just the second matchup between Florida State and Clemson, the Seminoles handed the Tigers one of their nine losses that season. Florida State didn’t fare much better, however, finishing 3-8 in Darrell Mudra’s final year. In 1976, Bobby Bowden would take over and led the program for the next 34 seasons.
6. 2013 vs. Clemson 51-14
Jimbo Fisher turned Florida State back into a dominant force much quicker than anyone expected, and even with Clemson on the verge of an even greater run of sustained success, Fisher handed Dabo Swinney a thorough beating in 2013. Jameis Winston threw for 444 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Rashad Greene, who finished the game with eight catches and 146 yards.
5. 2022 vs. Miami 45-3
Mario Cristobal has brought Miami all the way back, but in 2022 it appeared that Mike Norvell was on a path to controlling the state. In Cristobal’s first season, Miami went 5-7 and hit a low point when Florida State came to town and outgained the Hurricanes 545-188.
Trey Benson led the way on the ground with 128 yards and two touchdowns. The FSU defense held three Miami quarterbacks to 57 passing yards and intercepted both Jacurri Brown and Jake Garcia.
T3. 2000 vs. Clemson 54-7
Clemson had a strong year in 2000, winning nine games for the first time in 10 seasons, but Florida State was coming off a national championship and proved its superiority with a 47-point victory at Doak Campbell.
Chris Weinke won his Heisman Trophy in 2000, and he may have cemented it with his performance against the Tigers, his second 500+ yard passing game of the year. Weinke threw for 521 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 12 yards per attempt.
T3. 1997 vs. Miami 47-0
Butch Davis eventually brought The U back, following FSU’s 1999 title with one of his own. However, in Year 3, he wasn’t particularly close to championship contention. Miami won just five games, and the Seminoles, amid a run of 13-straight double-digit win seasons, pounded their in-state rivals. It was Miami’s most lopsided loss since 1944 and its first time being shut out since 1979.
2. 1998 vs. Clemson 48-0
1998 was Weinke’s first year as Florida State’s starting QB, and while he wasn’t quite the high-volume passer who would win the 2000 Heisman Trophy, he showed glimpses of that player against Clemson, throwing what was then his career-high four touchdown passes.
1. 1993 vs. Clemson 57-0
Charlie Ward won his Heisman Trophy in 1993 and led FSU to its first national championship. The Noles' Week 3 destruction of Clemson is a footnote to all that greatness. It came during a five-game stretch to start the year in which FSU outscored its opponents 228-14 and didn’t allow more than seven points in a game.
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