Here are some off the wall facts and tidbits for the upcoming bowl game.
Rosters:
The current Michigan roster has 11 players from the state of Florida on it. The last player FSU signed from Michigan, was Dionte Allen in the class of 2007 nearly a decade ago. Allen eventually transferred to Ohio State. Allen was the first player to sign with FSU from the state of Michigan since LB Kirk Carruthers did in 1988.
Team Histories:
Michigan 1st season: 1879 (21-23 bowl record)
FSU's 1st season: 1947 (26-16-2 bowl record)
This will be 45th bowl game for both teams.
History with Michigan:
FSU is 1-1 all-time against the Wolverines so has an opportunity to take a winning record in the series for the first time in program history.
They have never played in Tallahassee although Bobby Bowden once said he'd like for them to come down for a game.
Our first game against Michigan was 30 years ago in 1986 where we lost 18-20. This game came not long after the passing of Pablo Lopez, a good friend of Odell Haggins. The QB for Michigan in that game was the current Michigan coach, Jim Harbauch. Current FSU coaches Lawrence Dawsey and Odell Haggins were on that FSU team although neither played in the game. However, they finally have a chance at a little payback.
Before that game:
Game:
The first 2 passes of the game Harbauch tried going long, but some sophomore guy named Deion Sanders put a stop to it. He was called for PI on one of them which was a terrible call. We were called for some pretty ticky tack stuff in the game from what I saw.
After that game:
In 1991 we faced off against Elvis Grbac and eventual Heisman winner, Desmond Howard.
Before the game:
Game:
Casey Weldon, Charlie Ward and Brad Johnson each completed passes in the game.
When sophomore Todderick McIntosh intercepted the football and ran it back for a TD, the last time he scored points in a football game was in little league.
After the game:
Meechigan & The West Virginia Connection:
We've probably all heard it and likely have even said it, but where did it come from and what does it have to do with FSU?
Well, nothing directly. Just that it started from the accent of former Michigan coaching great Fielding H. Yost. Yost was from a small town in West Virginia only about 12 miles from where Nick Saban is from and about 30 miles from where Jimbo Fisher is from.
So for fun, maybe listen closely to how Jimbo says Michigan to see if any of that old Yost accent ever comes out. That's a lot of football coaching firepower right there from a small area.
Dalvin Cook & Warrick Dunn:
Both of these RB greats are separated by 20 years and have a lot in common. They broke previous records, the only backs here to ever have back to back to back 1K yard seasons and much more. Cook has broken many of Dunn's records set back in 1996. At this same point in their careers though following their junior years, they were faced with the same option of leaving for the NFL or staying in school.
Dunn chose to return for his senior season:
This is where what they have in common likely stops. Well, that along with Cook not knowing what it feels like to lose to an in-state rival. With projections showing Cook as a likely 1st rounder in the next NFL Draft and possibly even the first RB taken, it is likely he will choose to forego his senior season. Hopefully like Dunn, he wins his last game of his junior year.
History in the Orange Bowl:
FSU is 4-5 in Orange Bowl games with a chance to erase a losing record in the bowl in this game.
We have had some classic games in the Orange Bowl, including where we won our first national championship against Nebraska.
3 of our 4 losses in the Orange Bowl have come at the hands of Oklahoma. One of the reasons they've been a thorn in our side along with costing us two national championships.
Our first trip to the Orange Bowl followed the 1979 season where the team went 11-0 earning their first undefeated regular season under Bobby Bowden. It was only 6 years and 2 coaches prior the Seminoles had gone 0-11. Bobby's quick turnaround of a very young program after taking it over in 1976, his only losing season at FSU, to a 10-win season in 1977 and an undefeated regular season in 1979 is still and will forever be one of the greatest turnarounds for a program in college football history. OU beat FSU 24-7 that that game with the help of Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims and didn't help Jimmy Jordan and Wally Woodham threw 3 interceptions between them after FSU had the 7-0 lead a good ways into the 3rd quarter. Reggie Herring, Monk Bonasorte, Ron Simmons and Paul Piurowski led the team in tackles. Reggie and Monk also forced fumbles. We recovered 4 in the game but couldn't capitalize.
Our next trip to the Orange Bowl was the very next season and against Oklahoma again. FSU entered the game 10-1 with a 1-point loss to Miami thanks to a failed 2-point conversion attempt. We lost to Oklahoma that day 17-18. Bill Capece missed field goal attempts that game of 49, 44 and a potential game-winner as time expired of 62 yards. FSU was 2 points away from an entire undefeated season.
The third trip to the Orange Bowl ended with a 27-14 victory over Nebraska and Tom Osborne. It was our first year in the ACC and for the 2nd year in a row, a close loss to Miami put us back in Miami for a bowl game.
Finally, when FSU faced off against Nebraska again following the 1993 season in the Orange Bowl, it brought home FSU's first national championship. For once, a failed FG went FSU's way. Behind by only 2 points, Nebraska completed a 29-yard pass on 2nd down to put them FG-range although FSU believed time had already expired. The officials granted Nebraska a timeout with 1 second remaining. Nebraska lined up for a 45-yard FG and the win. The kick sailed to the left and the luck finally went FSU's way, particularly with a kick, and we earned our first title.
In 1995, FSU returned to the Orange Bowl again to face off with Notre Dame and Lou Holtz. Down 14-26 with about 11 minutes left in the game, Danny Kanell led the team on 2 TD drives to take the lead and hold on to win. The first play went 73 yards on only 5 plays and the next went 70 yards on only 6 plays. Kanell finished each drive with a TD pass, one to EG Green, the next to Andre Cooper. Kanell found Cooper again after his TD catch for another in the endzone to add 2 points.
This game with Notre Dame was the last time the historic bowl was played in Orange Bowl Stadium before moving to Joe Robbie (Pro Player) Stadium. It was also FSU's unprecedented 11th straight bowl win.
The next 3 trips each ended with losses. Oklahoma again following the 2000 season (which I personally felt we had no business losing), Miami following the 2004 season and yet another loss to them thanks to a missed kick late in the game and finally to Penn State following the 2005 season in a triple OT classic between Bowden and Paterno. Against Penn State, Cismesia missed kicks of 44 and 38 yards, both in OT. PSU made a 29-yarder to win it after Cismesia's last miss.
The last trip to the Orange Bowl was Jimbo's first trip to the bowl against Northern Illinois and a 31-10 victory. Even in that game Dustin Hopkins missed a FG. Point is, with our lack of FG success there, hopefully we win big enough the game doesn't come down to a kick.
Rosters:
The current Michigan roster has 11 players from the state of Florida on it. The last player FSU signed from Michigan, was Dionte Allen in the class of 2007 nearly a decade ago. Allen eventually transferred to Ohio State. Allen was the first player to sign with FSU from the state of Michigan since LB Kirk Carruthers did in 1988.
Team Histories:
Michigan 1st season: 1879 (21-23 bowl record)
FSU's 1st season: 1947 (26-16-2 bowl record)
This will be 45th bowl game for both teams.
History with Michigan:
FSU is 1-1 all-time against the Wolverines so has an opportunity to take a winning record in the series for the first time in program history.
They have never played in Tallahassee although Bobby Bowden once said he'd like for them to come down for a game.
Our first game against Michigan was 30 years ago in 1986 where we lost 18-20. This game came not long after the passing of Pablo Lopez, a good friend of Odell Haggins. The QB for Michigan in that game was the current Michigan coach, Jim Harbauch. Current FSU coaches Lawrence Dawsey and Odell Haggins were on that FSU team although neither played in the game. However, they finally have a chance at a little payback.
Before that game:
The first 2 passes of the game Harbauch tried going long, but some sophomore guy named Deion Sanders put a stop to it. He was called for PI on one of them which was a terrible call. We were called for some pretty ticky tack stuff in the game from what I saw.
After that game:
Before the game:
Casey Weldon, Charlie Ward and Brad Johnson each completed passes in the game.
When sophomore Todderick McIntosh intercepted the football and ran it back for a TD, the last time he scored points in a football game was in little league.
After the game:
Meechigan & The West Virginia Connection:
We've probably all heard it and likely have even said it, but where did it come from and what does it have to do with FSU?
Well, nothing directly. Just that it started from the accent of former Michigan coaching great Fielding H. Yost. Yost was from a small town in West Virginia only about 12 miles from where Nick Saban is from and about 30 miles from where Jimbo Fisher is from.
So for fun, maybe listen closely to how Jimbo says Michigan to see if any of that old Yost accent ever comes out. That's a lot of football coaching firepower right there from a small area.
Dalvin Cook & Warrick Dunn:
Both of these RB greats are separated by 20 years and have a lot in common. They broke previous records, the only backs here to ever have back to back to back 1K yard seasons and much more. Cook has broken many of Dunn's records set back in 1996. At this same point in their careers though following their junior years, they were faced with the same option of leaving for the NFL or staying in school.
Dunn chose to return for his senior season:
History in the Orange Bowl:
FSU is 4-5 in Orange Bowl games with a chance to erase a losing record in the bowl in this game.
We have had some classic games in the Orange Bowl, including where we won our first national championship against Nebraska.
3 of our 4 losses in the Orange Bowl have come at the hands of Oklahoma. One of the reasons they've been a thorn in our side along with costing us two national championships.
Our first trip to the Orange Bowl followed the 1979 season where the team went 11-0 earning their first undefeated regular season under Bobby Bowden. It was only 6 years and 2 coaches prior the Seminoles had gone 0-11. Bobby's quick turnaround of a very young program after taking it over in 1976, his only losing season at FSU, to a 10-win season in 1977 and an undefeated regular season in 1979 is still and will forever be one of the greatest turnarounds for a program in college football history. OU beat FSU 24-7 that that game with the help of Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims and didn't help Jimmy Jordan and Wally Woodham threw 3 interceptions between them after FSU had the 7-0 lead a good ways into the 3rd quarter. Reggie Herring, Monk Bonasorte, Ron Simmons and Paul Piurowski led the team in tackles. Reggie and Monk also forced fumbles. We recovered 4 in the game but couldn't capitalize.
Our next trip to the Orange Bowl was the very next season and against Oklahoma again. FSU entered the game 10-1 with a 1-point loss to Miami thanks to a failed 2-point conversion attempt. We lost to Oklahoma that day 17-18. Bill Capece missed field goal attempts that game of 49, 44 and a potential game-winner as time expired of 62 yards. FSU was 2 points away from an entire undefeated season.
The third trip to the Orange Bowl ended with a 27-14 victory over Nebraska and Tom Osborne. It was our first year in the ACC and for the 2nd year in a row, a close loss to Miami put us back in Miami for a bowl game.
Finally, when FSU faced off against Nebraska again following the 1993 season in the Orange Bowl, it brought home FSU's first national championship. For once, a failed FG went FSU's way. Behind by only 2 points, Nebraska completed a 29-yard pass on 2nd down to put them FG-range although FSU believed time had already expired. The officials granted Nebraska a timeout with 1 second remaining. Nebraska lined up for a 45-yard FG and the win. The kick sailed to the left and the luck finally went FSU's way, particularly with a kick, and we earned our first title.
In 1995, FSU returned to the Orange Bowl again to face off with Notre Dame and Lou Holtz. Down 14-26 with about 11 minutes left in the game, Danny Kanell led the team on 2 TD drives to take the lead and hold on to win. The first play went 73 yards on only 5 plays and the next went 70 yards on only 6 plays. Kanell finished each drive with a TD pass, one to EG Green, the next to Andre Cooper. Kanell found Cooper again after his TD catch for another in the endzone to add 2 points.
This game with Notre Dame was the last time the historic bowl was played in Orange Bowl Stadium before moving to Joe Robbie (Pro Player) Stadium. It was also FSU's unprecedented 11th straight bowl win.
The next 3 trips each ended with losses. Oklahoma again following the 2000 season (which I personally felt we had no business losing), Miami following the 2004 season and yet another loss to them thanks to a missed kick late in the game and finally to Penn State following the 2005 season in a triple OT classic between Bowden and Paterno. Against Penn State, Cismesia missed kicks of 44 and 38 yards, both in OT. PSU made a 29-yarder to win it after Cismesia's last miss.
The last trip to the Orange Bowl was Jimbo's first trip to the bowl against Northern Illinois and a 31-10 victory. Even in that game Dustin Hopkins missed a FG. Point is, with our lack of FG success there, hopefully we win big enough the game doesn't come down to a kick.
