Florida vs Florida State: 5 best games in rivalry history
With Florida and Florida State set to renew their heated rivalry on Saturday, here’s a look at the five best games in the history of the series.
It’s the most exciting time of the year for college football fans, as rivalry week is right around the corner.
One of the most intense in-state rivalries in the nation will renew on Saturday night when the No. 14 Florida State Seminoles host the No. 15 Florida Gators. The two teams have consistently been among college football’s elite tier for the past two decades, leading to some classic showdowns.
It’s not necessarily a banner year for either program, but there still will be plenty on the line in Tallahassee. The winner of Saturday’s game will greatly boost its chances of reaching the New Year’s Six, while Florida could even be in line for the playoff if it can miraculously top Florida State and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide over the next two weeks.
There were plenty of great games in the early days of the rivalry, particularly in the mid-1960s when Florida State first became competitive. However, the respective arrivals of Bobby Bowden and Steve Spurrier really turned things up a notch, leading to plenty of thrilling games between the Sunshine State rivals in the 1990s and early 2000s.
These five games not only stand out as the best in the history of the Florida-Florida State rivalry, but some of the most memorable matchups in college football history.
5. Ward to Dunn, 1993
With Bowden and Spurrier building powerhouses in the early 1990s, the 1993 edition of the Florida-Florida State rivalry carried some of the biggest stakes to date.
The No. 1 Seminoles entered the final week of the regular season with a mark of 10-1 and a chance to pick up a huge road win against No. 7 Florida, which was 9-1 on the year. Florida State was too much for the Gators early on, eventually opening up a 27-7 lead through three quarters behind Heisman winner Charlie Ward.
With the score at 27-14, Florida State put together a long drive that looked to have seal the victory. However, William Floyd fumbled on his own nine, and Florida cut the lead to 27-21 shortly after on an acrobatic 31-yard touchdown catch by Jack Jackson.
Florida had a chance to get the ball back with under five minutes left, as the Seminoles faced a third down on their own 21. Ward hit freshman Warrick Dunn on a 79-yard catch and run to clinch a dramatic 33-21 victory.
The victory propelled Florida State to its first claimed national title in school history. Florida would quickly recover with victories in the SEC Championship Game and Sugar Bowl.