Former SEC Head Coach Chastises Bobby Bowden, FSU Football
The Florida State Seminoles are involved in some of the most prestigious rivalries in college sports. Whether it's the Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes, or Clemson Tigers, the competition is all that more exciting when it means a little more to the programs duking it out between the lines.
The rivalry between the Seminoles and Gators is particularly heated, especially when you consider the short distance between the two schools. Florida won 23 of the first 30 matchups in the rivalry while Florida State was building a competitive program. Since 1987, the 'Noles have held a 23-15-1 edge in the series, including a 24-15 victory this past season.
A paramount part of FSU's turnaround was the impact that legendary head coach Bobby Bowden delivered to Tallahassee. Bowden is remembered as one of the top coaches to ever come through the sport after winning 304 games and two national championships during his 34 seasons with the Seminoles.
There were plenty of coaches who weren't fond of Florida State's rise, particularly those who had to compete with the program in the Sunshine State. Former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier was known for his success on the field and personality off of it.
Spurrier and Bowden went head-to-head for over a decade during what was a successful period for both programs. The Seminoles ended up getting the better of him as Spurrier finished 5-8-1 in his matchups against Florida State from 1990-2001. That included a game dubbed the 'Choke at Doak' where FSU rallied from a 31-3 deficit to force a tie in 1994. The 'Noles won 23-17 in a rematch in the Sugar Bowl a few months later.
While reminiscing on recruiting battles in the 90s, Spurrier took a dig at Bowden and the Seminoles. Really, it sounds like he was just jealous about his ride.
“When we were going up against them, they were an independent school so, I hate to say it, but nobody was looking over their shoulder about the rules and all this, that and the other,” Spurrier recently said to The Athletic. “We’d bring some recruits in and their moms would say, ‘Coach, your parking lot of cars don’t look near as good as those up at FSU.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I know. That’s just the way it is right now. That’s all right.’ So they probably out-recruited us a little bit back in the ’90s, and of course, Miami was down there recruiting very well back then, also. But we got our share. We had a good bunch of guys.”
All in all, Bowden went 18-19-1 against the Gators. He concluded his college coaching career with a six-game losing streak to Florida. Former head coach Jimbo Fisher followed that up with a 7-1 record over FSU's primary rival before departing from the program.
In his first three tries, current head coach Mike Norvell has gotten off to a 2-1 start against the Gators. He helped guide the Seminoles to their first victory in Gainesville since 2017 despite relying on a backup quarterback after Jordan Travis was lost for the season.
READ MORE: Former FSU Football Star Jordan Travis Shows Off Progress Ahead Of NFL Combine
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