January 21, 2015 — The 1993 Florida State Seminoles may have been one of the most talented ever. Charlie Ward, Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn; names held in the highest of honor in Seminole lore graced this team, the one that finally brought the evasive national championship to Bobby Bowden and Tallahassee.
They were also the quickest school in Florida to become champions, as the program was only 46 years only when it achieved college football's highest honor. Comparatively, it took the University of Florida 90 years to do it and Miami 57. After years of inching closer and closer to glory, FSU had the season it was dreaming of for so long.
Before Winston, there was Ward and before Fisher, there was Bowden. Both of the first are made in the likeness of the second, and the success of this year's team has been regarded as a homage to the success of the Florida State teams of the 90s. The former wouldn't exist without the latter, and the established reputation of Florida State as a football powerhouse would not be as great if Scott Bentley had not hit that fateful field goal on a Miami night in January, 1993.
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(Excerpt from The Florida Flambeau's 1993 article "Seminoles fall one play short against Notre Dame")
Wait until next year.
It's a refrain that the Florida State football team has been forced to listen to over and over again over the course of the last six years.
When Charlie Ward's last-second pass was batted down by Notre Dame defensive back Shawn Wooden to secure a 31-24 victory for the Fighting Irish, the Seminoles' hopes of a perfect season were dashed as well.
Once again, it appeared that FSU's title hopes had fallen short of being fulfilled.
"I'm sick of this," said a crestfallen Clifton Abraham moments after the FSU defensive back had once again seen his team's status as national champion front-runners dashed in the annual heartbreaking loss.
"I'm sick of having to hope that other teams lose and having to wait and see what the (polls) do and I'm sick of being No. 2."
An NCAA record six-consecutive 10-win seasons, eight straight bowl victories and six top-four finishes in a row. Yet always destined to finish second. But while the Seminoles were decidedly left singing the blues after once again faltering in the BIG GAME, they still have reason to believe that this season may yet see them dancing their way to a national championship.
If FSU wins the next two games against North Carolina State and Florida, it is possible that Notre Dame and FSU will meet in a national championship showdown in the Fiesta Bowl.
But FSU coach Bobby Bowden said this talk may be premature.
"There's still a lot of season left for us." Bowden said after the latent bowl coalition poll awarded his team a No. 2 ranking. "I'm a little reluctant to talk about a rematch. I don't know what the possibility is-we must get our attention on the next two games."
This team that has dreamed of finally taking it all the way through an undefeated championship season in 1993 was finally forced to succumb to another team this past weekend, but refused to surrender their version of a national title.
"This thing's not over yet, we've still got a shot at a rematch on Jan. 1," said fullback William Floyd in a hushed Florida State locker room following the game. "But if we want to do that we have to focus on our final two games of the season and win those so we can be in the position to get there."
While the atmosphere in the tiny visiting locker room at Notre Dame Stadium was one of disappointment, many of the players remained upbeat that they could still salvage the season.
"Before the game (defensive line coach) told us that we can't have success without failures," said defensive end Derrick Alexander. "We really learned a lot from our mistakes today, you don't get a chance to do that when you succeed. I think we know a lot more about the Notre Dame football team now and we would be better prepared for them if we could get a rematch."
Not all of Alexander's teammates were quite as upbeat however.
"I don't even know what happened out there today. They just beat FSU at its own game which is to play tough physical football," whispered FSU nose guard and team captain Jon Nance, tears streaming down his face. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it."
In Florida State's last eight games, three of those have been decided by a touchdown or less (Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame) and the Seminoles are undefeated in all of them. With a manageable slate in front of them, it's not inconceivable to think that a 23-game win streak can turn into 29 entering the Playoff. For now, 23 in a row and 35-2 since 2012 should serve the Seminoles just fine.
But although Notre Dame managed to take a commanding 21-7 lead into the half, and raised it to 24-7 in the third quarter, the Seminoles were encouraged by their resurgence in the final two quarters which rallied them to the seven-point deficit.
"We came real close, we were a lot more confident in the second half but it was just too late," said Floyd.
Receiver Kevin Knox said his team's season is not over yet, but they will have to regroup and evaluate what comes next.
"This is a championship team and we'll bounce back from this, I guess you might say that this may be a blessing in disguise if we still get a shot at the national title," said Knox. "But we really wanted to be the first team in Florida State history to go undefeated and now we can't do that."
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It almost didn't happen.
The Seminoles were supposed to be down for the count in 1993, following their participation in their very own "Game of the Century," similar to the hyped "ACC Game of the Century" this year when FSU defeated Clemson 51-14. Almost exactly 20 years ago on Nov. 13, 1993, No. 1 FSU took on No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Game of the Century was an understatement, as there was a hype and excitement surrounding the game previously unseen. ESPN's College Gameday decided to go on-site for the first time ever, heading to South Bend and starting a tradition that continues today.
FSU was feared beyond belief; their average margin of victory coming into the game was 37.9 points and the entire nation was on alert about facing them. In a preview of the game by then-Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly wrote:
"The NCAA should just ship the championship rings to Tallahassee right now—that's what other coaches think. When asked how Notre Dame could beat Florida State, coach Phillip Fulmer of Tennessee said, 'Play 12 or 13 people on defense.' Ray Goff of Georgia suggested that the Irish sneak the Dallas Cowboys into their uniforms. The coach at Auburn said, 'Kidnap Charlie Ward. Or sneak into [Seminole coach] Bobby Bowden's house and steal the game plans. Both of those things I could do.' The Auburn coach is Terry Bowden. Bobby's son."
But then Notre Dame came in, and laid down the law as big underdogs. The Irish led 21-7 at halftime, and clung onto a 24-14 lead going into the fourth quarter. FSU posted a furious comeback, including Ward hitting Kez McCorvey on 4th and 20 with 1:39 to go.
Ward drove the Seminoles to the 14-yard line in the waning seconds of the game, but as he rolled out and threw his final pass, Notre Dame batted it down and down went the Seminoles, losing 31-24, who once again seemed as if they would fall short of their National Championship goal.
But one week later, Notre Dame lost to Boston College on a last second field goal, and FSU found themselves in the Orange Bowl at the end of the season, where they would face No. 2 Nebraska for the title of national champion.
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FSU and Nebraska met in Miami on Jan. 1, 1994, the second year in a row the teams met in the Orange Bowl. Charlie Ward had won the Heisman Trophy in an absolute landslide, in addition to the Johnny Unitas Award, the James E. Sullivan Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Award.
The game started off slow, and as the two teams went to halftime with a 7-6 Nebraska lead, it became painfully obvious the showdown would be about defense. There wasn't a single quarter where there was double digit points scored by either team, and only three total touchdowns was scored between them. It was in fact FSU kicker Scott Bentely, not Ward, who was the star for the Seminoles, scoring at least once in every quarter.
Entering the fourth quarter, with 1:16 remaining, FSU trailed 16-15.
"Everybody was looking at me," Ward said to Sports Illustrated of getting in the huddle when the game was on the line. "I got no problem with that. I know I'm going to have to make a play sooner or later."
With only 21 seconds left in the game, Charlie Ward led the Seminoles on a drive from their own 35-yard line to Nebraska's five. For years, the kicking game haunted FSU teams, as last-second field goals terrorized the Seminoles. Bentley lined up, and the freshman prepared for the biggest moment of his life.
"It was like everyone expected me to miss," Bentley said to Sports Illustrated after the game. "It's like, 'If it comes down to Bentley, he'll miss it.'"
The kick went through smooth, but the Seminoles had to turn around and defend a last-second effort by the Cornhuskers. Tommy Frazier threw a 21-yard pass, Nebraska called a timeout with a second left.
One last attempt to win laid on the shoulders of Nebraska kicker Byron Bennett, a manageable 45-yard attempt. He lined up, and kicked it.
Wide left.
FSU was college football's national champion.
