Florida State 18...Nebraska 16
January 1, 1994 Orange Bowl
The Huskers were the forgotten team. In a year with an epic clash between Notre Dame
and Florida State, Nebraska came in undefeated but nobody gave them a chance against
the mighty Seminoles. When you heard in 1999 that the national champion FSU team was
great but not as talented as past Seminole teams, this is the team they were referring
to. Little did Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Charlie Ward know what kind of tussle
they were in for. The defenses were the stars early as it was 0-0 after the first
quarter. After a Seminole field goal, the Huskers struck. Tommie Frazier, known as a
running quarterback, tossed a pass into a crowd. It was deflected into the hands of
Reggie Ball who took it for his first touchdown of the season and the underdog Huskers
an early lead. But the Noles kicking game kept them in it as Scott Bentley nailed a
second field goal to put FSU within one at halftime. The second half belonged to Nebraska
freshman running back Lawrence Phillips who was unstoppable but the Huskers were down
15-13 with 3 minutes to play. The Huskers' PK Byron Bennett was 0 for 4 since kicking
his last field goal two and a half months earlier and he missed two field goals in the
previous year's Orange Bowl. After a great defensive stand by the Noles from the 5 yard
line, Bennett came in and cooly punched it through the same uprights that were the scene
of Wide Right II which cost FSU a national title in 1992. With 1:16 to play and down one
point, the ball was in the hands of Ward who was having an efficient, but unspectacular,
game. A Ward pass to Warrick Dunn and a personal foul penalty on Nebraska
(a horrible call) followed by a pass interference call set up a Bentley field goal to give
FSU the win. Not quite. After a celebration penalty resulted in the Huskers getting the
ball near midfield with :14 to play, Frazier (after one incompletion) completed a pass
over the middle and was tackled with one second to go. The clock read :00 and Bowden was
given a Gatorade bath, he was giving a post-game interview wearing a national champion
hat and the fans poured onto the field. But no. The fates of the college football world
wouldn't make it so easy to give Bowden his first national title. The officials put one
second back on the clock. Bennett would get a final shot to break the hearts of Seminole
fans. They can't lose another national title on a kick can they? They didn't as Bennett
badly hooked the 45 yard attempt and FSU finally won their first national title after the
voters gave them the title over Notre Dame...who beat FSU earlier in the season.
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