Florida State Loses to Florida, Snaps 36-Year Bowl Streak

Florida State won three national championships since last missing a bowl game in 1981.
Florida State Loses to Florida, Snaps 36-Year Bowl Streak
Florida State Loses to Florida, Snaps 36-Year Bowl Streak /

Florida's 41-14 victory over Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. on Saturday ended a pair of streaks.

The Gators' win snapped Florida State's five-game winning streak in the rivalry, and also ended the Seminoles' 36-year run of reaching a bowl game. 2018 will mark Florida State's first year without a postseason appearance since 1981, ending the longest streak in college football history.

The Seminoles had three coaches in their 36-year streak, with Bobby Bowden leading the way for 28 seasons. Florida State went 26–9–1 in bowl games since 1982, winning 11 straight from 1985-95. The Seminoles won the national championship in 1993, 1999 and 2013.

Florida State's bowl streak looked safe midway through 2018 as the Seminoles sat at 4–3 following a win over Wake Forest on Oct. 20. But three-consecutive defeats gave Florida State six losses heading into the final two weeks of the season, needing wins against Boston College and Florida to keep the streak alive. Florida State took care of business against the Eagles, but couldn't do the same on Saturday, limping to the finish line in a 27-point loss. 


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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.