Ranking FSU’s best-ever games: 30-21
Across 898 games and 80 seasons in the books, there have been plenty of memorable moments in the story of Florida State Seminoles football.
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The challenge we issued to you was helping narrow them down, establishing the 50 best Seminole games. It was a difficult task, but one that you all helped make happen.
Now, week by week, we’ll be revealing each of the games that you voted as the best in Florida State football history. Last week, we revealed games 40-31 in the series.
Now, things really begin to pick up with 30-21, including some signature Jimbo Fisher (and one Mike Norvell) moments, the end of one of the best coaching careers in college football history and a whole bunch of other history.
FSU’s best-ever games: 30-21
- No. 30: 31–27 over No. 5 Notre Dame (the ‘no-catch’ finish) (2014)
Ask a Florida State fan about the 29-game unbeaten streak surrounding the 2013-14 seasons and they start to get sentimental like Vince McMahon in that one clip. Doubly so because of the current state of things.
But as resilient as that 2014 team was — with its ability to kick things into high gear when needed to pull another win out — the streak would have ended at 21 games were it not for a stunning (but correct) officiating decision against Notre Dame on Oct. 14.
It was No. 2 vs. No. 5 at Doak Campbell Stadium — kind of crazy that a team on a 20-game winning streak wasn’t No. 1 but this isn’t the time for that discourse — and the game lived up to the hype.
Despite a strong game from Notre Dame QB Everett Golson, who would be a Seminole the following season, FSU took its first lead of the game, 31-27, on Karlos Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run with 7:39 left. Notre Dame’s first would-be game winning drive stalled out but the second appeared to find paydirt after a fourth-and-18 conversion when Golson found Corey Robinson for a go-ahead 2-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left.
However, an offensive pass interference penalty for a pick play negated the touchdown. The eardrum-shattering eruption when the penalty was announced may be the loudest Doak has ever been.
The ensuing fourth-and-long was intercepted, and the Seminoles pulled off another wild escape to extend their streak after an all-timer.
- No. 29: 45–24 over LSU (season-opening statement) (2023)
FSU’s 2022 win over LSU in New Orleans was a major step forward for Mike Norvell. After two seasons that showed slow progress, it was the first sign of the heights he could build a program to.
That season ended with a 10-3 record and built quite a hype machine around the Seminoles entering 2023. Safe to say they paid that off in the second-half of their neutral-and-neutral series against LSU in Orlando.
No. 8 FSU didn’t just beat No. 5 LSU. It demolished the Tigers, running away with a statement victory. I can’t say I actually remembered until writing this that FSU trailed 17-14 at halftime. The Seminoles responded by rattling off the first 31 points of the second half, pitching a shutout over the final 30 minutes were it not freshman reserves giving up a long touchdown.
Jordan Travis looked like the Heisman frontrunner he had been evolving towards. Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman (122 yards, three touchdown catches) had a debut for the ages. The defense utterly stifled an LSU offense helmed by Jayden Daniels, who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy.
It was a culmination of years of building under Norvell. And one could argue it was the last time FSU was that close to the top of college football given how the season played out and ended.
- No. 28: Orange Bowl, 33–32 over Michigan (2016)
Everyone tho…
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