Fansided

Florida vs Florida State: 5 best games in rivalry history

By Nathaniel Reeves

26 Nov 1994: Quarterback Danny Wuerffel of the University of Florida fumbles the football after being hit by Corey Fuller of Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. Mandatory Credit: ANDY LYONS/Allsport
26 Nov 1994: Quarterback Danny Wuerffel of the University of Florida fumbles the football after being hit by Corey Fuller of Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. Mandatory Credit: ANDY LYONS/Allsport /
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22 Nov 1997: Wide receiver Jacquez Green of the Florida Gators runs with the ball during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida. Florida won the game 32-29. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport
22 Nov 1997: Wide receiver Jacquez Green of the Florida Gators runs with the ball during a game against the Florida State Seminoles at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida. Florida won the game 32-29. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Allsport /

3. The Greatest Game Ever Played at the Swamp, 1997

Perhaps the most significant upset in the rivalry’s history came in 1997 at the height of the Bowden-Spurrier era.

Fresh off their first national championship in school history, the No. 10 Gators were enjoying another strong campaign at 8-2 entering the final week of the regular season. Still, many expected them to be no match for No. 1 Florida State, which entered the game at 10-0 with none of those wins decided by fewer than seven points.

Things only got more intense beforehand, as the two teams got involved in a pregame scuffle. Florida State played like a double-digit favorite early on by racing out to a 17-6 lead in the second quarter behind quarterback Thad Busby.

Florida clawed back to take an 18-17 lead at halftime on a short run by Fred Taylor. After a Florida State field goal opened the third, Taylor broke off a 61-yard touchdown run to put the Gators back on top 25-20.

The lead changed hands again on Travis Minor’s 18-yard touchdown run, and a short Sebastian Janikowski field goal put the Seminoles up 29-25 late. With 2:33 left to go, the Gators needed a long drive against the ultra-talented Florida State defense.

It took all of three plays for Florida to get the lead back, as Jacquez Green reeled in a 62-yard pass to set up a Taylor touchdown. Dwayne Thomas intercepted Busby early on the ensuing Seminole drive to seal a 32-29 Florida victory.

Not only was the 1997 edition one of the most well-played games of the rivalry, it denied Florida State a chance to play for the national title after the Seminoles dominated all season long.

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