Tomahawk Nation - The top 100 FSU football playsFlorida State Seminoles football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer and athletics updateshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49409/tn-logo-fv.png2018-09-02T07:00:02-04:00http://www.tomahawknation.com/rss/stream/171642172018-09-02T07:00:02-04:002018-09-02T07:00:02-04:00The top FSU football plays: No. 1— Warrick seals the deal on Wire-to-Wire
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<img alt="Peter Warrick #9..." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rr5nbepCJ8pILCcarPly7kBm5qs=/0x626:2358x2198/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61112087/72478489.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>P-Dub is mobbed by his teammates after he finished off the Hokies</figcaption>
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<p>“Y’all want me to finish them?”</p> <p id="jzINbk"><strong>Date:</strong> January 4th, 2000</p>
<p id="3fO7lW"><strong>Location:</strong> Nokia <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/sugar-bowl">Sugar Bowl</a>; The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana</p>
<p id="thok3l"><strong>Opponent:</strong> No. 2 <a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com/">Virginia Tech Hokies</a></p>
<p id="inrnZd">“Pe-ter War-rick! Clap, clap, clap clap clap. Pe-ter War-rick! Clap, clap, clap clap clap.”</p>
<p id="5k2903">The chant echoed through the Superdome. FSU led 39-29 mid-way through the 4th quarter of a wild national championship game and Seminole fans were calling out to their star of stars, hoping the Virginia Tech throat would be stomped on once and for all. However, in order to truly understand the build up to the play that was about to unfold, we must first go back to where it all began. </p>
<h2 id="gAWyiB"><strong>Fueled by a Loss</strong></h2>
<p id="e85yKv">Peter Warrick, a star quarterback for Bradenton Southeast High, came to FSU in the summer of 1995. After building an almost mythical reputation for his scout team exploits, Warrick <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/7/28/17625018/the-top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-38-peter-warrick-fsu-noles-clemson-1997-death-valley">exploded onto the college football radar</a> as a redshirt-sophomore in 1997 against Clemson. The following year, P-Dub (as he became known) torched everyone in his path, closing the regular season with 60 receptions for 1,225 yards—more than 20 yards per reception—and 12 TDs. <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/8/13/17675036/the-top-fsu-football-plays-no-21-warrick-pass-dugans-gators-peter-ron-noles-seminoles-florida-state">He even even threw for a touchdown</a> against arch-rival Florida. Yet, as good as the numbers were, they barely scratched the surface when trying to describe the excitment Warrick brought to the field. By the end of the 1998 season, Peter Warrick had become the most electrifying player in college football. A true threat to score every time he touched the ball, he was breathtaking if you were a ‘Nole fan and terrifying if you weren’t. </p>
<p id="MYtnIk">So when a series of late-season games broke right for FSU, allowing the Seminoles to backdoor their way into the first ever BCS titles game, many fans assumed this would be the last time they’d see P-Dub in garnet and gold. Then the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/fiesta-bowl">Fiesta Bowl</a> happened. </p>
<p id="SAc4k9">Between FSU relying on the QB who began the season third string, a great defensive performance by Tennessee, and a predictable Mark Richt game plan that failed to find creative ways to get Warrick the ball, the 1999 Fiesta Bowl turned into a nightmare for number nine. For the game, a 23-16 Seminole loss, the All-<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/american">American</a> receiver was held to one catch for seven yards and one rush for 11 yards. He did add a 51 yard punt return, but even that ended in disappointment as Warrick, for seemingly the only time ever in his career, allowed himself to be tackled by the punter—FSU would settle for a field goal on the drive. </p>
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<p id="Aml12b">In the end, it was an opportunity lost for Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles. After the game, <a href="https://www.si.com/vault/2000/01/10/8113838/perfect-ending-unbeaten-florida-state-made-up-for-past-misstepsand-won-the-national-titlewith-a-storybook-finish-against-feisty-virginia-tech">SI’s Tim Layden described a somber scene</a>. </p>
<blockquote><p id="jIlL83">The team’s post game locker room that night was funereal. “I remember the sound of people crying,” says senior safety Sean Key. “Nobody was yelling or throwing anything. You could just hear all this crying.” Bowden said he had never seen a team more emotionally crushed.</p></blockquote>
<p id="cpkev1">However, a critical decision was born out of that painful night, a decision that would ultimately be the catalyst for 1999’s championship run. Stating his desire to win a national championship and complete his degree, Peter Warrick announced he would return for his senior season and the disappointment in the desert would fuel his desire for atonement. </p>
<h2 id="w1oxhK"><strong>A Bulls-eye on their Back</strong></h2>
<p id="zBqtXs">The Seminoles entered the 1999 season as everybody’s title favorite. Peter Warrick led a group of 4 returning All-Americans, plus a boatload of experience at nearly every position. Lindy’s went so far as to say, <em>“Consider that in each of the 12 games Florida State plays this season, the Seminoles will have a better offense, a better defense, and better special teams than their opponent.” </em> </p>
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<cite>Matt Minnick’s closet full of memorabilia, or as his wife calls it, “old junk.”</cite>
<figcaption>You see kids, these are called magazines. </figcaption>
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<p id="ZQNoGM">But heavy is the head that wears the crown, especially when that crown has been anointed and not earned. </p>
<p id="IRngS1">Starting with week one, FSU found themselves in tougher than expected games. It seemed everyone treated their showdown with the Seminoles as their bowl game. But the ‘Noles had Warrick and he was living up to the hype, turning in a run for the ages against Louisiana Tech, out-dueling Heisman hopeful Joe Hamilton in a shootout with Georgia Tech, and scoring three first-quarter touchdowns in a blowout over Duke. </p>
<p id="3gV3EP">Just when it looked like the team had found some smooth sailing, Warrick found a sale at Dillard’s that proved too good to be true. The resulting two-game suspension would ultimately cost him the Heisman, and forced the team to deal with even more distractions. </p>
<p id="axE7bP">Nonetheless, FSU persevered. After defeating the third-ranked <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a> in The Swamp, the Seminoles made it New Orleans without a blemish on their record and had just one more foe to vanquish. </p>
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<cite>More junk from Matt’s closet.</cite>
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<h2 id="Z1upvi"><strong>Warrick vs Vick</strong></h2>
<p id="dO4tYF">The time had come. Having navigated a season filled with potential potholes and driven by the memories of the loss exactly 365 days prior, Florida State was back in the BCS title game. And as they so often did during the Dynasty, the Seminoles came out strutting with confidence. </p>
<div id="iCYtQw"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5WhI5F5BsoY?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="XS7stf">Seeing that kind of swag, it was clear that Warrick was ready for redemption. Boy was he ever. The ‘Noles, led by P-Dub, opened the game with haymakers. A bomb from Weinke to Warrick got things started, followed by a blocked punt/scoop and score, and then a 63-yard TD catch and run by fellow receiver Ron Dugans. By the time Warrick returned this punt for a touchdown, FSU had built a 28-7 second quarter lead and the rout appeared to be on. </p>
<div id="ustNWZ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YliylO-pf30?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="Xg6k1D">But appearances can be deceiving. Rising out of the Tidewater area of Virginia was a challenger to the throne of most exciting player in college football history and the world was about to be introduced to that man: Michael Vick. Arguably the two most electric players in modern college football magically shared the stage for a magical, one night only performance. Those of us in attendance were treated with a show for the ages. </p>
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<cite>I always told her this stuff would come in handy one day...</cite>
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<p id="W2HG6H">Facing a defense filled with NFL talent, Vick was unstoppable. By the time the third quarter ended, FSU’s 28-7 lead had evaporated and turned into a 29-28 deficit. However, this year FSU wouldn’t fold. Chris Weinke connected with Dugans for his second score of the night to regain the lead early in the fourth and a Sebastian Janikowski field goal made it 39-29 a couple minutes later. But plenty of time remained and Tech still had Vick. VT had scored three times in just over five minutes of game time the previous quarter, and FSU’s defense was exhausted from chasing around the ball of lightning playing QB for the Hokies. Games like 1987 and 1991 Miami taught Bowden that daggers needed to be thrown when you had a championship caliber team on the ropes. </p>
<p id="1836hQ">All of which brings us back to the top. Prior to the game, Bowden went to Warrick and told him “you have got to counter Vick’s big plays.” Now, with the crowd chanting his name and the offense huddled on the sideline, Warrick approached his coach and teammates and asking, “y’all want me to finish them?” </p>
<div id="IcMko1"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/56EAbSf4_4g?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="871NgC">It’s one of those plays where you wouldn’t believe it if you hadn’t seen it—merely describing it with the words of mortal men just isn’t good enough. The concentration and sheer force of will to somehow corral the bobbling ball into his belly is almost as amazing as the gravity defying hand-eye coordination on display. </p>
<p id="WNTkTw">A few years later, I had a chance to ask P-Dub how he made the catch. Unable to fully explain it, he ended by saying he went into the huddle and told “Wink” to just throw it up and he would come down with it. </p>
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<cite>Matt’s very first phone with a camera.</cite>
<figcaption>P-Dub is a man of his word.</figcaption>
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<h2 id="63Lkcl"><strong>The Case for Number 1</strong></h2>
<p id="iUXc1j"><em><strong>1)How significant was the play to the program— did it change the direction of FSU football?</strong></em></p>
<p id="uWfeOg">Prior to the 1999 season, Bobby Bowden often remarked about an empty picture frame he had in the athletic center. The frame was being reserved for the first undefeated, untied national championship team. This play cemented that legacy. Not only did it seal the deal on a perfect season—something that team down in Gainesville has yet to accomplish—it capped off the first wire-to-wire number 1 season in college football history. It became the defining image of a Florida State Dynasty. Even with two national titles, you’ll still hear people question how FSU was so successful for 14 years but won relatively few championships. Imagine what people would say if that record only included one title, a year in which the team that beat FSU also finished the season with just one loss? Would it even be considered a dynasty? Would Bowden be remembered as a coach who choked on the biggest stage? <strong>9.5/10</strong></p>
<p id="JN2TIT"><em><strong>(2) How important was the play to the season in which it took place? Did it help shape one of the Seminoles’ more memorable campaigns?</strong></em></p>
<p id="51GBFX">Again, this play became the lasting image of the first perfect, national championship winning season in school history, doing so in wire-to-wire fashion. <strong>10/10</strong></p>
<p id="iZPyEb"><em><strong>(3)How big was the play to the game in which it transpired? Did it help decide the outcome, or was it merely a highlight in a blowout? Was it a rivalry game? Was it a bowl game, and, if so, how meaningful was that bowl game?</strong></em></p>
<p id="X0bzFi">The Catch occurred in the fourth quarter of a national championship game. Stages don’t get bigger than that. </p>
<p id="Lg1MzL">Now, I’ve heard it argued that this play wasn’t really needed because the game was already over, that it was just icing on the cake. To that I say phooey. Anyone in the Superdome that night can attest that with Vick on the other sideline, 10 points absolutely did not feel like the game was over. Heck, FSU led 28-7 earlier in the game and Vick brought them back seemingly in the blink of an eye. There were nearly 8 minutes left on the clock and even a field goal keeps it at a two score game. Imagine a scenario where Janokowski booms another one in (because let’s get real, he wasn’t going to miss late in the game) and Vick gets the ball back down 13 with six minutes remaining. VT’s previous scoring drives took less than two minutes, so let’s say Vick does it again. Now the lead is 6 with more the four minutes to go...does anyone feel comfortable at that point? P-Dub’s catch ended all of that. It simultaneously put FSU up three scores and also demoralized the Hokies once and for all. <strong>9.5/10</strong></p>
<p id="VTlAVo"><em><strong>(4)How jaw-droppingly spectacular was the play, on its own merits and independent of the above context?</strong></em></p>
<p id="b0l0zw">Off the scale. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more impressive catch in FSU history. <strong>10+/10</strong></p>
<p id="95SY8N">There you have it, folks, the #1 play in FSU football history. As Sports Illustrated would proclaim a week later, it was simply dazzling. </p>
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<cite>It’s a big closet.</cite>
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<p id="SUfoeS"></p>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/9/2/17808836/top-fsu-football-plays-no-1-peter-warrick-seals-deal-wire-to-wire-michael-vick-bowden-sugar-bowl-vtMatt Minnick2018-09-01T07:00:01-04:002018-09-01T07:00:01-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 2— Winston to Benjamin...nuff said
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WcGgS8xVb5AU8Z4fF_-hi8ohT7Q=/0x0:3247x2165/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61069477/461079977.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jameis Winston’s pass to Kelvin Benjamin was the ending to one of the greatest stories ever written.</p> <p id="uYwal0"><strong>Date: </strong>January 6th, 2014</p>
<p id="x4PeL7"><strong>Location: </strong>BCS National Championship Game, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA</p>
<p id="RlytVJ"><strong>Opponent: </strong>No. 2 Auburn Tigers</p>
<p id="4xAA4X">“Art imitates life.”</p>
<p id="SDzJUL">It’s a phrase that is used often to describe just how closely fictional endeavors are able to mimic the realities that you and I face every day. The best authors are able to craft stories that make you feel real emotion and suck you into their desired narrative. I’m sure there are numerous examples that you can think of where a book or movie has stayed with you long after you first experienced it.</p>
<p id="svkXQe">So, it is very true to state that, at its best, art can imitate life.</p>
<p id="eIIZXg">However, when life wants to, it blows art out of the water.</p>
<p id="IjaxxM">The 2014 BCS National Championship Game was one of these events, as it had all the characteristics of a classic novel. It was a night filled with drama, suspense, shock, adversity, and triumph. I’ll never forget where I was that night, a sentiment that I expect many of you reading this article will echo fully. </p>
<p id="0bKCAJ">That game affected me in a way that no work of fiction ever has...because it was real.</p>
<p id="TsYTvQ">Florida State came into the game against Auburn as an unstoppable conqueror. They were the expected favorites and experts across the country picked the ’Noles to steamroll the Tigers in the same fashion that they did all of their other opponents. To put it mildly, that did not happen. </p>
<p id="yp4u2Q">In a night full of surprising events, the most unexpected was arguably the way that Auburn handled FSU at the beginning of this game.</p>
<p id="h6zqHh">Down 21-3, with the pressure dialed up to an all-time high, the Seminoles found a way to endure. </p>
<p id="Kf4qWY">It all began <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/7/24/17590700/the-top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-41-jimbo-fisher-championship-trick-2013-karlos-williams-fake-punt">with an unexpected dose of trickery</a> from a head coach that could feel a perfect season slipping through his fingers. The team used that moment as a catalyst to jump-start one of the most astonishing comebacks in college football history. Unbelievably, especially to observers of the game’s opening moments, the ’Noles cut Auburn’s lead down to 1 point</p>
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LsOOgVhijlcPhYOohh8I9PFUN6w=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12743977/461095893.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Resilience.</figcaption>
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<p id="eSa7Se">The Tigers responded with a field goal to make the score 24-20 in their favor. At this point, the contest resembled a heavyweight boxing fight as much as it did a football game. It was a war of attrition, and the eventual winner would need contributions from every player possible. </p>
<p id="TQexc6">In a moment so poetic that it could have flowed from the pen of Robert Frost, Florida State found an <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/29/17794976/the-top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-5-kermit-whitfield-100-yard-return-bcs-championship-2013">unlikely prince that just so happened to be named after a frog.</a></p>
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pKELBIwFerAfY_xpYwfIMoRyOpM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12743957/461079671.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Determination.</figcaption>
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<p id="ZADPGt">Euphoria ensued for the Seminole players and fanbase. It was a herculean effort on special teams from one of the most diminutive players on the roster. FSU was on the verge of its first National Championship in 14 years...if only Auburn would cooperate.</p>
<p id="DkDZTE">Gus Malzahn’s Tigers were a worthy foe and had the mettle of champions themselves. Most teams would have been rattled by what they had just witnessed and been unable to recover their composure. If it wasn’t clear up to this point, this version of Auburn was not most teams.</p>
<p id="O3GD06">Led by outstanding running back Tre Mason, the Tigers marched down the field for one of the more demoralizing touchdowns ever scored against FSU. The elation of Whitfield’s return rapidly turned to despair. At many points during the year, Auburn had been deemed as the “team of destiny.” After taking a 31-27 lead in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, it seemed to be an appropriate moniker.</p>
<p id="qHhcU1">In most books or movies, this play would have signified the ending, as it would be too unbelievable that a team could recover from that type of devastating blow. </p>
<p id="ieo9OX">Life, as it often does, had other plans.</p>
<p id="w1q3oK">FSU QB Jameis Winston received the ball on his own 20-yard line with 71 seconds left to play. The task ahead was near impossible, but Winston had the constitution for such an immense challenge. Luckily, he also was surrounded by teammates that were built of similar stuff.</p>
<p id="hhGnIp">In a play that is absolutely incredible in its own right, <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/22/17766740/top-100-fsu-football-plays-12-rashad-greene-splits-auburn-d-bcs-victory-rose-bowl-catch-title-drive">Winston connected with receiver Rashad Greene for a 49-yard catch-and run.</a> Greene caught the ball and although he fell short of the Auburn goal line, he crossed through to the realm of immortality as an everlasting part of the legacy of Seminole football.</p>
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/32idZCC8E_paj4itDQgqd5vqAXg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12744279/461095239.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Legendary.</figcaption>
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<p id="MqW01n">The game, and the story told by the players on the field, had been magical up to that point. But, as we all know, every great story must have a worthy ending. This night would be no disappointment in that department.</p>
<p id="7bvbCu">With 17 seconds left to play, Winston took the snap and delivered a play action fake to running back Devonta Freeman. The ball then left his hands in the direction of wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.</p>
<div id="vJCB0k"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vYcxF7Fs0sI?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="cTHbg9">The ball was launched at a high trajectory to take advantage of the physical specimen that Winston had in Benjamin. The catch, like everything else that the ’Noles earned that night, was hard-fought.</p>
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Iic5JaP7VcAnjOOqB77k8O6zNMs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12744401/461079947.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Unforgettable.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="vkIlpc">Draped in Tiger defenders, Benjamin pulled down the ball, and with it, history. </p>
<p id="kS91mG">The Seminoles were National Champions and a participant in one of the greatest athletic contests ever witnessed by human eyes. In reality, there were no true losers that night, only members in a real-life drama of the highest quality.</p>
<p id="XOsxFv">This play is not the bookend to our Top 100 series (that comes tomorrow) but it does serve as the period to one of the greatest stories ever told in the lore of Florida State football. A tale so epic with a conclusion so fitting, that I challenge any artist to match its grandeur.</p>
<p id="FJ7PbD">They may be able to imitate it somewhat, but we all know what the real thing looks like.</p>
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<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZeuEH4jMOipMzbzls6zE38oUOBo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12744447/461095719.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Champions.</figcaption>
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<p id="NFh9P5"> </p>
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<p id="rfxBmV"> </p>
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https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/9/1/17795586/the-top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-2-winston-benjamin-nuff-said-jameis-kelvin-florida-state-seminolesTrey Rowland2018-08-31T10:47:55-04:002018-08-31T10:47:55-04:00The Top 100 FSU football plays: No. 3— Puntrooskie
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<p>“What a play by the Seminoles; some Razzle Dazzle!”</p> <p id="vCvHhf"><strong>Date:</strong> September 17th, 1988</p>
<p id="GGSSLe"><strong>Location:</strong> “Death Valley”; Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC</p>
<p id="YMfeht"><strong>Opponent:</strong> No. 10 <a href="https://www.shakinthesouthland.com/"><strong>Clemson Tigers</strong></a></p>
<p id="peVWVu"><strong>Setting: </strong>This was the first ever meeting of top-10 teams in the 46-year history of Death Valley.</p>
<p id="KQJEOX"><strong>Mentality: </strong>High Risk = High Reward</p>
<p id="L8b258"><strong>Preparation</strong></p>
<p id="mNkBes">Heading into the second week of September, the Seminoles were still licking their wounds from an embarrassing loss against Miami. Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden decided to introduce an outrageously risky play known as “The Puntrooskie” into the team’s preparation for Clemson. Amazingly, that seemed to recharge the team’s spirits and was something that Bowden had learned from graduate assistant Clint Ledbetter, who had used it as a player at Arkansas State. </p>
<p id="ryL2tB">The week before the game, the team practiced the play daily with the knowledge that Bowden, looking to pull out all the stops, could likely call it at any moment against the Tigers. </p>
<p id="VV2itM">FSU placekicker Richie Andrews reminisced on the play and said</p>
<blockquote><p id="6twNpy"><em><strong>“Coach put hours of preparation in each week leading up to game day. We practiced that Puntrooskie all week. There was a real buzz on the sideline because we knew it was going to work. We called Coach “the riverboat gambler” because he knew when to roll the dice. He knew what he was talking about which gave us a lot of confidence in him.”</strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p id="0ApNVd">On his confidence in the eventual success of this trick play, Bowden stated</p>
<blockquote><p id="BghRZr"><em><strong>“We would try it against our own defense and it works. You know at practice, your own defense fell for it, so we felt like we had something good.”</strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p id="N7kpet"><strong> Clemson catches wind </strong></p>
<p id="vKSPvP">Opponents that faced Bowden were already on high alert for the threat of trick plays, but Clemson had an even greater warning thrown in their direction. Florida State junior defensive back Leroy Butler was so excited about his contribution in the play that he went and told his old high school coach, Corky Rogers, what the Seminoles were preparing for the Tigers. </p>
<p id="JySBKR">Butler told Rogers,</p>
<blockquote><p id="YWoXPh"><em><strong>“We got some trickery involved and I'm involved in it. It could really be big in the game.” </strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p id="7MXUpV">Rogers, due to his own excitement, went on to tell some of his other former players. Unfortunately, some of them happened to be on Clemson’s current roster, and they told their head coach Danny Ford what they had heard.</p>
<p id="bkihe4"><strong>The set up</strong></p>
<p id="60pFJu">“The tricker is this. You line up in a normal punt formation, then the center instead of snapping it to the punter, he snaps it to the full back, who is about 4 yards behind him,” Bobby Bowden explains. While this occurs, the punter would fake like the snap had soared over his head.</p>
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<p id="96bBab">The defenders would then chase up the field, and the back would slip the ball between the legs of one of the linemen. </p>
<p id="gELFZM">In explaining the play, Butler said,</p>
<blockquote><p id="QKl5A1"><em><strong>“I remember when Coach Bowden and some of the coaches said, ‘if you get the ball you’re going to put it between your legs. We want you to sit there for a couple of seconds and let everybody look at the punter, and then you can just take off.’” </strong></em></p></blockquote>
<p id="T2oDhr"><strong>The key: to wait just the right amount of time</strong></p>
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<p id="I7tVKg"><strong>The game</strong></p>
<p id="7yM4bP">Heading into the locker room at half time, the ’Noles trailed the Tigers 14-7. They also trailed in total yardage by a margin of 232-71 and in first downs 10-5. In reality, Florida State was extremely fortunate to only be behind by one touchdown. </p>
<p id="I3jEIx">In the locker room, Bowden recalls challenging his team and in response he said, “They showed me something, they told me they would fight in a crisis, and keep on fighting.” As the team headed back on the field TE coach Brad Scott remembers the last thing that Bowden said to his players, “hey men, keep your head up,” he said. “We got this, we got the Puntrooskie.” </p>
<p id="25sNa4">Fast forward to the start of the second half and Florida State quickly forced the Tigers to punt their possession away. If you followed our countdown closely or simply know what Deion Sanders is capable of, you know what happens next. Prime Time came in hot and <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/15/17691288/top-100-fsu-football-plays-19-deion-sanders-calls-shot-death-valley-clemson-1988-punt-return">took it to the house, leaving Clemson fans shocked and bringing FSU from behind to tie up the game, 14-14</a>. The 74-yard punt return was a turning point in the game for Florida State, but the Seminoles were far from out of the woods just yet.</p>
<p id="Qbxzeb">The teams would go on to trade scores. Florida State would answer first with 8:24 left to go in the third quarter after FSU wide receiver Bruce LaSane beat out Clemson cornerback Donnell Woolford for a gain of 36 yards to the 1. ’Noles RB Dayne Williams would punch it in to give Florida State its first lead of the game, 21-14. With less than four minutes minutes left in the 4th, Clemson fullback Tracy Johnson tied the game once again with a 19-yard TD run. </p>
<p id="pcWg4d">Heading into what could be considered their last possession of the game, there was only 2:32 left on the clock and Florida State had zero timeouts left. The kick return placed the ’Noles on their own 15 due to a clipping penalty.</p>
<p id="wNBydG"><strong>1st and 10</strong></p>
<p id="otMeWT">FSU tailback Dexter Carter picked up six yards to the 21-yard line.</p>
<p id="x9hXoH"><strong>2nd and 4</strong></p>
<p id="eXg5Ot">Florida state QB Chip Ferguson throws to LaSane, who drops the ball in traffic, no gain.</p>
<p id="U0m2VZ"><strong>3rd and 4</strong></p>
<p id="KslgMq">1:39 to go, Ferguson loses the ball and Florida State narrowly escapes a Clemson interception.</p>
<p id="yXdLR8"><strong>4th and 4 </strong></p>
<p id="1lVgvz">Bowden makes the call.</p>
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<p id="We958N"><strong>The rest is history</strong></p>
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<cite>youtube</cite>
<figcaption>“I remember he (Bowden) was saying ‘run it, run it’ and you could have heard a pin drop, nobody said ‘what did he say run it ya know’ (Brad Scott, FSU Tight Ends Coach 1985-1989)</figcaption>
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<p id="QDUfO8">With ninety seconds left at fourth and four, the ball was snapped to FSU Dayne Williams, instead of to punter Tim Corlew. Corlew acted as if the ball was snapped out of his reach and Williams walked up and placed the ball between the legs of Butler,<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1988/09/18/florida-states-fake-punt-keys-defeat-of-clemson/787dad9c-a520-40fe-8126-2c6a6422c996/?utm_term=.1df456568287"> who after waiting 1.5 seconds— he was supposed to wait 3— </a>went to the left. </p>
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<p id="qcC7cK">Butler blazed past an unexpecting Clemson team and HC Danny Ford, who jokingly admitted after the game that he wished he had tripped Butler during his run. Clemson’s Woolford finally stopped him right at the 1-yard line and with thirty seconds left, Richie Andrews kicked a 19-yard field goal to seal Florida State’s victory, 24-21. </p>
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<p id="hQ3pOI"><strong>Postgame</strong></p>
<p id="nI3Uez">After the game, Bowden physically reenacted the play in the press conference room. He bent over and placed his arms between his hands to illustrate the hand-off from Williams to Butler. When asked why he called the play, Bowden said, “I wanted somebody to win. We were determined— somebody was going to win that game.”</p>
<p id="wxDXcV"></p>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/31/17802716/top-100-fsu-football-plays-puntrooskie-florida-state-noles-seminoles-bobby-bowden-leroy-butlerCourteney Korosec2018-08-30T07:00:01-04:002018-08-30T07:00:01-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 4— Ward to Dunn shocks the Swamp
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<figcaption>Game, Set, Match | thegruelingtruth.net</figcaption>
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<p>“Call off your party and just mail it to him”</p> <p id="vCvHhf"><strong>Date:</strong> November 27, 1993</p>
<p id="GGSSLe"><strong>Location:</strong> Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Fla.</p>
<p id="YMfeht"><strong>Opponent:</strong> No. 4 <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a></p>
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<figcaption>You are now entering the Top 5 Play Zone</figcaption>
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<h2 id="Pbw6Fu"><strong>Setting the Stage</strong></h2>
<p id="Jm1rAW">With a preseason #1 ranking and Sports Illustrated cover stories, the 1993 season was a Title-or-Bust quest for Bobby Bowden’s <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State Seminoles</a>. Between 1987 and 1992, Bowden’s elite level teams fell short of playing for all the marbles and earning Saint Bobby his first championship. Upstart independent status was long gone, and pressure to win it all had built to a crescendo. Early on, those expectations were met with spectacular results:</p>
<p id="xWguW2"><a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/6/20/17481652/top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-75-1993-goal-line-stand-kansas-florida-state-jayhawks">-The unforgettable goal line stand in the Kickoff Classic</a></p>
<p id="jPooVq"><a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/6/2/17413224/top-100-fsu-football-plays-93-scott-bentley-kick-tackles-brian-brian-dawkins-clemson-doak-shutout">-Clemson shutout in epic fashion to usher in renovated Doak Campbell</a></p>
<p id="OSLhXd"><a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/6/11/17444230/top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-84-derrick-brooks-pick-six-against-unc">-Derrick Brooks outscoring opposing offenses through September</a></p>
<p id="FYup8R">It wasn’t just a title run, it was a dream season.</p>
<p id="O7gxZl">Until November 13th on a chilly afternoon in South Bend when the dream died. Or did it?</p>
<p id="hVG3WD">7 days later, Florida State was gifted a Mulligan courtesy of the Irish. More specifically, a slicing knuckleball field goal off the left foot Boston College’s David Gordon.</p>
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<p id="UYTIoH">New life! Later that evening, in the pre-Twitter primordial days of 1993 A.D., Seminole fans filed into Doak Campbell Stadium with news fresh off the telegram: </p>
<ul>
<li id="Z84qyr">Notre Dame has fallen. Stop.</li>
<li id="uk3itI">FSU back in national championship conversation. Stop.</li>
<li id="KyPXGn">NC State fans urged to retreat to their bunkers. Stop.</li>
</ul>
<p id="w4UVZU">On an extra crispy evening in Tallahassee, FSU was playing with gobs of House Money on Senior Night. Hard to describe the general mood of elation, but Doak was figuratively skipping and humming <em>zippity-doo-dah</em> in similar fashion to head coach Odell Haggins’ cathartic debut against ULM in 2017. And with house money in hand, senior quarterback Charlie Ward & Company ran the Wolfpack out of the casino and captured the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/acc-championship-game">ACC championship</a> in a resounding 62-3 stomping. </p>
<p id="BJyERN">The voters noticed, and FSU’s temporary dip to #2 ranking was restored back to #1 the following Monday. The last thing standing betwixt the Seminoles and a Fedex <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/orange-bowl">Orange Bowl</a> appearance for the title was a 300-mile round trip to face the #4 Florida Gators.</p>
<h2 id="Fo6iZq"><strong>The Stars of the Show</strong></h2>
<p id="MrBc7x"> If you’re worth your salt as a Seminole fan, you know the heartwarming story of senior Charlie Ward rooming with young Warrick Dunn during his difficult freshman year, but it’s worth rehashing. Nobody can tell the tale better than Bobby himself, and here’s an excerpt from his book “Called to Coach”, co-written by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and reprinted with permission from Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc<em>.</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="EgS741">We recruited Warrick while he was a senior at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On January 7, 1993 -- about a month before Warrick signed a scholarship to play football at Florida State -- his mother was murdered while escorting a grocery store manager to a bank to make a night deposit. Betty Dunn Somers, a corporal in the Baton Rouge police department, was thirty-six. Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Warrick and his grandmother were left to raise his five siblings.</p>
<p id="mBytYV">After Warrick left for college, his brothers and sisters moved in with his grandmother, Willie Wheeler. I was not sure how Warrick would react to being away from his family. He was still dealing with the grief of losing his mother. But Warrick became a roommate with Charlie Ward, our quarterback, and that was the best thing that could have happened to Warrick. Both were very quiet and very much alike. Charlie is from Thomasville, Georgia, which is just across the state line from Tallahassee, and his parents adopted Warrick in many ways.</p>
<p id="k9gLbb">Warrick was a quarterback and a defensive back in high school. We recruited him to play defense, but Warrick wanted to play running back. He was pretty small, only about five feet nine inches and 173 pounds, and we weren’t sure he could take the punishment of running the ball some twenty times a game. But his mother wanted him to attend Florida State, so he was going to sign a national letter of intent to play for us. “Warrick, we have all the running backs we can take,” I told him. “If you come to Florida State, you have to play defense. Will you do that?”</p>
<p id="brWNox">”Yes, Coach Bowden,” Warrick told me. “But will you promise me you will at least give me a chance to play running back?”</p>
<p id="7pzuqw">”I’ll give you a chance to run the ball,” I said. “But if it comes down to it, you have to agree to play defense.”</p>
<p id="WdYA0P">We opened preseason camp in August 1993, and Warrick was playing defense. Before one of our scrimmages, Warrick came to me and reminded me of my promise to let him try out at running back. So we put him on offense, and no one could tackle him. After that day, Warrick was a running back for the rest of his career, and I am not sure we ever had a better runner at Florida State. Warrick will always be one of my favorite players. From time to time, he came to my office and talked about one of his brothers or sisters getting into trouble or having problems in school. “Coach, what should I do?” he asked me. I always told him to go home and get it straightened out. He drove all the way to Baton Rouge, worked things out with his family, and then came back to Florida State. It was just so much for a nineteen-year-old boy to handle, but Warrick never complained and helped his grandmother raise his brothers and sisters well.</p>
</blockquote>
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<cite>C. J. Walker, The LIFE Images Collection - Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>This living situation was a match made in football heaven, as 2 of the finest human beings in school history shared quarters during a magical season.</figcaption>
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<h2 id="pJZtlA"><strong>The Showdown in the Swamp</strong></h2>
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<cite>University of Florida marketing squad</cite>
<figcaption>Message received loud and clear, Gator artists</figcaption>
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<blockquote><p id="GxAusK"><em><strong>“Just about 5 or 6 minutes ago, Florida State was on the sidelines thinking this was going to be a laugher, up 20 points. Now they’re out there and they’ve got to be careful, one mistake...” </strong></em><em>-Bob Griese, shouting into his microphone over deafening crowd</em></p></blockquote>
<p id="CQahyA">Leading 27-21 and facing a 3rd & 10 from their own 21 yard line with 5:30 left in the 4th, FSU had carelessly wandered onto the brink of absolute disaster. How did this happen? Rewind.</p>
<p id="T0XFGr">The ferocious ‘Nole defense throttled the 2-headed QB monster of Danny Wuerrfel and Terry Dean all afternoon, and ultimately held Eric Rhett and the Gator ground attack to negative 33 yards. NEGATIVE 33. Spurrier was almost better off taking knees every rushing attempt. After Kez McCorvey’s second TD of the game, FSU entered the 4th quarter leading 27-7, having out-gained Florida 401 yards to 156 and running an absurd 70 offensive plays to Spurrier’s 39. It was almost a laugher.</p>
<p id="137gjv">However, what happens so often in the fierce UF-FSU rivalry began to play out: The home team and home crowd refused to roll over. Terry Dean put together an aggressive drive and narrowed the lead to 27-14 with 11:48 left to play. The ball goes back to aspiring Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward with a chance to grind the clock and escape the soggy swamp. With both his legs and through the air, Ward did exactly that, leading a methodical drive deep into UF territory. FSU faced 1st and goal from the Gator 9 yard line with the dagger clearly in hand...until William Floyd fumbled at the 6 yard line. Was this really happening?</p>
<p id="pa6MxF">Now it was time for the #1 scoring defense in the country to pick up their offense, and the Seminole D sacked Terry Dean along the goal line, forcing a 3rd & 15 from the 2-foot line. Laugher? Nope. Clutch conversion on a dangerous pass. Spurrier capitalized on the free chance, and called no less than 7 chuck pass plays to test the Seminole secondary. Just enough were successful to keep the chains moving, including a pair of 4th down conversions. And with 5:58 to play, the home field luck swung massively on Jack Jackson’s brilliant juggling touchdown catch. In double coverage, the football went across Jackson’s hands, ricocheted off his face mask, the was tipped twice back into his own hands for good. The stadium erupted.</p>
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<p id="kr2bG9">Gut check time. With the momentum wildly in UF’s corner, Spurrier decided to kickoff to Tamarick Vanover, despite Vanover having burned UF’s kickoff team for 156 yards on 2 returns in 1992. The result this time was a meager 12 yard return. Now the house money was in Spurrier’s pocket and he let it ride. In the most hostile moment of the most hostile environment of his career, Charlie Ward had indescribable pressure placed upon his shoulders: Don’t let the championship slip away twice in 14 days.</p>
<h2 id="W7hAXS"><strong>The Sound</strong></h2>
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<cite>scolinssportsvenuesrevisited.blogspot.com</cite>
<figcaption>The secret to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s ear piercing acoustics lies in the strategic placement of racquetball courts in the corners of the facility.</figcaption>
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<h3 id="CxBDDo"><em><strong>1st & 10</strong></em></h3>
<p id="S7sNij">As the stadium comes alive, Charlie Ward’s pass to Kez McCorvey is batted up by Gator lineman William Gaines and nearly intercepted. The crowd can taste blood now.</p>
<h3 id="mm37S1"><em><strong>2nd & 10</strong></em></h3>
<p id="69TomH">Circumstances are now becoming particularly uncomfortable. As the sound reaches painful levels, looking back towards top of stands the author sees ominous things. Empty paper drink cups are being thrown wildly into the air, as the lower section resembles a popcorn popper at full song.</p>
<p id="a2qmyZ">From the shotgun, an attempted swing pass to roommate Warrick Dunn is easily swatted by future NFL star Kevin Carter, and falls back to Ward’s feet incomplete.</p>
<h3 id="cOAdAS"><strong>3rd & 10</strong></h3>
<p id="wP5inz">....ABC’s Keith Jackson makes the understatement of the game:</p>
<blockquote><p id="XWGr7Z"><strong>That’s a lotttt of noise.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p id="bKXtyQ">Indeed, Keith. Indeed. Like a child gazing down at the Pacific Ocean from his window seat and observing, “That’s a lottttt of water”. Equally accurate.</p>
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<cite>Youtube</cite>
<figcaption>Doak had the Spirit Spear. Ben Hill Griffin had the Ribbon of Obviousness</figcaption>
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<p id="w5WrYY"><em><strong>Myth Buster #1: </strong></em><em>1993 in the Swamp was loud, but (insert FSU game here) was even louder.</em></p>
<p id="IooGdF">MYTH.</p>
<p id="wJRgAD">I’ll now switch to 1st person in an attempt to accurately describe the noise event that took place between the incomplete 2nd down pass and when Andy Crowe somehow snapped the 3rd down play with 3 seconds left on the play clock. While I agree with leading scientists that we exist in a universe with only 3 spacial dimensions, the inhumane noise reverberating through the Swamp for 35 seconds opened up a temporary 4th dimension. Was I actually able to “see the sound”? Hindsight/sound being 20/20, there was likely harmonic distortions causing serious disruptions to the inner ear and other sensory centers which caused a strange illusion of dancing airwaves. The pitch and tone of 90,000 screaming maniacs fluctuated with otherworldly variance, and perhaps an alien race several solar systems away mistook the Gator crowd’s 3rd down stand for a distress signal. We may never know. </p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3pAxj6DjHsua0BZP9IK-YnMsW1s=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12753329/xfiles.jpg">
<cite>hollywoodfile.com</cite>
<figcaption>“It was just a 3rd down stand. We’re done here”</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="dPxiNn">Somehow, Charlie got the play off and received yet another shotgun snap. UF’s defensive end bullied past fullback William Floyd’s attempted block, and a defensive tackle came free on a twist stunt. With bodies flying everywhere, #17 narrowly avoided the game changing sack, squared back up to the line of scrimmage, and found his roomie isolated on a linebacker and waving for the football. Ward flips the ball 15 yards to Dunn in stride, and Warrick briefly hesitates and stumbles past Vanover’s pseudo-legal block. From there, it’s off to the races for the freshman phenom down the sideline. He starts strutting at the 5-yard line, knowing he’s holding the football for proverbial checkmate. </p>
<p id="CpDgqK"><strong>(you’ve finally arrived at Play #4)</strong></p>
<div id="MEFMqD"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MifnfUxTm-Q?rel=0&start=5273" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="9BLnHb">and now for Gene & Vic’s version...</p>
<div id="wHhemP"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t6gWiBn79iA?rel=0&start=7" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="XSX7PV"><em><strong>Myth Buster #2: </strong></em><em>I’ve never heard a stadium go from so loud to so quiet that quickly.</em></p>
<p id="wtGM5A">MYTH.</p>
<p id="SF1zIE">While it’s true the Gator collective exhaled their final screams a moment earlier, as Dunn streaked down the sideline the 10 to 12 thousand visiting FSU fans stole the thunder and instantly transferred that energy to an impressive noise level for such a small brood. It was a pandemonium swap.</p>
<blockquote><p id="RXxSSW"><strong>Give it to Charlie, go ahead...Mail the Heisman to Charlie Ward.</strong> - Bob Griese</p></blockquote>
<p id="7xa4cr">While Bob’s cost-cutting idea was not adopted by the Downtown Athletic Club, the result was correct. Florida State wins 33-21, escapes the Swamp, Charlie earns the most coveted trophy in college football, and Bobby Bowden scores his elusive 1st title 5 weeks later.</p>
<h2 id="C9XooQ"><strong>Ward-to-Dunn as the #1 Play in FSU History: Making the Case</strong></h2>
<p id="x2FHDB">Although this memorable moment ultimately lands at #4, <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/5/25/17387888/introducing-top-100-plays-fsu-football-history-criteria-used-rank-florida-state-seminoles">let’s discuss the Top 100 criteria</a> and why this play received a 1st place vote:</p>
<p id="iUXc1j"><em><strong>(1)How significant was the play to the program— did it change the direction of FSU football?</strong></em></p>
<p id="uWfeOg">The author argues the alternate outcome where Charlie Ward doesn’t play hero and Florida completes the improbable comeback would have devastating program effects in Tallahassee. You could imagine a scenario where Bowden never recovers and exits with zero titles. <strong>9.5/10</strong></p>
<p id="JN2TIT"><em><strong>(2) How important was the play to the season in which it took place? Did it help shape one of the Seminoles’ more memorable campaigns?</strong></em></p>
<p id="51GBFX">Hard to score much higher on this criteria. The play itself is one of only a handful of FSU famous plays known by its own nickname. 25 years later, variations of “Ward2Dunn” are still manipulated into vanity license plates and online screen names.<em><strong> </strong></em><strong>10/10</strong></p>
<p id="iZPyEb"><em><strong>(3)How big was the play to the game in which it transpired? Did it help decide the outcome, or was it merely a highlight in a blowout? Was it a rivalry game? Was it a bowl game, and, if so, how meaningful was that bowl game?</strong></em><strong> </strong></p>
<p id="X0bzFi">Ward-to-Dunn is limited by transpiring in the regular season rather than a bowl, but the rivalry game aspect is off the charts and the play in context of game was so big it literally solidified the QB’s Heisman. <strong>9/10</strong></p>
<p id="VTlAVo"><em><strong>(4)How jaw-droppingly spectacular was the play, on its own merits and independent of the above context?</strong></em></p>
<p id="b0l0zw">This play scores high, but not the pinnacle. Point guard/quarterback Ward’s moves to elude a sack and toss a perfect pass in stride was exceptional, and Dunn’s breakaway speed was superb, but may not register as “freaky” spectacular athleticism like some other plays.<em><strong> </strong></em><strong>9/10</strong></p>
<p id="95SY8N">#1 play in FSU football history? I’ve made the case, now you decide.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Eqfv37dFL93TJq0EIDRXuio6FDM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12754589/Youtube_Shot.png">
<cite>Youtube</cite>
<figcaption>What a play.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="iOqVWx">The beauty of this countdown is the highly subjective nature and “no wrong answers”, but it’s fascinating how the Top 5 plays are almost universally agreed upon now...though in varying order.</p>
<h2 id="cHHauO"><strong>Note from the Author</strong></h2>
<p id="1Bkapo">As this marks my final piece in the countdown, it’s been an honor to participate in the fantastic series all summer with our team of talented and dedicated writers. And it wouldn’t be possible without the reader participation and engaging comments on a daily basis. As Seminole Nation is prepared to turn an exciting new page on Labor Day, it’s important to collectively look back and value the past chapters that lead us here.</p>
<p id="g0yoDW">And if you’re wondering “how the heck did they rank all 100 plays? That seems like a tall task if you’re actively weighing all 100”...</p>
<p id="9dJKHw">For the K-Man, it started with 150 separate pieces of paper on a hotel floor. Narrowed down to the remaining 100. Then sorted into thirds(top third, middle third, bottom third). And then each third separately ranked and sorted the following night on a different hotel floor. And then finalized at home on the 3rd night. Totally worth it.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fV2sARgeM5zsSBpzhUU-C8cj3Zk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12754567/top_100_plays_paper.jpg">
<cite>The K-Man’s iPhone</cite>
<figcaption>I have a feeling Buzzfeed doesn’t go to these lengths for each and every numerical list they publish.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Toiaza">Thanks, everyone.</p>
<p id="o07CyK"><em>-The K-Man</em></p>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/30/17794756/top-100-fsu-football-plays-4-charlie-ward-to-warrick-dunn-shocks-the-swamp-uf-1993-seminoles-gatorsThe K-Man2018-08-29T07:00:20-04:002018-08-29T07:00:20-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 5— Kermit Whitfield earns place in Florida State history
<figure>
<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MwYpiY4Nw6Orl6NFwXzo-nvnyaw=/0x0:2352x1568/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61062841/461079671.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Harry How/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With some speed, luck and a torn hamstring, the freshman brought Florida State’s miraculous comeback almost full circle</p> <p id="qmyMGN"><em>“And Auburn is stung by its own medicine!”</em></p>
<p id="AtkO8w">Jan. 6, 2013, while going as a great portion of America hoped, had not gone as most of it expected. No. 1 Florida State, offensive and defensive juggernaut throughout the season, had fallen behind significantly in the national championship to upstart No. 2 Auburn. The Tigers had ridden miracles and good fortune to earn a spot in the title game, but tonight, they were winning outright (<a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2014/1/7/5285078/florida-state-towels-auburn-signal-steal-jimbo-craig">stolen signals aside</a>). </p>
<p id="K088qQ">The Seminoles, spurred on by a late second-quarter <span>Devonta Freeman</span> touchdown, had come alive in the second half, adding on a <span>Roberto Aguayo</span> field goal and <span>Chad Abram</span> reception to flip a 21-3 deficit into a 21-20 one. </p>
<p id="6Wbtue">Following Abram’s touchdown Auburn, on a 13-play, 69-yard drive, methodically bled out over six minutes of gametime, running <span>Tre Mason</span> 11 times before finally getting held to a field goal. </p>
<p id="nZv8Ss">At 24-20 with under five minutes to play, the Tigers didn’t face any danger of an <span>Aguayo</span>-begotten Seminole victory, putting the pressure on Florida State to bring its comeback full circle. As both teams prepared for kickoff, <span>Jameis Winston</span>, <span>Rashad Greene</span>, Freeman and the rest of the offense sat on the sidelines, anxious for the opportunity to secure the score that would finally put the Seminoles over the top. </p>
<p id="GRLm9o">The only problem? That chance was going to have come a little bit later. </p>
<div id="76Q7Ln"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmaOuglcozI?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="1x7KwL"><span>Kermit Whitfield</span> had proven himself formidable as a kick returner that season, leading the country with an average of 34.4 yards per return (and setting an ACC record with NCAA all-time seventh-best 36. 1 YPR after the title game!) as well as scoring on 97-yarder vs. Wake Forest. “Great returnman,” Brent Musburger noted as Whitfield made strides towards the 20-yard line, not knowing how right he would be proven within the next two seconds.</p>
<p id="cZXAoH">Whitfield took off towards the left sideline, helped along by one less able-hamstringed Auburn defender and broken free with fantastic blocking, and proceeded to show off the speed that had won him state titles in high school. Musburger had devolved into a frenzy as Whitfield’s score became more imminent, devolving from analysis into single-phrase exclamations. </p>
<p id="VkeybS"><em>“Daylight! Green ahead! Got it! Headed for the end zone!”</em></p>
<p id="B0FEN8">And as a flailing Tiger popped up and faded out, a hilarious last hope, Whitfield glided into the end zone, engulfed by Karlos Williams Sr. and showered with the screams of frenzied fans, the taste of a championship as close as it had been all night. </p>
<p id="Agc4UI">Auburn would eventually respond (a fruitless effort, which we’ll talk about soon enough), but in this moment, the slimmer of belief that had nearly died two quarters ago had bloomed into full-grown hope, enabled and brought on by the miracle that was Kermit Whitfield’s 100-yard return. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="BCS National Championship - Florida State v Auburn" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TuHo1FbkhELzoPn3RCMWKJwBzkc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12710045/461079683.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/29/17794976/the-top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-5-kermit-whitfield-100-yard-return-bcs-championship-2013Perry Kostidakis2018-08-28T16:50:20-04:002018-08-28T16:50:20-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 6— T-Buck crashes the Big House party early
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<img alt="Terrell Buckley" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Op4UgoxyfM5mTz3pY-ZDEzFuX1k=/0x0:3072x2048/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61057279/357354.jpg.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Terrell Buckley’s iconic interception set the tone for a game and a program’s rise to dominance.</p> <p id="fTUNHy"><strong>Date:</strong> September 28, 1991</p>
<p id="koW9jc"><strong>Location:</strong> Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan</p>
<p id="7CCS4C"><strong>Opponent:</strong> <a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com/">Michigan Wolverines</a></p>
<p id="Yq5Zc9">The 1991 <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State Seminoles</a> began the year atop the AP poll, but still couldn’t shake the feeling of disrespect from the bluebloods of college football. At this time, no school that had started playing football in the last 50 years had won a national title. But having easily dispatched of No. 19 BYU, Tulane, and Western Michigan to open the year 3-0, the hungry yet confident Seminoles looked to flip that narrative when they traveled to Ann Arbor and the Big House to take on No. 3 Michigan on September 28, 1991.</p>
<p id="kEFuf0">The Seminoles and Wolverines had only met one other time prior to this game. The lone previous meeting was a 20-18 home victory for QB Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines over FSU in 1986. </p>
<p id="VLaXc6">The fourth-largest crowd in Michigan Stadium history at the time were rowdy at kickoff. All week, the talking points swirled around FSU being a finesse team that couldn’t hold up to Michigan’s tough, gritty style of football. The Michigan faithful fully expected to see Michigan smash-mouth their way to a victory over an upstart program that, in their minds, wasn’t quite ready for the national spotlight. What they would be entertained to was a game that saw FSU score more points in Ann Arbor than any opponent in the Wolverines’ 113-year football history. What Florida State fans would be entertained to is a game for the ages.</p>
<p id="vMjbwO"><a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/7/14/17570866/top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-51-amp-lee-makes-michigan-d-look-silly-florida-state-wolverines-noles">As K-Man described so well in the No. 51 play in the countdown</a>, the field was littered with ridiculous talent on both teams that day. But perhaps the biggest individual spotlight was the eventual Thorpe Award winner Terrell Buckley lined up against the eventual Heisman Award winner Desmond Howard to start the game.</p>
<p id="7ZvPtI">On the second play from scrimmage, Michigan QB Elvis Grbac took a three-step drop and immediately looked for his star wide receiver. In what has become a lasting, iconic image of the early glory years for FSU, Terrell Buckley reads the play, jumps the pass, easily intercepts it, and returns it 40 yards for a touchdown, taunting the Michigan players pursuing him. He even finished it off with a Lambeau Leap into the FSU fan section for good measure. Without a doubt, it set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.</p>
<div id="yhPdA7"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q-lXwLDd1_8?rel=0&start=2" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="3ouHzk">The ‘Noles, clearly not intimidated—to the demise of the Michigan crowd—took a 31-23 lead into halftime. FSU would further entertain those fans in maize and blue with trick plays, fake field goals, and even return another interception for a touchdown to seal the 51-31 final score.</p>
<p id="ToyqFI">Although the 1991 season would later fall apart, the King of the Road Seminoles would make this win in the Big House one for the ages. As was the case with so many important wins in FSU’s glory years, the willingness of Coach Bowden to take his team on the road and play anyone, anywhere, anytime was key in FSU’s rise to becoming a respected powerhouse in the broader college football landscape. Yet on this particular day, coming into the Big House and leaving with a commanding victory was extra memorable, even to Bobby.</p>
<p id="Vy5bnj">“This game not only means as much as Notre Dame, Ohio State and Nebraska,” Bowden said after the game, “but it’s bigger because Michigan was ranked No. 3.”</p>
<p id="IyJhJ0">Or, as FSU linebacker Kirk Carruthers, who grew up in a Michigan State family, put it so elegantly to a group of downtrodden Michigan fans on their way to the exits, “Now you know why we’re No. 1! We earned it!”</p>
<p id="AJe3m3">As for Terrell Buckley, he would leave for the NFL after the 1991 season, but not before becoming the school’s all-time leader in interceptions (21) and interception return yards (501). He would finish his FSU career with four touchdowns off interception returns and three punt return touchdowns. As previously mentioned, he won the 1991 Thorpe Award and was named a first-team All-American. He finished seventh in the 1991 Heisman voting, which is impressive for any defensive player. The Green Bay Packers took him fifth overall in the 1991 NFL Draft, and he would go on to haunt those same UM/Detroit Lions fans for years to come. His jersey number is one of the ten (soon to be eleven) retired by Florida State. </p>
<p id="2yowpq">The Big House interception will live forever in Florida State football lore as one of the most important and celebrated plays in FSU’s ascension to dominance.</p>
<p id="pHb8SY"></p>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/28/17793000/top-100-fsu-football-plays-6-t-buck-crashes-the-big-house-party-early-terrell-buckley-michiganGriffinole2018-08-27T07:00:03-04:002018-08-27T07:00:03-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 7— Dexter Carter unleashes four years of Miami frustration
<figure>
<img alt="Dexter Carter" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-o3IgIdGu_crcbdmytdDcOEDCYY=/0x645:2048x2010/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61031087/254466.jpg.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Fireworks to open it up. </p> <p id="WhQd1M"><strong>Date: </strong>October 28, 1989</p>
<p id="FgyycJ"><strong>Location:</strong> Doak Campbell Stadium; Tallahassee, Florida</p>
<p id="syIH5J"><strong>Opponent:</strong> No. 2 Miami Hurricanes</p>
<p id="p7ldku">It’s been said that unlike the intense loathing that permeates through the Florida State/Florida rivalry, the FSU/Miami rivalry is one shaped with mutual respect for the high quality talent and independent spirit shared by both programs. And for much of my experience with Seminole football, I would agree with this notion. Miami and Florida State were so far and away better than the rest of college football some years that players, coaches, and fans of each program, in a masochist sort of way, relished the opportunity to go up against the other, knowing it was the ultimate measuring stick. </p>
<p id="ngUQcm">This did not apply in 1989. </p>
<p id="3garht">For four long years the Miami Hurricanes lorded over their talented, but ill-fated rivals to the north. In fact, as crazy as it sounds, Deion Sanders never did taste victory against the ‘Canes. </p>
<p id="a7NnhB">1985 saw FSU jump out to a 24-14 halftime lead, only to be outscored 14-3 in the 4th quarter and lose 35-27. That loss would keep the Seminoles from a major bowl appearance and relegate them to a top 15 finish instead of potentially top 5 or 10. In 1986, Miami again overcame a 4th quarter deficit, outscoring the ‘Noles 20-0 in the final stanza on their way to a 41-23 victory. </p>
<p id="Pvspgu">Then came 1987 and 1988, with the Seminoles finishing both years with only one blemish on their record, both at the hands of the Hurricanes. 1987 was particularly painful. In a game that has been called the greatest collection of talent ever assembled on one college football field, FSU led the eventual national champs 19-3 before a furious Miami comeback and a failed two-point conversion with less than a minute to play resulted in a 26-25 UM win and nothing but an off-season of “what ifs” by Seminole faithful. Horseshoes and hand grenades. </p>
<p id="4do1MO">This brings us to 1989. Back-to-back losses out of the gate dropped FSU out of the top 25 and into unfamiliar territory. For just the second time since 1979, national title aspirations evaporated before the official start of fall. But then a funny thing happened. A young Florida State squad started rounding into form. Starting with a road win over a ranked <a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com/">LSU Tigers</a> squad, the Seminoles rattled off five consecutive wins. Along the way, a <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/1/17637852/top-100-fsu-football-plays-33-terrell-buckley-the-foolah-from-pascagoula-syracuse-punt-return-tbuck">freshman phenom fooled his way into Garnet and Gold lore</a>, while the defense sacked Reggie Slack seven times and held on for another thrilling victory over the SEC co-champion <a href="https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/">Auburn Tigers</a> in the first of a newly minted 10-game series* between the two schools. Check out this video to see what a brutal beating Slack endured at the hands of Kirk Carruthers, Eric Hayes, Shelton Thompson and company. </p>
<div id="dv0lSE"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/caIXsGiJXfE?rel=0&start=1299" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="eT4QL2">(*FSU is still waiting on the remaining 7—if you count the 2013 BCS Title game—as Auburn canceled the series after 1990 citing SEC expansion). </p>
<p id="83QcWi">Up next, a visit from Miami—and this time FSU was out for blood. With title dreams dashed, ‘Nole fans and players embraced the role of spoiler, hoping to keep the Hurricanes from a title just as they had done to Florida State the previous two seasons. Playing in primetime, Doak was at full capacity long before kickoff and a vengeance seeking crowd buzzed with electricity. With Miami players refusing to let Renegade race across the field, a pre-game brouhaha ensued and the atmosphere grew even more frenzied.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mywb2Q3ryPRNKCDEQEHoTIa0les=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12560929/Renegade_against_Miami_in_1989.png">
<cite>Youtube.com</cite>
<figcaption>Come closer to this spear...I dare you. </figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="1q8DjW">As detailed earlier in the countdown, FSU came out swinging like Iron Mike. On the game’s first play from scrimmage, <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/7/30/17627636/top-100-fsu-football-plays-35-butler-picks-off-torretta-first-play-scrimmage-bowden-deion-miami">senior All-American LeRoy Butler picked off Gino Torretta. </a> What happened next was pure Seminole ecstasy. </p>
<div id="mCjeKV"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75.0019%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ffp1j8Y5q50?rel=0&start=255" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="XGCIAc">A perfectly executed play, followed by a spectacularly imperfect explosion of emotion and celebration. Let’s look at the play first:</p>
<p id="lCOBrN">A. The Seminoles lined up in the classic FSU I-formation, dotted by senior running back Dexter Carter who begged Bobby Bowden to let him start despite a lingering injury. Carter takes the simple handoff and bounces to his left. </p>
<p id="hnj1Qi">2. Fullback Edgar Bennett gets a devastasting block on All-American linebacker Maurice Crum. Crum then tumbles into another future NFL linebacker, Bernard “Tiger” Clark, taking him out of the play as well. (Keep Tiger in mind...)</p>
<p id="jMUTCX">D. Carter sprints to the sideline and picks up another magnificent block, this one by Fab Four member Terry Anthony. </p>
<p id="XkblrB">FMFFM. Carter turns the corner and blazes down the sideline, outracing a defense that led the nation in opponent’s scoring and was billed as the fastest defense college football had ever seen. </p>
<p id="sZTGaD">In all, the TD sprint was the longest run from scrimmage Miami had allowed up to that point and stamped Carter’s legacy as one of the school’s all-time greats. </p>
<p id="WooQGB">Now let’s breakdown the accompanying jubilation (put in your ear buds and crank up the noise). </p>
<p id="B6zG28">1. Already ebullient after the Butler interception, the crowd somehow reaches another decibel level as soon as Carter turns the corner and heads for daylight.</p>
<p id="DyyPg0">B. Carter starts raising his arms mid-stride around the 6 and half yard line, gliding into the endzone Usain Bolt style. The crowd crescendos into a deafening, space shuttle launching roar. </p>
<p id="kZa2YK">4. A series of chaotic camera jumps encapsulates the scene well. A person dressed as a gorilla raises the roof. Fans are falling over themselves, jumping in the aisles, and waving giant flags that have long since been banned (Those in attendance share stories of ending up three or four rows down from their actual seats when the mania finally subsided. And I can personally attest to seats and clothes getting doused with cokes, popcorn, and boiled peanuts). </p>
<p id="KxTLdq">FMFFM. A wild dog-pile, complete with Carter stop-drop-and rolling, takes place along the old chain-link fence. Seminole coaches are 10 yards out on the field pleading with guys to come back to the their sideline, while the Hurricane defense stares at each other dumbfounded and shaken by what just occurred. </p>
<p id="YjCJ5g">In a rivalry filled with big plays and crushing hits by some of the greatest college football players ever, no play has stood the test of time in the minds of Seminole fans better than this touchdown run. Buoyed by the thunderous 1-2 combo that gave FSU a 7-0 lead just 23 seconds in, Florida State would go on to pull the upset 24-10. With the perspective of time, it’s arguably the only <em>truly elite</em> Miami Hurricane team that Bowden ever beat. </p>
<p id="K4e5v9">As for Dexter Carter, the Baxley, Georgia native went on to become a 1st round selection in the 1990 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> and a <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> Champion with the San Francisco 49ers. Some years later, he’d return to Tallahassee and coach running backs under his mentor, Coach Bowden. </p>
<p id="0jwzYc">Now, back to Bernard Clark. The ferocious linebacker struck fear into nearly all of his opponents. All except for Carter. Nicknamed Tiger before a certain golfer coined the moniker, you may remember Clark from getting sideswiped on the opening TD run. He certainly remembered. Later in the game, Tiger spotted an opportunity for a clap-back. Clipping Carter in the back, Tiger then lays on Carter and taunts him while he was on the ground. Well, as the ‘ol saying goes, Tiger might have started the fight, but it was Carter who finished it. </p>
<div id="olBlSe"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Miga1LaLRg8?rel=0&start=277" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.tomahawknation.com/florida-state-football-fsu-noles/2018/8/27/17784518/top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-7-dexter-carter-miami-hurricanes-1989-butler-unleashes-frustrationMatt Minnick2018-08-26T09:05:00-04:002018-08-26T09:05:00-04:00The top 100 FSU football plays: No. 8 — The Outzen to Warrick Deflection
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<img alt="Marcus Outzen #14" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UeERSqzyEX9M2kam5FkTF6sL7vA=/0x0:3060x2040/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61024331/394578.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Rooster from Fort Walton Beach.</figcaption>
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<p>The Rooster bounced a sure interception off a Gator to clinch a wild victory in Doak.</p> <p id="VutYV0"><strong>Date: </strong>November 21, 1998</p>
<p id="Y4pruo"><strong>Location: </strong>Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.</p>
<p id="AQuCDz"><strong>Opponent: </strong>No. 4 <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a></p>
<p id="bAs9zd">The <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State Seminoles</a> entered the 1998 season ranked No. 2 in the country and were considered by most to be a legitimate title contender. They opened the season defeating the No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies at the Meadowlands, but followed up that performance with an atrocious 24-7 loss to NC State in Raleigh. Just two weeks in, the ‘Noles fell out of the AP Top Ten.</p>
<p id="zPajwK">Led by 26-year-old QB Chris Weinke, FSU then ran off a string of seven straight victories over Duke, Southern Cal, Maryland, Miami, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina. Entering November, the 8-1 ‘Noles had climbed back up to No. 6 in the AP. They had two ranked opponents — Virginia and Florida — remaining on their schedule, with a trip to WInston-Salem sandwiched in the middle. The ‘Noles still had a legitimate shot at a berth in the inaugural BCS National Championship Game.</p>
<p id="87Cmdx">Then disaster struck. On the last play of the first half against No. 12 Virginia, Chris Weinke was sacked by Patrick Kerney and sustained a season-ending neck injury. Suddenly, Florida State’s championship hopes rode on the arm of “The Rooster,” a former fourth-stringer from nearby Fort Walton Beach who put the “red” in redshirt-sophomore. Prior to his emergency appearance against Virginia, Outzen had thrown a grand total of 13 passes in his FSU career.</p>
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<img alt="Marcus Outzen #14" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gH8nvJZ_kJLkb0xmtg2xqepcMfc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12557479/718704.jpg.jpg">
<figcaption>The Rooster, in all his glory.</figcaption>
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<p id="93slXW">The ‘Noles finished off Virginia 45-14, but the offense struggled against Wake Forest the next week. FSU ultimately pulled out a 24-7 win, but the game was much closer than the final score indicated. The No. 5 ‘Noles were 10-1 but were a home underdog for the final regular season game against No. 4 Florida. The FSU faithful, riding a 39 home unbeaten streak, were nervous to say the least.</p>
<p id="YDVaRX">Of course, this wouldn’t be a proper chapter in the Florida State-Florida rivalry without a pregame altercation setting the tone. During the pregame warmups, a group of Florida players stomped on the Seminole logo at midfield. Nearby FSU players did not appreciate that gesture, and a melee ensued. Florida’s starting cornerback Tony George was ejected by the ACC crew, a big loss. During the scrum, UF’s starting QB Doug Johnson allegedly hurled a football near the direction of Bobby Bowden.</p>
<p id="lzDFZF">The supposedly high-powered Gator offense scored all of their points in the first half, including only a 50-yard bomb from Johnson to Travis McGriff after FSU CB Tay Cody fell down. The Gators added a safety when Outzen was sacked in the endzone, and a late field goal, but Janikowski countered by converting two field goals of his own. Florida led at halftime 12-6. Over the last ten meetings between Florida State and Florida, the team that led at halftime won nine.</p>
<p id="cgzFng">The ‘Noles came out on fire to open the second half. Riding RB Travis Minor, FSU’s offense quickly moved the ball into Gator territory. On first-and-ten from the UF 32, Outzen took the snap under center, rolled out to his left, and released a ball intended for Peter Warrick. The Rooster apparently didn’t see Florida’s Marquand Manuel standing directly between him and Warrick. Manuel stepped right in front of the ill-advised pass as though it was intended for him. All Manuel had to do was ensure he caught the ball, and he had wide open green space for a 75 yard interception return and a likely dagger to the Seminoles. </p>
<p id="YscLTn">Instead, the ball deflected off his hands and miraculously landed right in the bread basket of Peter Warrick. Doing what he did best, Warrick juked to the inside, then cut back outside, leaving CB Benny Alexander in a cloud of dust. Five yards from the endzone, P-Dub picked up an incredible block from Snoop Minnis and danced into paydirt.</p>
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<p id="JevMCH">The result of the deflection was a huge 14-point swing in the direction of the good guys. In that moment, the collective emotion inside Doak Campbell went from pure horror to pure jubiliation in a millisecond. A play that seemed so certain to end nightmarishly ended blissfully, almost as if designed that way. The Doak Campbell crowd was losing its mind when Peter Warrick strode into the endzone. Many of those Seminole faithful in the stands that night still say that was the loudest moment they experienced in Doak. You can see the pandimonium that ensues in the student section on the ABC broadcast.</p>
<p id="0twR2U">As a result of the improbable touchdown and extra point, FSU grabbed the lead for the first and final time in the game. The Seminole defense pitched a second half shutout, and Peter Warrick added another touchdown through the air early in the fourth quarter to ensure Steve Spurrier never won a game in Tallahassee as the head coach of the Florida Gators. The ‘Noles extended their home unbeaten streak to 40 games by a final of 23-12. Outzen finished the game going 13-22 for 213 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions. Gator QB Doug Johnson was intercepted three times by the FSU defense.</p>
<p id="75sugM">Florida State finished the season 11-1 and earned a berth in the inaugural BCS Championship Game. The most memorable play in Marcus Outzen’s unexpected Seminole career wasn’t pretty, but it ended up being beautiful. The magical Outzen to Warrick deflection was one of the most incredible plays in the Florida State-Florida rivalry, and made our cut for the No. 8 play in FSU football history.</p>
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https://www.tomahawknation.com/2018/8/26/17783250/top-100-fsu-football-plays-no-8-outzen-to-warrick-deflection-doak-juke-peter-roosterGriffinole