September 11 was a historical event and the date will always be remembered for obvious reasons as it should be. This weekend when the Noles take the field against USF it will be for Military Appreciation Day.
If you ever need to imagine a bit of a more positive memory for that date, and related to FSU football history, 25 years to the day before that tragic event in 2001, it was the date Bobby Bowden made his head coaching debut for Florida State in 1976 against Memphis State.
FSU was the first to score against Memphis St. Dave Cappelen scored the first points of the Bobby Bowden era, connecting on a 21 yard FG.
Cappelen
Given the history of FSU & Bobby's teams with kickers, it should be no surprise the first points would come from a kick. In the 4th quarter, Larry Key scored the first TD of the Bobby Bowden era with a 5 yard run.
Key
In the end, aided by 4 turnovers in the form of 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions by the Noles, Bobby's team only gave up points in the 2nd & 3rd quarters, but lost the game on the road 12-21 in front of nearly 32,000 in attendance.
The game marked Bobby Bowden's debut as the head coach for the Seminoles. It was also the 4th consecutive year the Noles lost their opening game and had gone 4-29 the previous 3 seasons. Bobby wouldn't lose another home opener again for over a decade (The "Seminole Rap" Miami game of '88). Over the next 30+ years of coaching after that first season, he only lost 5 season openers in all, 2 in the late 80's during the start of the dynasty, none in the 90's and 3 nearing the end of his career.
We all know how great Bobby's career was. The rest of Bobby Bowden's career speaks for itself and is well known around these parts, but it all began with that first game against Memphis St on September 11, 1976.
Not to take anything away from anything else and I know nobody on that day in 2001 thought anything about it being the 25th anniversary of when Bobby first took the field as our HC, but just wanted to give some Seminole history on the date...when college football's greatest coach first took the field for the Noles as their head coach.
If you ever need to imagine a bit of a more positive memory for that date, and related to FSU football history, 25 years to the day before that tragic event in 2001, it was the date Bobby Bowden made his head coaching debut for Florida State in 1976 against Memphis State.
FSU was the first to score against Memphis St. Dave Cappelen scored the first points of the Bobby Bowden era, connecting on a 21 yard FG.
Given the history of FSU & Bobby's teams with kickers, it should be no surprise the first points would come from a kick. In the 4th quarter, Larry Key scored the first TD of the Bobby Bowden era with a 5 yard run.
In the end, aided by 4 turnovers in the form of 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions by the Noles, Bobby's team only gave up points in the 2nd & 3rd quarters, but lost the game on the road 12-21 in front of nearly 32,000 in attendance.
The game marked Bobby Bowden's debut as the head coach for the Seminoles. It was also the 4th consecutive year the Noles lost their opening game and had gone 4-29 the previous 3 seasons. Bobby wouldn't lose another home opener again for over a decade (The "Seminole Rap" Miami game of '88). Over the next 30+ years of coaching after that first season, he only lost 5 season openers in all, 2 in the late 80's during the start of the dynasty, none in the 90's and 3 nearing the end of his career.
We all know how great Bobby's career was. The rest of Bobby Bowden's career speaks for itself and is well known around these parts, but it all began with that first game against Memphis St on September 11, 1976.
Not to take anything away from anything else and I know nobody on that day in 2001 thought anything about it being the 25th anniversary of when Bobby first took the field as our HC, but just wanted to give some Seminole history on the date...when college football's greatest coach first took the field for the Noles as their head coach.
