1980 Florida State Seminoles football team

American college football season August 2023 January 2026 1980 Florida State Seminoles football Florida State Seminoles old logo.svg 150 Independent 5 5 10–2 Bobby Bowden 5th George Henshaw 2nd Pro-style Jack Stanton 5th 4–3 Reggie Herring Greg Futch Ron Simmons Ken Lanier Doak Campbell Stadium Co-national champion (FACT) Orange Bowl L Lost 17–18 vs. Oklahoma The 1980 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University as an independent during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles compiled a record of 10–2 with a loss to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Florida State played home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The team was selected co-national champion by Rothman (FACT).http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records The National Collegiate Athletic Association November 13, 2018 114–115 Florida State finished No. 5 in the AP poll and the UPI poll. The Seminoles' offense scored 369 points while the defense allowed 103 points. Sam Platt led the team in rushing with 983 yards and 6 touchdowns. Rick Stockstill led the team in passing with 1377 yards and 15 touchdown passes. Michael Whiting led the team with 25 receptions while Hardis Johnson led with 419 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. Keith Jones led the team with 5 pass interceptions. Monk Bonasorte (DB), Bobby Butler (DB), Bill Capece (K), Greg Futch (G), Reggie Herring (LB), Ken Lanier (OT), Mark Macek (DT), Paul Piurowski (LB), and Rohn Stark (P) were selected to the first-team All-South independent team. Butler, Capece, Ron Simmons (NG), and Stark were selected as First team All-Americans. Bonasorte, Herring and Lanier were selected as second-team All-Americans, and Futch, Macek, and Piurowski were named honorable mention All-Americans by the Associated Press. Butler, Lanier, Simmons, Piurowski, and Capece were selected in the 1981 NFL draft. Butler was a first-round pick. Schedule 1980 AP Eastern September 6 w y 13 LSU Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, LA 16–0 77,535 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-opelika-auburn-news-seminole-defense/134416432/ The Opelika-Auburn News Seminole defense whitewashes LSU September 7, 1980 October 31, 2023 Newspapers.com September 13 w 10 Louisville Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL 52–0 52,623 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-520-seminole-bomb-sq/158449913/ The Tampa Tribune-Times 52–0! Seminole bomb squad demolishes Cardinals September 14, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com September 20 w 9 East Carolina Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL 63–7 50,547 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72670227/seminoles-bust-it-all-loose-637/ Tallahassee Democrat Seminoles bust it all loose 63–7 September 21, 1980 December 15, 2021 Newspapers.com September 27 l y 9 Miami (FL) Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL rivalry 9–10 50,008 https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-lauderdale-news-miami-wins-by-a-nos/158453557/ Fort Lauderdale News Miami wins by a nose, 10–9 September 28, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com October 4 w y 16 Nebraska 3 Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE 18–14 76,152 https://www.newspapers.com/article/wisconsin-state-journal-seminoles-put-bo/158455690/ Wisconsin State Journal Seminoles put boot to mighty Nebraska October 5, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com October 11 w 11 Pittsburgh 4 Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL 36–22 52,894 https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-seminoles-sizzle-on/158455762/ St. Petersburg Times Seminoles sizzle on October 12, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com October 18 w y 7 Boston College Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL 41–7 52,396 Seminoles soar over B.C. 41–7 Tallahassee Democrat October 19, 1980 10 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17517509/seminoles_soar_over_bc_417/ December 15, 2021 Newspapers.com October 25 w y 6 Memphis State Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN ABC 24–3 28,778 https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-press-no-6-fsu-wears-down-fired-up/158398788/ News-Press No. 6 FSU wears down fired-up Memphis St. 24–3 October 26, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com November 1 w 5 Tulsa Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL 45–2 47,683 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item-florida-state-rocks-tulsa/158455838/ The Daily Item Florida State rocks Tulsa November 2, 1980 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com November 8 w 3 Virginia Tech Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL ABC 31–7 51,487 https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90646134/seminoles-remain-immune-to-national-upse/ The Palm Beach Post Seminoles remain immune to national upset bug November 9, 1980 December 15, 2021 Newspapers.com December 6 w 3 Florida Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, FL rivalry ABC 17–13 53,772 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-commercial-appeal-seminoles-escape-t/134416143/ The Commercial Appeal Seminoles escape threat by Gators December 7, 1980 October 31, 2023 Newspapers.com January 1 l y 2 Oklahoma 4 Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL Orange Bowl NBC 17–18 71,043 https://www.newspapers.com/article/argus-leader-oklahoma-overhauls-florida/158455906/ Argus-Leader Oklahoma overhauls Florida State January 2, 1981 November 4, 2024 Newspapers.com 1980 Florida State Seminoles Schedule and Results Sports Reference LLC SR/College Football November 4, 2024 https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/florida-state/1980-schedule.html Game summaries At LSU Bill Capece kicked three field goals and Florida State’s defense held Louisiana State without any points as the Seminoles opened their season with a 16-0 victory in Tiger Stadium. Florida State led 6-0 at halftime on field goals of 34 and 35 yards by Capece. The only touchdown of the game came with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter. Sam Platt ran in from four yards out for the score. Louisville Rick Stockstill threw four touchdown passes as the Seminoles routed Louisville 52-0 before the biggest crowd ever (52,623) to see a football game at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles got the first six of their seven touchdowns on passes, as Kelly Lowrey and Blair Williams followed Stockstill with one apiece. Stockstill threw TD passes to Dennis McKinnon (8 yards), Zeke Mowatt (7 yards), Hardis Johnson (26 yards) and Phil Williams (19 yards). Johnson and McKinnon caught TD passes from Lowrey and Williams and Ron Hester returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. East Carolina With a devastating running game and formidable defense, the Seminoles romped to a 63-7 victory. Sam Platt ran for 130 yards on 29 carries and Mike Whiting 71 yards on 15 carries. Rick Stockstill completed 10 of 11 passes for 132 yards. Ahead 35-7 going into the final quarter, the Seminoles added four more touchdowns and 28 points in the 4th quarter. Michael Whiting, Ken Burnett and Larry Harris each ran for two touchdowns. FSU rolled up 559 yards of total offense while holding the Pirates to 102 yards of total offense. at Miami (FL) Florida State Seminoles 2; text-align:center collapsed #9 Florida State Seminoles (3–0) at Miami (FL) Hurricanes (3–0) September 27, 1980 Florida St 0 0 3 6 Miami (FL) 0 7 3 0 Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida 50,000 91 F C Recap/Box First quarter No scoring Second quarter UM – Jim Kelly 1-yard run (Dan Miller kick), 0:41. Miami (FL) 7–0. Third quarter FSU – Bill Capece 26-yard field goal. Miami (FL) 7–3. UM – Dan Miller 22-yard field goal. Miami (FL) 10–3. Fourth quarter FSU – Sam Childers 11-yard pass from Rick Stockstill (pass failed). Miami (FL) 10–9. Drive: 55 yards. Top passers FSU – Rick Stockstill – 19/30, 182 yards, TD, INT UM – Jim Kelly – 13/22, 172 yards Top rushers FSU – Sam Platt – 10 rushes, 23 yards UM Top receivers FSU – Hardis Johnson – 4 receptions, 55 yards UM right 1980 Florida State at Miami (FL) – Game broadcast Fumble after fumble after fumble on the quarterback-center exchange stymied the frustrated Seminoles throughout the game as Florida State lost its only regular season game by 10-9 thanks to a questionable flag thrown. FSU was flagged for pass interference on a ball that sailed ten feet over the head of a Miami receiver running down the sideline. Coach Bowden argued that the ball was clearly uncatchable to no avail. Back then, pass interference calls were spot fouls and this penalty allowed Miami to kick an easy field goal to go up 10-3. Even so, the Seminoles almost pulled it out in the final minutes, driving 55 yards to a touchdown that came on an 11 yard pass from Rick Stockstill to Sam Childers with 39 seconds left. Coach Bobby Bowden made the decision to go for a winning two points, rather than settle for a 10-10 tie. Stockstill’s pass in the quest for two hit the helmet of leaping nose guard at the line of scrimmage and never had a chance to reach a Seminole. This was the only loss in an otherwise outstanding season with the Seminoles defeating #3 Nebraska and #4 Pittsburgh in back-to-back games. At Nebraska Trailing by 4 points as the clock wound down under 15 seconds, Nebraska QB Jeff Quinn was hit only three yards from the end zone, forcing a fumble which was recovered by Florida State. The Seminoles escaped Lincoln with a win. Behind 14-0 by the middle of the second quarter, Florida State fought back. The Seminoles took the lead for good, at 15-14, on the third field goal by Bill Capece, with 1:16 left in the third quarter. Capece added a 41 yard field goal with 2:31 left in the game. Pittsburgh Bill Capece kicked five field goals and Florida State fought from behind to a 36-22 victory over previously unbeaten 4th ranked Pittsburgh. Rick Stockstill threw three touchdown passes. Stockstill’s TD passes went to Hardis Johnson (23 yards), Sam Childers (4 yards) and Kurt Unglaub (13 yards). Keith Jones, Monk Bonasorte and Bobby Butler intercepted Dan Marino passes to lead the defense. Boston College Bill Capece kicked four field goals, and linebacker Ron Hester twice blocked Boston College punts as Florida State beat Boston College, 41-7, before a homecoming crowd of 52,396 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Hester returned one of his blocked punts 33 yards for a touchdown. Michael Whiting, Rick Stockstill and Kelly Lowery all ran for touchdowns. At Memphis Sam Platt rushed for 188 yards in 29 carries, breaking the school single-game record, leading the Seminoles to a 24-3 victory. The Seminoles had 464 yards of total offense while holding the Tigers to 183 yards of total offense. Platt and Michael Whiting ran for touchdowns and Rick Stockstill threw an 18 yard TD pass to Hardis Johnson. Tulsa Florida State routed the Golden Hurricane in a 45-2 victory before 47,683 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium. Florida State outgained Tulsa 444 yards to 160 yards. Michael Whiting ran for two touchdowns, Sam Platt and Ricky Williams each ran for one. Rick Stockstill passed for two touchdowns, one to Hardis Johnson (17 yards) and Kurt Unglaub (10 yards). Virginia Tech Scoring two touchdowns in 51 seconds, Florida State's football team overcame a sluggish start and went on to whip Virginia Tech 31-7 at Doak Campbell Stadium. FSU moved to 8-0 on games televised on ABC under Bobby Bowden. The Seminoles fell behind 7-0, then poured it on, scoring 31 straight points. Rick Stockstill ran for a touchdown and threw two touchdowns to Hardis Johnson. Sam Platt added a 9 yard TD run in the 4th quarter. Florida Florida State Seminoles 2; text-align:center collapsed Florida Gators (7–3) at #3 Florida State Seminoles (9–1) December 6 Florida 7 6 0 0 Florida St 3 0 7 7 Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida 53,772 ABC Recap/Box First quarter FSU – Bill Capece 44-yard field goal, 8:28. Florida St 3–0. FLA – Tyrone Young 53-yard pass from Wayne Peace (Brian Clark kick), 2:31. Florida 7–3. Drive: 88 yards. Second quarter FLA – Brian Clark 38-yard field goal, 9:55. Florida 10–3. FLA – Brian Clark 36-yard field goal, 1:48. Florida 13–3. Third quarter FSU – Hardis Johnson 19-yard pass from Rick Stockstill (Bill Capece kick), 10:12. Florida 13–10. Fourth quarter FSU – Hardis Johnson 20-yard pass from Rick Stockstill (Bill Capece kick), 14:24. Florida St 17–13. Top passers FLA – Wayne Peace – 9/24, 160 yards, TD, 4 INT FSU – Rick Stockstill – 11/18, 137 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers FLA – FSU – Ricky Williams – 21 rushes, 75 yards Top receivers FLA – FSU – Hardis Johnson – 7 receptions, 107 yards Florida had a 13-3 lead well into the 3rd quarter on a Wayne Peace 53 yard TD pass to Tyrone Young and two Brian Clark field goals, one from 38 yards and the other from 36 yards. The Seminoles stormed back behind quarterback Rick Stockstill, who threw two touchdown passes to Hardis Johnson to lead the Noles to a 17-13 victory. Hardis Johnson - ABC Player of Game FSU: 16th straight win at home Oklahoma—Orange Bowl After a scoreless first quarter, Ricky Williams put Florida State ahead with his touchdown run, and Oklahoma countered with a long field goal by Mike Keeling; the Seminoles led 7–3 at halftime. To start the second half, Oklahoma drove 78 yards on twelve plays, and halfback David Overstreet scored from four yards out to take a 10–7 lead. A short field goal by Bill Capece tied the game at ten for the last tally of the third quarter. Four minutes into the final quarter, cornerback Bobby Butler recovered a botched punt snap in the end zone to give the Seminoles a 17–10 lead. With 3:19 remaining, Oklahoma's fate laid in the hands of senior quarterback J. C. Watts, who had turned the ball over three times on fumbles. He led the Sooners on a 78 yard drive, culminating with an eleven yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Rhodes with 1:33 remaining. Down by a point, Oklahoma opted for the two point conversion attempt, and Watts completed a pass to tight end Forrest Valora in the end zone for a one point lead. Florida State tried to counter back, but Capece's 62 yard field goal attempt fell short, and the Sooners were victorious Roster 1980 Florida State Seminoles f 65 Sr Trent Barnes C 63 Sr Lee Adams OG 75 Sr Tom Brannon OT Ken Burnett RB Sam Childers TE Darish Davis RB Greg Futch OL Larry Harris RB Rick Houston TE Hardis Johnson WR Homes Johnson RB 72 Sr Ken Lanier OT y Kelly Lowery QB John Madden OL 6 So Dennis McKinnon WR y 81 So Zeke Mowatt TE y Sam Platt WR Eric Riley RB 62 So Eric Ryan OT Ernie Sims RB Rick Stockstill QB y 56 Fr Jim Thompson C 18 So Weegie Thompson QB y 19 Sr Kurt Unglaub WR 73 Jr Barry Voltapetti OT 2 Fr Reggie Webb WR Tom Wheeler TE 27 Jr Michael Whiting FB y Blair Williams QB Phil Williams WR Ricky Williams RB 42 Sr Monk Bonasarte DB Roger Brownlee LB 21 Sr Bobby Butler Bobby Butler (American football) CB y 76 Fr Alphonso Carreker DL 24 So Harvey Clayton DB y Jarvis Coursey DL Garry Futch DL James Gilbert DL James Harris DB 40 Jr Gary Henry DB Reggie Herring LB Ron Hester LB Keith Jones DB 67 Sr Mark Macek DT 13 Fr Kim Mack DB y 60 Jr Scott McLean DL 53 Sr Paul Piurowski LB Arthur Scott DL 50 Sr Ron Simmons DL y 17 Sr Bill Capece K y 3 Jr Rohn Stark P y *Bobby Bowden George Henshaw (Offensive coordinator) Kent Schoolfield (Wide receivers) Dick Hopkins (Graduate assistant) References Florida State Category:Florida State Seminoles football seasons Florida State Seminoles football