Mike Norvell’s top 10 FSU games: Ranking the most entertaining (games 10

Florida State football has been through a rollercoaster of emotions since head coach Mike Norvell took over before the 2020 season.

Two losing campaigns before two 10-win seasons brought forth a lot of surprises alongside a lot of agony and heartbreak. These moments occurred both on and off the field, such as the lifting of the ACC Championship trophy, Jordan Travis' injury, and the College Football Playoff snub.

All of these moments remain fresh in the minds of Florida State fans, but let's look back at the football contests themselves of the last five seasons.

Just a reminder: this is an attempt to rank the most entertaining, instantly-classic matchups of the last half-decade, not necessarily the most impactful contests for the FSU program or Norvell's best-coached games, or even the most entertaining games in which the Seminoles came out on top.

To all the Florida State fans out there, brace yourself. There are some losses in this list. Moreover, there might be some heartbreaking reminders.

So, let's get into it, starting with games 10-6. You can find the breakdown of the honorable mentions of this list on NoleGameday's home page.

No. 10: #5 Florida State 16, v #15 Louisville 6 (2023 ACC Championship Game)

The night of the 2023 ACC Championship for Florida State fans felt like a coronation after a decade-long internal strife. After losing their starting quarterback, their backup quarterback, their sense of pride after the 2021 Jacksonville State debacle, their sense of hope during the Willie Taggart years, and their sense of joy from all the losses to rivals, it felt as though 'Noles had reached the promised land:

A shot at a national title once again. However, it wasn't meant to be.

The 2023 ACC Championship Game proved that human beings can dig deep and find that extra gear when the going gets tough. It felt like the Seminoles won one for "The Gipper." Life often imitates art.

The contest itself was fascinating. In probably Mike Norvell's best-coached game, he demonstrated his ability to adapt and game plan for a solid running team led by RB Jawhar Jordan, who rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season heading into the game.

The Seminoles accrued seven sacks for 59 yards. Defensive lineman Braden Fiske had three sacks, defensive end Jared Verse had two, and linebacker Tatum Bethune recorded one of the most underrated interceptions in school history, which kept the Cardinals out of the end zone.

Unless you're partial to defensive slugfests like me, then perhaps this game wasn't for you. However, the stakes of this game, combined with the storylines made for an excellent game.

No. 9: Florida State 31, v #5 North Carolina 28 (2020)

This game had a unique buzz around it as the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels came to Tallahassee with one of its most hyped teams ever. Quarterback Sam Howell was initially committed to FSU, and it appeared he made the right choice in switching his allegiance. COVID-19 was still in full effect, and the crowd was only at 25% capacity, but it still got rowdy.

FSU was 1-3 heading into this contest, but Mack Brown, the head coach of the Heels at the time, had never beaten his alma mater (FSU). The 'Noles jumped to a 31-7 lead at the half thanks to a pick six, two blocked punts, and three Jordan Travis TDs. But FSU couldn't get anything across the board in the second half.

UNC came storming back and had a chance to win the game late in the fourth quarter, but two consecutive wide-open dropped passes led to a turnover on downs and a Seminole win.

A couple of interesting fact nuggets on this game: This was the first time the Marching Chiefs positioned themselves next to the student section. Also, a student kept his promise that he made before the game, getting a tattoo of Mike Norvell with a cornrows hairstyle on his thigh. Who could hate college football?

No. 8: #13 Florida State 17, at #23 North Carolina State 19, (2022)

Florida State University and Raleigh, North Carolina, have never seen eye to eye. FSU fans sadly remember the 2012 game at NC State in which the Wolfpack scored 16 unanswered to beat the No. 3 ranked 'Noles, 17-16.

In 2022, history repeated itself when the 'Noles held a commanding 17-3 lead at the end of the first half.

While the offense certainly sputtered, a comedy of errors led to the Seminoles' demise, including an illegal punt from Alex Mastromanno past the line of scrimmage and a late interception from Travis despite the Garnet and Gold being in field goal range.

Could Mastromanno have run for the first down? Did Mycah Pittman run the wrong route? Did Travis throw to the wrong spot? Should the Seminoles have put the ball in the air in the first place?

That game certainly took the wind out of FSU's sails heading into its home matchup against #4 Clemson the next week.

No. 7: Florida State 20, at Clemson 30 (2021)

This game was a lot closer than the scoreline showed. Florida State actually had a three-point lead late in the fourth, but a three-play drive (aided by two 15-yard penalties from FSU) and a 21-yard TD from RB Will Shipley put the Tigers up four with about three minutes left. The 'Noles couldn't drive down the field and score, and gave up a scoop and score on the last play of the game.

What made this game so memorable was FSU's ability to score in uncanny ways in the most daunting collegiate atmosphere at the time. Clemson hadn't lost at home since 2016, and it seemed as though Florida State would end their streak in a surprise upset.

For instance, FSU's second touchdown came on a 75-yard pass to Lawrance Toafili, who appeared down when he was tackled, but his knee never touched the ground. He then tiptoed down the sideline for the score.

Then, in the fourth quarter, both offenses were struggling, the Seminole defense capitalized as DE Jermaine Johnson II strip-sacked DJ Uiagalelei and returned it six yards for the score.

Perhaps not as good as some other games on this list from a pure football perspective, but the rivalry game aspect added with the sheer chaos of this contest puts it higher in the rankings.

No. 6: #5 Florida State 24, at Florida 15 (2023)

Just one week removed from Jordan Travis' gruesome leg injury, the Seminoles turned to backup QB Tate Rodemaker in the Swamp.

Florida State was attempting to keep its perfect season alive and prove to the committee that it could win in a hostile environment without Jordan Travis. The Gators — also turning to their backup QB Max Brown — were looking to play spoiler to one of their biggest rivals and become bowl-eligible in the process.

The Gators jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, but two FSU touchdowns — both by Trey Benson — put the Seminoles ahead early in the second half. A UF field goal gave the Gators a slight edge, but an answer from FSU PK Ryan Fitzgerald and another Trey Benson touchdown run put the game away late.

This edition of the Sunshine Showdown felt like a blast from the past.

In a similar vein to the 2023 ACC Championship Game, Trey Benson's draining of the Swamp through the ground game proved that FSU was not fully reliant on Jordan Travis' Houdini magic, but it also demonstrated just how much harder it was without him.

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