Florida State Football - 1979 Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Bobby Bowden, Head Coach Jim Gladden, Defensive Ends Jake Gonos, Graduate Assistant Bob Harbison, Administrative Assistant George Henshaw, Offensive Coordinator, Offensive Line Nick Kish, Running Backs, Recruiting Coordinator Gene McDowell, Linebackers Kent Schoolfield, Receivers Billy Sexton, Quarterbacks Bill Shaw, Defensive Line Jack Stanton, Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Backs  Click here to see indivual mug shots |
 Wally Woodham and Jimmy Jordan |
Roger Brownlee, 6-3, 195, LB, Doctors Inlet - Totaled nine letters while attending Orange Park Senior High School...football and track were his specialties...was a second team choice on the football 4-A All-Florida team as a senior...comes to the Seminoles with not only good athletic but also excellent academic credentials.
Ken Burnett, 6-0, 192, QB-DB, Brandon - Was an honorable mention 4-A football selection as a senior...Seminole coaches report he "has a strong arm and very quick feet"...if he does not make it at quarterback position there are several other positions he could play...brother Mike played defensive back for Tampa in Early 1970s.
Greg Cary, 6-1, 176, DB, Tampa - Seminole mentor Bobby Bowden says about Greg "he's a very smart defender with good knowledge of the secondary, who's also a hard hitter"...one of the few players to graduate from Tampa Jesuit and come to FSU...Florida prep sportswriters placed him on their 3-A team after 1978 season.
Harvey Clayton, 5-9, 164, DB, Florida City - Graduated last December from high school (South Dade) and enrolled in January at Florida State...went through spring practice and worked his way into a second unit position...4.66 speed in 40...has advantage of playing behind Bobby Butler and learning position from one of the best...was described after spring as being "green with a lot of ability"...born April 4, 1961...parent: Mrs. Emma Lee Clayton.
Brad Fojtik, 6-4, 197, DE, Auburndale - Attended Santa Fe High School where he earned a total of five varsity letters - two football, two track and one basketball...born on the same day as another freshman, Roger Brownlee...they will celebrate their 18th birthday on September 17, two days after Seminoles meet Arizona State in Tampa...was high school's most valuable performer in football (1978) and track (1978 and 1979).
Herbert Harp, 6-2, 275, DL, Winter Garden - Despite his size, Herbert has "super quickness and reactions for a big man" according to Jim Gladden, the Seminole assistant coach responsible for Harp's signing...made the first team of Florida 4-A all-star squad last fall.
Robert Harris, 6-2, 245, DL, Miami - Played at Norland High School in Miami...signed with the Seminoles on the first day allowed by the southern letter of intent...joined another FSU freshman, Herbert Harp, as a first teamer on the Florida High School 4-A all-star team defensive line.
Cliff Holiday, 5-8, 161, DB-RB, Newnan, GA - Don't let size fool you on this freshman...he is an outstanding runningback candidate...probably will receive a long look at start og fall practice as a kick return specialist - an area where the Seminoles lacked last year.
Hardis Johnson, 6-0, 172, WR, Tampa - Hails from the same high school that produced Seminole basketball standout Murray Brown, the nation's leading field goal shooter in 1978-79...another 4-A all-state performer who elected to continue his career with the Seminoles...coaches describe him as having "darting quickness and graceful agility who can contribute quickly."
Tony Johnson, 6-2, 160, WR, Dothan, AL - Has ability to play either offensive or defensive back...was an honorable mention choice for Alabama on the All-Southern team picked by the Orlando Sentinel-Star...was also selected for Alabama's 1-A all-star squad...played on Wicksburg High School team with another freshman, Ricky Render, a defensive line candidate.
Kelly Lowrey, 6-1, 210, QB, Lake City - Joins former high school teammate Tommy Young on the Seminole roster...has the arm to be a quarterback in the Seminole offensive system, but size to play other positions...a multi-sport athlete for Columbia High Scool coaches.
Dennis McKinnon, 6-2, 175, WR, Miami - One of the blue-chip listings last fall described him as "being a versatile talent who would help any team"...was on the "Florida Sweet 16" compiled by Orlando sportswriter Bill Buchalter who wrote "runs smooth patterns, great hands, concentration and makes plays look easy"...a two-time All-Dade County.
Tony Messina, 5-9, 180, C, Tallahassee - The "old man" of the Seminole football roster...Tony is 44 years old (born September 28, 1934) but came out for the team in January and made it though off-season program and the 20 days of spring drills...is retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and a grandfather...was featured in nationwide wire service story last spring and also subject of an NBC-TV Sunday Night News segment.
Zeke Mowatt, 6-3, 220, TE, Wauchula - Seminole coaching staff needed to out-recruit many schools to land this youngster...Michigan was among those who were most interested...attended Hardee County High School where he picked up varsity letters in football (three), basketball (four) and track (two)...in addition to tight end he could also play defensive end or linebacker.
Chris Nickrenz, 6-6, 252, OT, Buffalo, NY - The only player from outside the deep south who will be a member of the freshman class...was considered one of the north's outstanding "big men" in the recruiting wars...has run a 23.4 220-yard dash...attended Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute where he holds school records in shot put and discus...was named to the Coach's All-American football team.
Ricky Render, 6-4, 220, DL, Ozark, AL - Comes from the same high school that sends wide receiver Tony Johnson to the Seminoles...will probably br tried at several positions before coaching staff decides what spot will suit him best in Garnet and Gold uniform.
Ellis Singletary, 5-9, 210, LB, Jasper - Most valuable player at Hamilton County High School three consecutive years and most improved one season...has great strength to combine with good quickness...won a high school art award for being "best artist" and also received academic honors in world history and physical education.
Greg Thompson, 6-1, 180, WR, Apopka - Late addition to the recruiting list...has good speed and flexibility...might have been overlooked by many colleges because he played for a smaller high school...he is described as being a "deceptive runner with good speed."
Weegie Thompson, 6-5, 210, QB, Midlothian, VA - Weegie is the nickname, his full name is Willis Hope...comes from the same high school as Seminole offensive coordinator George Henshaw...a first team all-stater, he was also a Virginia representative on the All-Southern team...lived in Pensacola, Fl until he was a high school freshman...last year he completed 35 of 98 passes for a 5-5 high school team, but 10 of the completions were for touchdowns...he also rushed for 603 yards and eight scores.
Mark Trimble, 6-3, 176, QB, Tampa - One of three players from the city of Tampa who will be joining the Seminole ranks...is a "Christmas Baby" after being born on December 25, 1960...Tampa Tribune Sports Editor Tom McEwen wrote last December that Trimble "may be the most versatile football player in the state"...is regarded as a good kicking prospect and could play any of five positions in college.
Mike Walker, 5-11, 180, RB, Orlando - Seminole coaches say Mike reminds them of Larry Key, who graduated in 1977 and is now playing in the Canadian League...has ability to cut without losing speed and is a punishing runner...ran a 21.7 220 split while participating in track...made both the All-Southern and Florida 4-A all-star teams.
Tom Wheeler, 6-3, 200, DB-QB, South Daytona - Played for Spruce Creek High School of Port Orange, Fl...threw for better than 1,400 yards as a high school senior which helped make him Daytona Quarterback Club Player of the Year and recipient of the Benny Kahn Memorial Award...a member of the Florida 4-A all-star team that was picked by state sportswriters.
Terry Widner, 6-5, 250, OG, Donalsonville, GA - Will play either offensive guard or tackle...attended Seminole County High School where he was elected team's 1978 football captain...was also winner of the school's Mike Bowen Leadership Award...invited to be a participant in the Georgi High School all-star game...will major in hotel and resaurant management at FSU.
Blair Williams, 6-0, 165, QB, Tallahassee - Continues the Tallahassee Leon High School quarterback tradition for Florida State...this season's starters - Jimmy Jordan and Wally Woodham - both hail from the same high school and quarterback coach Billy Sexton is also an ex-Leon Lion...like Jordan and Woodham, he'll never be recognized for his running, only his ability to drop back and throw the ball...a member of the All-Southern team and Buchalter's "Florida Sweet 16."
Ricky Williams, 5-11, 170, RB, Griffin, GA - Graduated six months early from high school and attended FSU last winter...that allowed him to participate in spring drills and gain valuable experience that should aid him this fall...the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Ricky its 4-A Back of the Year in '78...played on Griffin High School team that tied Valdosta, 7-7, for state championship...will be quickest back on the squad with 4.5 speed in the 40...had 2,238 yards of offense as a senior with 14 touchdowns...born March 28, 1961...parent: Mrs. Georgia B. Williams.
1979 Roster - By Name
From the 1979 FSU Football Press Guide, page 52.
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
63 Lee Adams OG 6-4 245 Jr * Ruskin (East Bay/Georgia Tech)
52 Willie Andrusko C 6-5 227 So Atlanta, GA (North Springs)
57 Keith Baker LB 6-0 195 So Delray Beach (Atlantic)
65 Trent Barnes OG 6-4 230 Jr Lakeland (Lakeland)
* 42 Monk Bonasorte DB 6-1 177 Jr ** Pittsburgh, PA (Bishop Boyle)
88 Jeff Bowden WR 5-7 165 So Tallahassee (Lincoln)
* 75 Tom Brannon OT 6-3 240 Jr Albany, GA (Riverview Academy)
61 Brent Brock OG 6-4 235 Jr-R Albany, GA (Albany)
45 Roger Brownlee LB 6-3 195 Fr Doctors Inlet (Orange Park)
49 Ken Burnett QB-DB 6-0 192 Fr Brandon (Brandon)
38 Kelly Burney RB 5-9 180 So Miami (Jackson)
* 21 Bobby Butler DB 5-11 185 Jr ** Delray Beach (Atlantic)
* 17 Bill Capece PK 5-11 190 Jr ** Miami (Chaminade)
* 1 Dave Cappelen PK 5-9 140 Sr *** Vero Beach (Vero Beach)
* 76 Walter Carter DT 6-4 240 Sr *** Richmond, VA (Walker)
37 Greg Cary DB 6-1 176 Fr Tampa (Jesuit)
* 31 Gator Cherry FB 6-0 205 Sr-R ** Lake Wales (Lake Wales)
* 84 Sam Childers TE 6-2 195 So * Tallahassee (Leon)
24 Harvey Clayton DB 5-9 164 Fr Florida City (South Dade)
Ron Clewis C 6-2 220 Jr Pensacola (Escambia)
92 David Cloud DT 6-3 235 Fr Marianna (Marianna)
47 Bryan Cobb LB 6-3 200 Jr Glennville, GA (Glennville)
66 Redus Coggin OG 6-3 230 So Chipley (Chipley)
78 Mike Coleman OT 6-4 235 Jr Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day)
* 74 Danny Collier OT 6-4 250 So Eau Gallie (Eau Gallie)
* 64 Jarvis Coursey DE 6-5 195 So * Gray, GA (Jonesco Academy)
Tim Davis QB 6-1 190 Jr Dover (Plant City)
91 John Diamantas DT 6-3 230 So Merritt Island (Merritt Island)
20 Jeff Ector DB 5-11 175 Fr Griffin, GA
93 David Ellis OT 6-3 235 So Paisley (Umatilla)
62 Charles Ferguson LB 6-1 212 So * Delray Beach (Boca Raton)
68 Jeff Field OG 6-1 225 Jr Albany, GA (Westover)
* 23 Jackie Flowers WR 6-2 195 Sr *** Jacksonville (Raines)
98 Brad Fojtik DE 6-4 197 Fr Auburndale (Santa Fe Catholic)
* 79 Garry Futch DE 6-3 220 So Ocala (Forest)
* 70 Greg Futch OT 6-3 245 Jr-R ** Ocala (Forest)
* 51 James Gilbert NG 6-2 235 So * Miami (Carol City)
* 69 Mike Good OG 6-2 230 Sr *** Sanford (Seminole)
* 43 Hector Gray DB 6-1 190 Sr-R * Miami (Miami Springs)
97 Herbert Harp DL 6-2 275 Fr Winter Garden (West Orange)
* 33 James Harris DB 6-0 170 So Gainesville (Buchholz)
59 Robert Harris DL 6-2 245 Fr Miami (Norland)
* 40 Gary Henry DB 6-1 185 So * Orlando (Oak Ridge)
* 39 Reggie Herring LB 6-2 195 Jr * Titusville (Astronaut)
83 Ron Hester TE 6-2 205 Jr Umatilla (Umatilla)
36 Cliff Holiday DB-RB 5-8 161 Fr Newnan, GA (Newnan)
4 Rick Houston QB 6-1 190 Sr Orlando (Edgewater)
* 46 Ivory Joe Hunter DB 5-11 180 Sr-R ** Tallahassee (Leon)
* 22 Hardis Johnson WR 6-0 172 Fr Tampa (Robinson)
Homer Johnson DB 6-3 192 Sr Pompano Beach (Pompano Beach)
22 Homes Johnson RB 5-10 180 Jr * Lake Hamilton (Haines City)
82 Tony Johnson WR 6-2 160 Fr Dothan, AL (Wicksburg)
96 Carlton Jones DT 6-1 230 Jr-R * Fitzgerald, GA (Irwin County)
* 28 Keith Jones DB 5-11 185 Jr * Wildwood (Wildwood)
Wayne Jones DB 5-11 171 So Jacksonville (Jackson)
* 15 Jimmy Jordan QB 6-1 185 Sr *** Tallahassee (Leon)
86 Bill Keck TE 6-4 220 Jr * Newark, OH (Newark)
* 30 Keith Kennedy RB 5-10 180 Sr * Red Bay, AL (Red Bay)
* 85 Grady King TE 6-4 205 Sr ** Satellite Beach (Satellite)
* 72 Ken Lanier OT 6-4 260 Jr ** Columbus, OH (Marion Franklin)
13 Kelly Lowrey QB 6-1 210 Fr Lake City (Columbia)
* 48 Mark Lyles FB 6-4 232 Sr *** Buffalo, NY (Cleveland)
* 67 Mark Macek DT 6-2 235 Jr ** Wyandotte, MI (Roosevelt)
* 58 John Madden C 6-2 218 Jr * Fort Walton Beach (Choctawhatchee)
Tim McGuffin WR 6-1 170 So Middleburg (Orange Park)
6 Dennis McKinnon WR 6-2 175 Fr Miami (South Miami)
* 60 Scott McLean DT 6-4 218 So * Clermont (Clermont)
71 Bob Merson OG 6-3 238 So Seminole (Seminole)
Tony Messina C 5-9 180 So Tallahassee (Watertown)
Jeremy Millinoff DB 6-0 187 So Gainesville (Buchholz)
* 77 Jeremy Mindlin DT 6-3 230 Sr-R * Miami (South Miami)
18 Joe Moss WR 6-1 176 So Jacksonville (Stanton)
81 Zeke Mowatt TE 6-3 220 Fr Wauchula (Hardee)
* 73 Chris Nickrenz OT 6-6 252 Fr Buffalo, NY (Saint Joseph)
* 53 Paul Piurowski LB 6-3 205 Jr ** Sarasota (Sarasota)
* 29 Sam Platt WR 5-11 176 Jr * Jacksonville (Wolfson)
Brian Poag LB 6-2 240 So Jacksonville (Terry Parker)
* 32 Greg Ramsey RB 5-10 170 Sr-R ** Fort Lauderdale (Dothan)
Scott Redditt LB 5-11 195 So Altamonte Springs (Lake Brantley)
99 Ricky Render DL 6-4 220 Fr Ozark, AL (Wicksburg)
* 90 Edenbur Richardson DE 6-3 206 Sr ** Crystal River (Crystal River)
56 Dmitri Rigas NG 6-2 210 So-R Augusta, GA (Glenn Hills)
Mark Rodrigue DE 6-3 215 So Tallahassee (Choctawhatchee)
62 Eric Ryan OG 6-4 225 Fr-R Sarasota (Sarasota)
Ernie Saltmarsh QB 5-11 193 Jr Jacksonville (Wolfson)
* 54 Arthur Scott DE 6-2 222 Jr-R * Tampa (Brandon)
* 50 Ron Simmons NG 6-1 220 Jr ** Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins)
94 Mark Sims LB 6-4 215 So Bonifay (Holmes County)
35 Ellis Singletary LB 5-9 210 Fr Jasper (Hamilton County)
7 Mike Smith DB 5-11 185 Jr * Panama City (Bay)
* 3 Rohn Stark P 6-3 195 So * Fifty Lakes, MN (Pine River)
* 11 Rick Stockstill QB 6-1 182 So-R Fernandina Beach (Fernandina Beach)
82 Lawrence Strainge WR 6-3 175 So Delray Beach (Boca Raton)
9 Greg Thompson WR 6-1 180 Fr Apopka (Apopka)
18 Weegie Thompson QB 6-5 210 Fr Midlothian, VA (Midlothian)
Mark Trimble QB 6-3 176 Fr Tampa (Leto)
19 Kurt Unglaub WR 5-11 175 Sr *** Tallahassee (Leon)
71 Barry Voltapetti OT 6-5 225 So-R Miami (Chaminade)
10 Mike Walker RB 5-11 180 Fr Orlando (Oak Ridge)
* 26 Wade Wallace FB 5-10 190 Sr * Birmingham, AL (Tarrant)
* 80 Scott Warren DE 6-3 228 Sr *** Titusville (Astronaut)
* 55 Gil Wesley C 6-1 220 Sr ** Birmingham, AL (Woodlawn)
89 Tom Wheeler DB-QB 6-3 200 Fr South Daytona (Spruce Creek)
* 27 Michael Whiting RB 6-2 195 So * Largo (Largo)
95 Terry Widner OG 6-5 250 Fr Donalsonville, GA (Seminole County)
14 Blair Williams QB 6-0 165 Fr Tallahassee (Leon)
Mike Williams TB 6-3 185 Fr Bartow (Bartow)
* 87 Phil Williams WR 5-10 168 Jr * Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins)
* 44 Ricky Williams RB 5-11 170 Fr Griffin, GA (Griffin)
Dale Winslette DE 6-4 203 So Fort Walton Beach (Fort Walton Beach)
* 12 Wally Woodham QB 5-11 182 Sr-R ** Tallahassee (Leon)
41 Tommy Young RB 6-0 195 So Lake City (Columbia)
1979 Roster - By Number
From the 1979 FSU Football Press Guide, page 52.
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Clewis C 6-2 220 Jr Pensacola (Escambia)
Tim Davis QB 6-1 190 Jr Dover (Plant City)
Homer Johnson DB 6-3 192 Sr Pompano Beach (Pompano Beach)
Wayne Jones DB 5-11 171 So Jacksonville (Jackson)
Tim McGuffin WR 6-1 170 So Middleburg (Orange Park)
Tony Messina C 5-9 180 So Tallahassee (Watertown)
Jeremy Millinoff DB 6-0 187 So Gainesville (Buchholz)
Brian Poag LB 6-2 240 So Jacksonville (Terry Parker)
Scott Redditt LB 5-11 195 So Altamonte Springs (Lake Brantley)
Mark Rodrigue DE 6-3 215 So Tallahassee (Choctawhatchee)
Ernie Saltmarsh QB 5-11 193 Jr Jacksonville (Wolfson)
Mark Trimble QB 6-3 176 Fr Tampa (Leto)
Mike Williams TB 6-3 185 Fr Bartow (Bartow)
Dale Winslette DE 6-4 203 So Fort Walton Beach (Fort Walton Beach)
* 1 Dave Cappelen PK 5-9 140 Sr *** Vero Beach (Vero Beach)
* 3 Rohn Stark P 6-3 195 So * Fifty Lakes, MN (Pine River)
4 Rick Houston QB 6-1 190 Sr Orlando (Edgewater)
6 Dennis McKinnon WR 6-2 175 Fr Miami (South Miami)
7 Mike Smith DB 5-11 185 Jr * Panama City (Bay)
9 Greg Thompson WR 6-1 180 Fr Apopka (Apopka)
10 Mike Walker RB 5-11 180 Fr Orlando (Oak Ridge)
* 11 Rick Stockstill QB 6-1 182 So-R Fernandina Beach (Fernandina Beach)
* 12 Wally Woodham QB 5-11 182 Sr-R ** Tallahassee (Leon)
13 Kelly Lowrey QB 6-1 210 Fr Lake City (Columbia)
14 Blair Williams QB 6-0 165 Fr Tallahassee (Leon)
* 15 Jimmy Jordan QB 6-1 185 Sr *** Tallahassee (Leon)
* 17 Bill Capece PK 5-11 190 Jr ** Miami (Chaminade)
18 Joe Moss WR 6-1 176 So Jacksonville (Stanton)
18 Weegie Thompson QB 6-5 210 Fr Midlothian, VA (Midlothian)
19 Kurt Unglaub WR 5-11 175 Sr *** Tallahassee (Leon)
20 Jeff Ector DB 5-11 175 Fr Griffin, GA
* 21 Bobby Butler DB 5-11 185 Jr ** Delray Beach (Atlantic)
* 22 Hardis Johnson WR 6-0 172 Fr Tampa (Robinson)
22 Homes Johnson RB 5-10 180 Jr * Lake Hamilton (Haines City)
* 23 Jackie Flowers WR 6-2 195 Sr *** Jacksonville (Raines)
24 Harvey Clayton DB 5-9 164 Fr Florida City (South Dade)
* 26 Wade Wallace FB 5-10 190 Sr * Birmingham, AL (Tarrant)
* 27 Michael Whiting RB 6-2 195 So * Largo (Largo)
* 28 Keith Jones DB 5-11 185 Jr * Wildwood (Wildwood)
* 29 Sam Platt WR 5-11 176 Jr * Jacksonville (Wolfson)
* 30 Keith Kennedy RB 5-10 180 Sr * Red Bay, AL (Red Bay)
* 31 Gator Cherry FB 6-0 205 Sr-R ** Lake Wales (Lake Wales)
* 32 Greg Ramsey RB 5-10 170 Sr-R ** Fort Lauderdale (Dothan)
* 33 James Harris DB 6-0 170 So Gainesville (Buchholz)
35 Ellis Singletary LB 5-9 210 Fr Jasper (Hamilton County)
36 Cliff Holiday DB-RB 5-8 161 Fr Newnan, GA (Newnan)
37 Greg Cary DB 6-1 176 Fr Tampa (Jesuit)
38 Kelly Burney RB 5-9 180 So Miami (Jackson)
* 39 Reggie Herring LB 6-2 195 Jr * Titusville (Astronaut)
* 40 Gary Henry DB 6-1 185 So * Orlando (Oak Ridge)
41 Tommy Young RB 6-0 195 So Lake City (Columbia)
* 42 Monk Bonasorte DB 6-1 177 Jr ** Pittsburgh, PA (Bishop Boyle)
* 43 Hector Gray DB 6-1 190 Sr-R * Miami (Miami Springs)
* 44 Ricky Williams RB 5-11 170 Fr Griffin, GA (Griffin)
45 Roger Brownlee LB 6-3 195 Fr Doctors Inlet (Orange Park)
* 46 Ivory Joe Hunter DB 5-11 180 Sr-R ** Tallahassee (Leon)
47 Bryan Cobb LB 6-3 200 Jr Glennville, GA (Glennville)
* 48 Mark Lyles FB 6-4 232 Sr *** Buffalo, NY (Cleveland)
49 Ken Burnett QB-DB 6-0 192 Fr Brandon (Brandon)
* 50 Ron Simmons NG 6-1 220 Jr ** Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins)
* 51 James Gilbert NG 6-2 235 So * Miami (Carol City)
52 Willie Andrusko C 6-5 227 So Atlanta, GA (North Springs)
* 53 Paul Piurowski LB 6-3 205 Jr ** Sarasota (Sarasota)
* 54 Arthur Scott DE 6-2 222 Jr-R * Tampa (Brandon)
* 55 Gil Wesley C 6-1 220 Sr ** Birmingham, AL (Woodlawn)
56 Dmitri Rigas NG 6-2 210 So-R Augusta, GA (Glenn Hills)
57 Keith Baker LB 6-0 195 So Delray Beach (Atlantic)
* 58 John Madden C 6-2 218 Jr * Fort Walton Beach (Choctawhatchee)
59 Robert Harris DL 6-2 245 Fr Miami (Norland)
* 60 Scott McLean DT 6-4 218 So * Clermont (Clermont)
61 Brent Brock OG 6-4 235 Jr-R Albany, GA (Albany)
62 Charles Ferguson LB 6-1 212 So * Delray Beach (Boca Raton)
62 Eric Ryan OG 6-4 225 Fr-R Sarasota (Sarasota)
63 Lee Adams OG 6-4 245 Jr * Ruskin (East Bay/Georgia Tech)
* 64 Jarvis Coursey DE 6-5 195 So * Gray, GA (Jonesco Academy)
65 Trent Barnes OG 6-4 230 Jr Lakeland (Lakeland)
66 Redus Coggin OG 6-3 230 So Chipley (Chipley)
* 67 Mark Macek DT 6-2 235 Jr ** Wyandotte, MI (Roosevelt)
68 Jeff Field OG 6-1 225 Jr Albany, GA (Westover)
* 69 Mike Good OG 6-2 230 Sr *** Sanford (Seminole)
* 70 Greg Futch OT 6-3 245 Jr-R ** Ocala (Forest)
71 Bob Merson OG 6-3 238 So Seminole (Seminole)
71 Barry Voltapetti OT 6-5 225 So-R Miami (Chaminade)
* 72 Ken Lanier OT 6-4 260 Jr ** Columbus, OH (Marion Franklin)
* 73 Chris Nickrenz OT 6-6 252 Fr Buffalo, NY (Saint Joseph)
* 74 Danny Collier OT 6-4 250 So Eau Gallie (Eau Gallie)
* 75 Tom Brannon OT 6-3 240 Jr Albany, GA (Riverview Academy)
* 76 Walter Carter DT 6-4 240 Sr *** Richmond, VA (Walker)
* 77 Jeremy Mindlin DT 6-3 230 Sr-R * Miami (South Miami)
78 Mike Coleman OT 6-4 235 Jr Savannah, GA (Savannah Country Day)
* 79 Garry Futch DE 6-3 220 So Ocala (Forest)
* 80 Scott Warren DE 6-3 228 Sr *** Titusville (Astronaut)
81 Zeke Mowatt TE 6-3 220 Fr Wauchula (Hardee)
82 Tony Johnson WR 6-2 160 Fr Dothan, AL (Wicksburg)
82 Lawrence Strainge WR 6-3 175 So Delray Beach (Boca Raton)
83 Ron Hester TE 6-2 205 Jr Umatilla (Umatilla)
* 84 Sam Childers TE 6-2 195 So * Tallahassee (Leon)
* 85 Grady King TE 6-4 205 Sr ** Satellite Beach (Satellite)
86 Bill Keck TE 6-4 220 Jr * Newark, OH (Newark)
* 87 Phil Williams WR 5-10 168 Jr * Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins)
88 Jeff Bowden WR 5-7 165 So Tallahassee (Lincoln)
89 Tom Wheeler DB-QB 6-3 200 Fr South Daytona (Spruce Creek)
* 90 Edenbur Richardson DE 6-3 206 Sr ** Crystal River (Crystal River)
91 John Diamantas DT 6-3 230 So Merritt Island (Merritt Island)
92 David Cloud DT 6-3 235 Fr Marianna (Marianna)
93 David Ellis OT 6-3 235 So Paisley (Umatilla)
94 Mark Sims LB 6-4 215 So Bonifay (Holmes County)
95 Terry Widner OG 6-5 250 Fr Donalsonville, GA (Seminole County)
96 Carlton Jones DT 6-1 230 Jr-R * Fitzgerald, GA (Irwin County)
97 Herbert Harp DL 6-2 275 Fr Winter Garden (West Orange)
98 Brad Fojtik DE 6-4 197 Fr Auburndale (Santa Fe Catholic)
99 Ricky Render DL 6-4 220 Fr Ozark, AL (Wicksburg)
Lettermen on page 9 1980 FSU Football Media Guide.
1979 All-Americans
Name Organization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monk Bonasorte Associated Press - 3rd Team All-American
Bobby Butler Associated Press - All-American - Honorable Mention
Jackie Flowers Football News - 2nd Team All-American
United Press International - 2nd Team All-American
Associated Press - All-American - Honorable Mention
The Sporting News - All-American - Honorable Mention
Mike Good Associated Press - All-American - Honorable Mention
Jimmy Jordan The Sporting News - All-American - Honorable Mention
Ken Lanier Associated Press - All-American - Honorable Mention
Ron Simmons American Football Coaches Association - 1st Team All-American
Associated Press - 1st Team All-American
Walter Camp - 1st Team All-American
Football News - 1st Team All-American
Kodak - 1st Team All-American
United Press International - 1st Team All-American
NCAA - Concensus All-American
The Sporting News - All-American - Honorable Mention
Scott Warren Churchman's - 1st Team All-American
Associated Press - All-American - Honorable Mention
Gil Wesley Churchman's - 1st Team All-American
All-Americans - 9
1979 Noles in the Pros
Name No Pos Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Beckman 85 TE Kansas City Chiefs
Randy Coffield 59 LB New York Giants
Bobby Jackson 40 CB New York Jets
Willie Jones 90 DE Oakland Raiders
Lee Nelson 38 CB St. Louis Cardinals
Gary Parris 89 TE St. Louis Cardinals
Mike Shumann 84 WR San Francisco 49ers
J.T. Thomas 24 DB Pittsburgh Steelers
Noles in the Pros - 8
1979 Schedule and Results
| SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI | W 17-14 | |||||||||
| ARIZONA STATE Tampa, Fl |
W 31- 3 | |||||||||
| MIAMI | W 40-23 | |||||||||
| VIRGINIA TECH | W 17-10 | |||||||||
| LOUISVILLE | W 27- 0 | |||||||||
| MISSISSIPPI STATE | W 17- 6 | |||||||||
| LOUISIANA STATE | W 24-19 | |||||||||
| CINCINNATI | W 26-21 | |||||||||
| SOUTH CAROLINA | W 27- 7 | |||||||||
| MEMPHIS STATE | W 66-17 | |||||||||
| FLORIDA | W 27-16 | |||||||||
| OKLAHOMA Orange Bowl, Miami, Fl |
L 7-24 | |||||||||
Overall Home Away Neutral
------------------------------------------------
FSU RECORD IS 11- 1 5-0 5-0 1-1
AGAINST TOP 25 2- 1 2-0 0-0 0-1
FINAL AP - 6
FINAL UPI - 8
1979 - 100 Yard Rushing Club
Name Date Opponent Att Yds Avg TDs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Lyles 11/23/1979 FLORIDA 20 151 7.55 2 Mark Lyles 11/03/1979 CINCINNATI 29 142 4.90 1 Mark Lyles 11/10/1979 SOUTH CAROLINA 25 132 5.28 1 Michael Whiting 11/23/1979 FLORIDA 19 123 6.47 0 Mark Lyles 10/06/1979 LOUISVILLE 22 118 5.36 01979 - 100 Yard Receiving Club
Name Date Opponent Rec Yds Avg TDs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jackie Flowers 10/27/1979 LOUISIANA STATE 6 174 29.00 1 Jackie Flowers 11/17/1979 MEMPHIS STATE 9 117 13.00 1 Jackie Flowers 09/29/1979 VIRGINIA TECH 5 100 20.00 11979 - 300 Yard Passing Club
Name Date Opponent Att Cmp Yds Int Avg TDs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Jordan 10/27/1979 LOUISIANA STATE 31 14 312 2 10.06 3
1979 EOY Stats
From the 1980 FSU Football Press Guide, page 55. Overall Team Statistics TEAM STATISTICS FSU OPP -------------------------------------------------------- SCORING....................... 319 136 Points Per Game............. 29.0 12.4 TOUCHDOWNS.................... 39 18 TDs Rushing................. 16 13 TDs Passing................. 18 5 TDs Fumble Return........... 0 0 TDs Punt Return............. 4 0 TDs Interception............ 1 0 TDs Kickoff Return.......... 0 0 TDs Lateral................. 0 0 TDs Free Kick............... 0 0 PAT-ATTEMPTS.................. 33-39 14-18 Kick........................ 30-31 12-13 Pass........................ 3- 6 0- 3 Run......................... 0- 2 2- 2 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS.......... 15-24 4-10 SAFETY........................ 2 0 FIRST DOWNS................... 221 135 Rushing..................... 105 69 Passing..................... 104 56 Penalty..................... 12 10 RUSHING YARDAGE............... 1861 1304 Yards gained rushing........ 2137 1786 Yards lost rushing.......... 276 482 Rushing Attempts............ 515 448 Average Per Rush............ 3.6 2.9 Average Per Game............ 169.2 118.5 PASSING YARDAGE............... 2214 1365 Att-Comp-Int................ 340-174-17 267- 91-23 Efficiency.................. 113.35 65.98 Average Per Pass............ 6.5 5.1 Average Per Catch........... 12.7 15.0 Average Per Game............ 201.3 124.1 TOTAL OFFENSE................. 4075 2669 Total Plays................. 855 715 Average Per Play............ 4.8 3.7 Average Per Game............ 370.5 242.6 KICK RETURNS: #-YARDS......... 21- 218 33- 595 Average Per Return.......... 10.4 18.0 PUNT RETURNS: #-YARDS......... 37-362 18-129 Average Per Return.......... 9.8 7.2 INT RETURNS: #-YARDS.......... 23-300 17-259 Average Per Return.......... 13.0 15.2 FUMBLES-LOST.................. 17- 8 45-18 PENALTIES-YARDS............... 63- 593 48- 434 Average Per Game............ 53.9 39.5 PUNTS-YARDS................... 66-2622 88-3320 Average Per Punt............ 39.7 37.7 Net punt average............ 37.8 33.6 3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS-3RD DOWN. 65-167 41-162 3rd-Down Pct................ .389 .253 SACKS BY-YARDS................ 36- - ATTENDANCE.................... 239,358 206,505 Games-Avg Per Game.......... 5-47,872 5-41,301 ATTENDANCE-NEUTRAL FIELD...... 33,484 Games-Avg Per Game.......... 1-33,484
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Opponents |
Overall Individual Statistics
RUSHING G Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lyles 225 1019 8 1011 4.5 8 28
Michael Whiting 109 537 15 522 4.8 2 25
Greg Ramsey 37 181 15 166 4.5 3 50
Gator Cherry 31 131 10 121 3.9 0 18
Keith Kennedy 16 51 4 47 2.9 1 11
Kelly Burney 6 41 3 38 6.3 1 17
Ricky Williams 34 80 49 31 0.9 1 11
Dennis McKinnon 1 10 0 10 10.0 0 10
Ken Burnett 4 9 2 7 1.8 0 3
Wade Wallace 1 2 0 2 2.0 0 2
Wally Woodham 10 26 49 52 -3 -0.1 0 8 -0.3
Sam Platt 3 6 31 -25 -8.3 0 6
Jimmy Jordan 11 22 21 87 -66 -3.0 0 2 -6.0
Total......... 11 515 2137 276 1861 3.6 16 50 169.2
Opponents..... 11 448 1786 482 1304 2.9 13 118.5
PASSING G Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Long Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Jimmy Jordan 11 111.35 180- 87-14 .483 1173 13 53t 106.6
Wally Woodham 10 111.49 152- 80- 3 .526 940 5 31 94.0
Rick Stockstill 4 193.55 8- 7- 0 .875 101 0 36 25.3
Total......... 11 113.35 340-174-17 .512 2214 18 53t 201.3
Opponents..... 11 65.98 267- 91-23 .341 1365 5 124.1
RECEIVING G No Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
------------------------------------------------------
Jackie Flowers 37 622 16.8 7 44
Hardis Johnson 14 253 18.1 3 53t
Grady King 23 246 10.7 2 31
Mark Lyles 35 211 6.0 1 31
Phil Williams 14 211 15.1 0 36
Sam Platt 11 181 16.5 2 48
Michael Whiting 20 161 8.1 0 25
Ricky Williams 7 64 9.1 1 15t
Dennis McKinnon 3 53 17.7 0 36
Gator Cherry 3 46 15.3 0 17
Greg Ramsey 2 40 20.0 0 26
Sam Childers 6 34 5.7 2 10
Kurt Unglaub 2 24 12.0 0 13
Bill Keck 1 23 23.0 0 23
Keith Kennedy 4 21 5.3 0 11
Tony Johnson 1 14 14.0 0 14
Zeke Mowatt 1 10 10.0 0 10
Total......... 11 174 2214 12.7 18 53t 201.3
Opponents..... 11 91 1365 15.0 5 124.1
PUNT RETURNS No Yds Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------
Gary Henry 31 296 9.5 2
Bobby Butler 1 17 17.0 1
Keith Jones 0 15 1
Edenbur Richardson 1 14 14.0 0
Scott Warren 1 11 11.0 0
Monk Bonasorte 1 9 9.0 0 9
Dennis McKinnon 1 0 0.0 0
Total......... 37 362 9.8 4
Opponent...... 18 129 7.2 0
INTERCEPTIONS No Yds Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------
Monk Bonasorte 8 100 12.5 0
Bobby Butler 6 69 11.5 0
Keith Jones 3 38 12.7 0
Paul Piurowski 2 51 25.5 1
Gary Henry 1 36 36.0 0
James Gilbert 1 3 3.0 0
Walter Carter 1 3 3.0 0
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 0 0.0 0
Total......... 23 300 13.0 1
Opponent...... 17 259 15.2 0
KICK RETURNS No Yds Avg TD Long
------------------------------------------
Michael Whiting 10 164 16.4 0
Hardis Johnson 7 86 12.3 0
Dennis McKinnon 1 27 27.0 0
Gary Henry 1 21 21.0 0
Kelly Burney 1 19 19.0 0
Total......... 21 218 10.4 0
Opponent...... 33 595 18.0 0
Fum
FUMBLE RETURNS No Yds Avg TD Long For
-----------------------------------------------
Monk Bonasorte 3 0 0.0 0 . 1
Keith Jones 2 0 0.0 0 . 3
Ron Simmons 2 0 0.0 0 . 2
Reggie Herring 2 0 0.0 0 . 1
Edenbur Richardson 2 0 0.0 0 . 0
Scott Warren 1 0 0.0 0 . 3
Scott McLean 1 0 0.0 0 . 3
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 0 0.0 0 . 2
Garry Futch 1 0 0.0 0 . 0
Walter Carter 1 0 0.0 0 . 0
Mark Macek 1 0 0.0 0 . 0
Mike Smith 1 0 0.0 0 . 0
Paul Piurowski 0 0 . 0 . 2
Keith Baker 0 0 . 0 . 2
James Gilbert 0 0 . 0 . 1
Harvey Clayton 0 0 . 0 . 1
Arthur Scott 0 0 . 0 . 1
Total......... 18 0.0 0 22
Opponent...... 8 0.0 0
|-------- PATs --------|
Name TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP Saf Points
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Cappelen 0 14-22 28-29 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 70
Mark Lyles 9 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 56
Jackie Flowers 7 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 44
Hardis Johnson 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18
Greg Ramsey 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18
Sam Childers 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 14
Gary Henry 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12
Grady King 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12
Sam Platt 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12
Michael Whiting 2 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0-0 0 0 12
Ricky Williams 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12
Bobby Butler 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Keith Jones 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Paul Piurowski 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Kelly Burney 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Keith Kennedy 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Bill Capece 0 1-2 2-2 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 5
James Gilbert 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 1 2
Scott Warren 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 1 2
Jimmy Jordan 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3-5 0 0 0
Rick Stockstill 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 0 0
Wally Woodham 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-1 0 0 0
====================================================================
FSU 39 15-24 30-31 0-1 3 3-7 0 2 319
Opponent 18 4-10 12-13 2-2 0 0-3 0 0 136
| Touchdowns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Lyles | |||||||||
| Jackie Flowers | |||||||||
| Hardis Johnson | |||||||||
| Greg Ramsey | |||||||||
| Sam Childers | |||||||||
| Gary Henry | |||||||||
| Grady King | |||||||||
| Sam Platt | |||||||||
| Michael Whiting | |||||||||
| Ricky Williams | |||||||||
| Bobby Butler | |||||||||
| Keith Jones | |||||||||
| Paul Piurowski | |||||||||
| Kelly Burney | |||||||||
| Keith Kennedy | |||||||||
| Jimmy Jordan | |||||||||
| Wally Woodham | |||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
| Opponents |
R = Rushing C = Catch P = Pass I = Interception FR = Fumble Recovery/Return PR = Punt Return/Blocked Punt KR = Kickoff Return L = Lateral FK = Free Kick Return TOTAL OFFENSE G Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G -------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Jordan 11 202 -66 1173 1107 100.6 Mark Lyles 225 1011 0 1011 Wally Woodham 10 178 -3 940 937 93.7 Michael Whiting 109 522 0 522 Greg Ramsey 37 166 0 166 Gator Cherry 31 121 0 121 Rick Stockstill 4 8 0 101 101 25.3 Keith Kennedy 16 47 0 47 Kelly Burney 6 38 0 38 Ricky Williams 34 31 0 31 Dennis McKinnon 1 10 0 10 Ken Burnett 4 7 0 7 Wade Wallace 1 2 0 2 Sam Platt 3 -25 0 -25 Total......... 11 855 1861 2214 4075 370.5 Opponent...... 11 715 1304 1365 2669 242.6 FIELD GOALS FGM-FGA Pct 01-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-99 Lg ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Cappelen 14-22 .636 2- 2 6- 9 2- 4 3- 6 1- 1 50 Bill Capece 1- 2 .500 1- 1 0- 0 0- 0 0- 0 0- 1 18
| FG SEQUENCE | Dave Cappelen | Bill Capece |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI | ||
| ARIZONA STATE | ||
| MIAMI | ||
| VIRGINIA TECH | ||
| LOUISVILLE | ||
| MISSISSIPPI STATE | ||
| LOUISIANA STATE | ||
| CINCINNATI | ||
| SOUTH CAROLINA | ||
| MEMPHIS STATE | ||
| FLORIDA | ||
| OKLAHOMA |
() For made field goals
PUNTING No Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd
-------------------------------------------------------
Rohn Stark 66 2622 39.7 60
Total......... 66 2622 39.7 60
Opponent...... 88 3320 37.7 4
ALL PURPOSE G Rush Rec PR KR IR FR Tot Avg/G
----------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lyles 1011 211 0 0 0 0 1222
Michael Whiting 522 161 0 164 0 0 847
Jackie Flowers 0 622 0 0 0 0 622
Gary Henry 0 0 296 21 36 0 353
Hardis Johnson 0 253 0 86 0 0 339
Grady King 0 246 0 0 0 0 246
Phil Williams 0 211 0 0 0 0 211
Greg Ramsey 166 40 0 0 0 0 206
Gator Cherry 121 46 0 0 0 0 167
Sam Platt -25 181 0 0 0 0 156
Monk Bonasorte 11 0 0 9 0 100 0 109 9.9
Ricky Williams 31 64 0 0 0 0 95
Dennis McKinnon 10 53 0 27 0 0 90
Bobby Butler 0 0 17 0 69 0 86
Keith Kennedy 47 21 0 0 0 0 68
Kelly Burney 38 0 0 19 0 0 57
Keith Jones 0 0 15 0 38 0 53
Paul Piurowski 0 0 0 0 51 0 51
Sam Childers 0 34 0 0 0 0 34
Kurt Unglaub 0 24 0 0 0 0 24
Bill Keck 0 23 0 0 0 0 23
Edenbur Richardson 0 0 14 0 0 0 14
Tony Johnson 0 14 0 0 0 0 14
Scott Warren 0 0 11 0 0 0 11
Zeke Mowatt 0 10 0 0 0 0 10
Ken Burnett 7 0 0 0 0 0 7
James Gilbert 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
Walter Carter 0 0 0 0 3 0 3
Wade Wallace 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
Wally Woodham 10 -3 0 0 0 0 0 -3 -0.3
Jimmy Jordan 11 -66 0 0 0 0 0 -66 -6.0
Total......... 11 1861 2214 362 218 300 0 4955 450.5
Opponent...... 11 1304 1365 129 595 259 0 3652 332.0
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE LEADERS GP UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reggie Herring 70 74 144 8.0- 1.0- . . . 2- 0 1 . .
Paul Piurowski 64 59 123 2.0- 6.0- 2- 51 . . . 2 . .
Ron Simmons 65 16 81 17.0- 6.0- . . . 2- 0 2 2 .
Scott Warren 35 35 70 6.0- 3.0- . . . 1- 0 3 1 1
Arthur Scott 30 38 68 10.0- 5.0- . . . . 1 . .
Monk Bonasorte 11 37 27 64 1.0- . 8-100 . . 3- 0 1 1 .
Mark Macek 32 30 62 2.0- 3.0- . . . 1- 0 . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 27 15 42 1.0- . 1- 0 . . 1- 0 2 . .
Jeremy Mindlin 19 18 37 3.0- 2.0- . . . . . . .
James Gilbert 23 14 37 3.0- 3.0- 1- 3 . . . 1 . 1
Keith Jones 24 9 33 1.0- 2.0- 3- 38 . . 2- 0 3 . .
Walter Carter 16 14 30 1.0- 1.0- 1- 3 . . 1- 0 . . .
Edenbur Richardson 11 19 30 3.0- . . . . 2- 0 . 1 .
Bobby Butler 23 6 29 . . 6- 69 . . . . 1 .
Keith Baker 12 11 23 . . . . . . 2 . .
Garry Futch 13 8 21 1.0- 2.0- . . . 1- 0 . . .
Scott McLean 8 8 16 . 1.0- . . . 1- 0 3 . .
Jarvis Coursey 11 4 15 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry 2 5 7 . 1.0- 1- 36 . . . . . .
Ellis Singletary 3 2 5 . . . . . . . . .
Dmitri Rigas 2 2 4 . . . . . . . . .
James Harris 3 . 3 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Mike Smith 2 . 2 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Hector Gray 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Rick Stockstill 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Herbert Harp 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Harvey Clayton 1 . 1 . . . . . . 1 . .
Wade Wallace 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
TALLAHASSEE, FL, September 8, 1979 - The specialty teams made the difference for the Seminoles as they rallied for 14 points in the final 10 minutes to dump Southern Mississippi, 17-14, in the season opener before 45,467 at Doak Campbell.
The Tribe offense couldn't become untracked against a stiff Southern Mississippi defense and after three quarters the visitors had a 14-3 advantage. The only FSU score came midway through the first quarter on a 26 yard Davey Cappelen field goal. Southern Mississippi scored touchdowns in the second and third quarters.
FSU got its first break with slightly more than 11 minutes remaining in the game when defensive back Monk Bonasorte blocked a punt and the Tribe took possession at the visitors 15. Three plays later Jimmy Jordan tossed an eight yard scoring pass to Jackie Flowers narrowing the score to 14-9. A two point conversion pass failed.
Southern Mississippi picked up a first down on its next series but the drive stalled and that defensive effort proved the difference. The USM punt was fielded by sophomore defensive back Gary Henry, who with several key blockers returned the ball to the endzone for the touchdown. Jordan and Flowers hooked up on a two point conversion pass to give FSU its final victory margin.
Both teams were hampered by turnovers. Each had three - an interception and two fumbles. In the yardage department, FSU limited the Golden Eagles to just 200, 97 rushing and 103 passing. The Tribe meanwhile was picking up 258 total net yards with a meager 72 rushing and 186 more through the air.
FSU employed its now famous two quarterback system with Wally Woodham handling the first and third quarters and Jimmy Jordan the second and fourth. Woodham completed nine of 20 passes for 95 yards and Jordan completed six of 13 for 91 more yards. Their favorite target was Flowers, who caught four for 64 yards including the TD.
Fullback Mark Lyles was the only bright spot in the running game. He carried 20 times for 66 yards, but no other back gained in double figures.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 3- 0 Dave Cappelen, 26, field goal, 6:14
2nd 3- 7 Opp, 2, run (kick), 0:34
3rd 3-14 Opp, 7, run (kick), 12:03
4th 3-14 Dave Cappelen, 30, field goal blocked, 13:08
9-14 Jackie Flowers, 8, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Jimmy Jordan, pass failed), 9:43
17-14 Gary Henry, 65, punt return/blocked punt (Jackie Flowers, pass from Jimmy Jordan), 6:28
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 13 11
Rushes-yards 34- 72 47- 97
Passing 186 103
Att-Comp-Int 33-14-1 15-6-1
Total Yards 67-258 62-200
Punt Returns 3-73 2-8
Kickoff Returns 3-33 0-0
Interception Ret. 1-10 1-0
Fumble Returns 1-0 2-0
Punts 8-46.0 11-35.8
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 5-1
Penalties-Yds 6-62 3-30
Attendance 45,467
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 20- 66
Michael Whiting 1- 8
Greg Ramsey 4- 5
Keith Kennedy 5- 3
Ricky Williams 3- 1
Wally Woodham 1- -11
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 4- 64
Sam Platt 2- 63
Kurt Unglaub 2- 24
Grady King 1- 15
Keith Kennedy 2- 12
Phil Williams 1- 5
Mark Lyles 1- 4
Michael Whiting 1- -1
Passing
Wally Woodham 20- 9-1- 95
Jimmy Jordan 13- 5-0- 91
Punt Return
Gary Henry 1- 65
Monk Bonasorte 1- 9
Keith Jones 1- -1
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 2- 24
Hardis Johnson 1- 9
Punting
Rohn Stark 8- 368
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur Scott 2 8 10 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 2 7 9 . . . . . . . . .
Reggie Herring 2 6 8 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Keith Baker . 7 7 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones 2 5 7 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Paul Piurowski . 7 7 . . . . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 3 3 6 . . . 1 . . . 1 .
Walter Carter . 6 6 . . . . . . . . .
James Gilbert . 6 6 . . . . . . . . .
Ron Simmons 3 2 5 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Bobby Butler 2 3 5 . . 1- 10 1 . . . . .
Mark Macek . 4 4 . . . . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 2 1 3 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Michael Whiting . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry . . . . . . 1 . . . . .
TAMPA, FL, September 15, 1979 - A 17-point second quarter explosion carried independent Florida State (2-0) to a 31-3 victory over Arizona State, a member of the Pac 10.
This battle of pre-season nationally ranked teams started slowly despite the fact that both are known throughout the country as offensive powers. The first FSU score didn't come until less than a minute was left in the opening quarter.
That first Tribe touchdown was set up by the defense, specifically a Monk Bonasorte interception. Two plays after the interception QB Wally Woodham hurled an 18-yard scoring toss to Jackie Flowers. The Davey Cappelen PAT made it 7-0.
Ten of the FSU points in the second quarter were defensive related. The opening touchdown of the quarter came on a 58 yard drive that consumed just four plays and was highlighted by Greg Ramsey's 50 yard run on the opening play. Mark Lyles picked up the score on a one yard plunge.
FSU hiked its lead to 17-0 following Bonasorte's second interception. Davey Cappelen's field goal came after the theft when the Tribe drive stalled at Arizona State's 25. The visiting Sun Devils turned the ball over on their next possession with noseguard Ron Simmons recovering the fumble. Immediately after the turnover Jimmy Jordan threw a scoring pass of eight yards to tight end Grady King.
After the Sun Devils picked up their sole three points in the third quarter, FSU closed the scoring late in the fourth. This time the Tribe put together an 86 yard drive that took 10 plays. The final 15 yards were covered on a Jordan to Ricky Williams pass.
Woodham and Jordan passed for 225 yards against the Sun Devil defense. Jordan did most of the damage with a 12 of 23 performance for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Woodham completed six of 11 for a single score and 70 more yards.
The visit to Tampa Stadium drew 33,484 even though the contest was played in a misting rain that lasted throughout most of the game. The visit was the first for FSU to the Dale Mabry Highway facility since it lost to Houston during a nationally televised game in the 1970 season.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARIZONA STATE | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 7- 0 Jackie Flowers, 18, pass from Wally Woodham (Dave Cappelen, kick), 0:42
2nd 14- 0 Mark Lyles, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 13:11
17- 0 Dave Cappelen, 42, field goal, 2:17
24- 0 Grady King, 8, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:37
3rd 24- 3 Opp, 39, field goal, 9:56
4th 31- 3 Ricky Williams, 15, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:56
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 15 12
Rushes-yards 39-108 43- 31
Passing 225 92
Att-Comp-Int 34-18-1 28-9-2
Total Yards 73-333 71-123
Punt Returns 0-0 4-22
Kickoff Returns 2-35 5-69
Interception Ret. 2-55 1-0
Fumble Returns 2-0 0-0
Punts 7-38.4 9-36.8
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 10-2
Penalties-Yds 7-104 7-70
Attendance 33,484
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Greg Ramsey 10- 59
Mark Lyles 16- 56
Michael Whiting 5- 10
Gator Cherry 2- 5
Keith Kennedy 1- 0
Wally Woodham 1- -5
Ricky Williams 3- -7
Sam Platt 1- -10
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 4- 75
Phil Williams 3- 51
Grady King 2- 39
Ricky Williams 3- 32
Hardis Johnson 1- 19
Mark Lyles 2- 7
Sam Childers 1- 5
Michael Whiting 2- -3
Passing
Jimmy Jordan 23-12-0-155
Wally Woodham 11- 6-1- 70
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 2- 35
Punting
Rohn Stark 7- 269
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monk Bonasorte . . . . . 2- 55 . . . . . .
Ron Simmons . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Paul Piurowski . . . . . . . . . 1 . .
Reggie Herring . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
TALLAHASSEE, FL, September 22, 1979 - A punishing Florida State defense caused five Miami tumovers as the Seminoles rolled to their third victory of the season, 40-23, over state rival Miami.
Believe it or not, FSU trailed after a quarter, 7-3. But the Tribe put 16 points on the scoreboard in the second quarter and another 14 in the third. Miami closed the gap with a 16-7 fourth quarter advantage.
The Tribe got the lead for good four plays into the second quarter when fullback Mark Lyles rushed to pay dirt from four yards away and Davey Cappelen kicked the PAT.
An interception by Bobby Butler on the next Miami series set up the next Seminole score - a 28 yard Cappelen field goal. Miami's punter let his knee touch the ground at the Hurricane 15 late in the half and FSU took advantage of that mistake. Six plays after the miscue, the Tribe got another six points on a one yard plunge by Lyles.
The score in the third quarter came on scoring runs of four and two yards by senior tailback Greg Ramsey. Each time the PAT was booted by Cappelen. For the second time in three games, Gary Henry returned a punt for a Seminole score. This time it came with five minutes gone in the fourth quarter and covered 57 yards.
FSU, praised throughout most of the pre-season for its pass offense, showed in this game that it also had a running attack. The Tribe picked up 205 yards on the ground with Lyles' 85 leading the way. A total of 12 pass completions between quarterbacks Wally Woodham and Jimmy Jordan gained 117 more yards.
The victory for FSU was its second straight over the Hurricanes. But it marks the first time the Garnet and Gold beat its down state foe in Doak Campbell Stadium.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIAMI | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 3- 0 Dave Cappelen, 26, field goal, 9:12
3- 7 Opp, 10, run (kick), 4:29
2nd 10- 7 Mark Lyles, 4, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 12:30
13- 7 Dave Cappelen, 28, field goal, 6:21
19- 7 Mark Lyles, 1, run (Jimmy Jordan, pass failed), 0:22
3rd 26- 7 Greg Ramsey, 3, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 10:58
33- 7 Greg Ramsey, 2, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:52
4th 33-15 Opp, 2, run (run), 11:29
40-15 Gary Henry, 57, punt return/blocked punt (Dave Cappelen, kick), 10:00
40-23 Opp, 9, run (run), 7:58
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 17 15
Rushes-yards 54-205 40-101
Passing 117 133
Att-Comp-Int 26-12-2 32-11-4
Total Yards 80-322 72-234
Punt Returns 3-61 1-24
Kickoff Returns 1-14 5-81
Interception Ret. 4-42 2-37
Fumble Returns 1-0 0-0
Punts 4-42.0 6-33.7
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yds 7-64 6-50
Attendance 47,679
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 25- 85
Greg Ramsey 18- 76
Michael Whiting 3- 24
Keith Kennedy 3- 19
Wally Woodham 3- 9
Jimmy Jordan 2- -8
Receiving
Sam Platt 3- 46
Jackie Flowers 2- 25
Greg Ramsey 1- 14
Mark Lyles 3- 12
Grady King 1- 7
Hardis Johnson 1- 7
Phil Williams 1- 6
Passing
Wally Woodham 14- 9-0- 93
Jimmy Jordan 12- 3-2- 24
Punt Return
Gary Henry 3- 61
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 1- 14
Punting
Rohn Stark 4- 168
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Piurowski 2 9 11 . . . 1 . . . . .
Reggie Herring 2 7 9 . . . 1 . 1- 0 . . .
Ron Simmons 2 6 8 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek 5 2 7 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 3 3 6 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 4 2 6 . . . . . . . . .
Arthur Scott 1 4 5 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 1 3 4 . . 2- 10 . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones 1 2 3 . . 1- 13 . . . . . .
Bobby Butler . 3 3 . . 1- 19 1 . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin 1 2 3 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
James Harris . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
James Gilbert . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Michael Whiting . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Jimmy Jordan 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry . 1 1 . . . 1 . . . . .
Garry Futch 1 . 1 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Hector Gray . 1 1 . . . 3 . . . . .
Mike Smith . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
BLACKSBURG, VA, September 29, 1979 - In a battle of unbeaten independents, Florida State nicked long time rival Virginia Tech, 17-10, in a game that was televised regionally by ABC-TV.
The win was quite impressive for the Seminoles since it was the first road game of the season for FSU. The previous three games had all been played in Florida and two of the three were contested on the FSU campus. And, the victory came against a school that has through the years been a Florida State nemesis. The win gives the Seminoles a 13-10-1 lead in the series, but it has taken wins in four consecutive years to get the Tribe to that advantage.
Virginia Tech went ahead 7-0 with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter but the Hokies advantage didn't last for long. A minute and 36 seconds later FSU knotted the count on a 16 yard run by tailback Greg Ramsey and a Davey Cappelen PAT.
Later in the quarter the Seminoles put together an 80 yard scoring march that took 14 plays. Four times in the drive FSU converted on third down plays and the last time it produced six points - an 18 yard pass from QB Jimmy Jordan to receiver Jackie Flowers.
It was the Jordan - Flowers combo that produced the key play of the drive. FSU was faced with a third and 22 situation at Tech's 37 and they hooked up for a pass completion that covered 24 yards.
The second half produced nothing but a pair of field goals. Florida State's three points came on a 20 yard field goal by Cappelen with 1:07 remaining in the third quarter.
Seminole noseguard Ron Simmons, who always seems to play better before the TV cameras, won his third ABC-TV/Chevrolet Award. The television announce crew picked him as Florida State's most valuable player after the junior from Warner Robins, Ga., was credited with eight tackles that included three for losses.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | |||||
| VIRGINIA TECH |
1st 0- 7 Opp, 40, run (kick), 1:30
2nd 7- 7 Greg Ramsey, 16, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 14:54
14- 7 Jackie Flowers, 18, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 5:33
14- 7 Opp, 32, field goal failed, 0:06
3rd 14-10 Opp, 44, field goal, 11:36
17-10 Dave Cappelen, 20, field goal, 1:07
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 23 13
Rushes-yards 37-114 47-164
Passing 322 118
Att-Comp-Int 41-20-4 17-8-2
Total Yards 78-436 64-282
Punt Returns 6-39 1-2
Kickoff Returns 2-46 3-32
Interception Ret. 2-24 4-57
Fumble Returns 0-0 1-0
Punts 5-39.2 8-46.5
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 3-0
Penalties-Yds 6-44 7-38
3rd Down Conversions 8-16 2-14
4th Down Conversions 0-0 1-2
Time of Posession 28:58 31:02
Attendance 39,200
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 11- 34
Michael Whiting 6- 33
Gator Cherry 7- 27
Greg Ramsey 5- 26
Wally Woodham 4- 11
Jimmy Jordan 4- -17
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 5- 100
Phil Williams 3- 56
Sam Platt 3- 51
Grady King 4- 41
Gator Cherry 2- 31
Greg Ramsey 1- 26
Mark Lyles 1- 11
Michael Whiting 1- 6
Passing
Wally Woodham 22-12-1-183
Jimmy Jordan 19- 8-3-139
Punt Return
Gary Henry 6- 39
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 2- 46
Punting
Rohn Stark 5- 196
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Piurowski 11 5 16 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Reggie Herring 8 3 11 2.0- . . 1 . . . . .
Ron Simmons 7 1 8 3.0- . . 1 . . . . .
Arthur Scott 5 1 6 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 5 . 5 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 3 1 4 . . 1- 24 . . . . . .
Walter Carter 2 2 4 . . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek 3 1 4 . . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin 3 . 3 . . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones 2 . 2 . . . 1 . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 1 . 1 . . 1- 0 . . . . . .
Garry Futch 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gil Wesley 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gator Cherry 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Jackie Flowers 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
James Gilbert 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
LOUISVILLE, KY, October 6, 1979 - A near flawless effort by the defense highlighted Florida State's 27-0 victory over Louisville. The win was the fifth of the season for FSU and ninth overall in a two year period.
The defenders were directly responsible for 11 of the Seminole points. Four came via the safety route and Bobby Butler recovered a blocked punt in the endzone that combined with Davey Cappelen's PAT added seven more markers.
A Butler interception led to the first Seminole score. Butler got the theft midway through the opening quarter. FSU then drove 30 yards in seven plays with Wally Woodham tossing a five yard pass to Sam Platt for the six points.
FSU scored in each of the quarters. The Tribe picked up eight more points in the second quarter, nine in the third and three more in the fourth.
Louisville's offensive statistics tell the story of the domination by the Tribe defense. The Cardinals netted just seven yards in 34 rushing attempts and picked up another 86 yards passing to finish the game with 92 yards total offense. The figure becomes even more attractive to advocates of defense when one realizes that 47 passing yards came on a single pass play with less than eight minutes remaining in the game.
The Seminoles showed upcoming opponents that they would not be able to just defend the pass when playing FSU. Final statistics showed the Tribe gaining 275 yards along the ground and a mere 60 in the passing department. Three Seminole quarterbacks threw just 15 times, the lowest number of passes thrown by FSU since the 1976 season. Fullback Mark Lyles did much of the ground work, gaining a career high 118 yards in 22 carries. He also caught two of the eight pass completions for an additional 30 yards.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | |||||
| LOUISVILLE |
1st 7- 0 Sam Platt, 5, pass from Wally Woodham (Dave Cappelen, kick), 4:08
2nd 9- 0 James Gilbert, safety, 14:38
Punter mishandles snap, Gilbert chases him out of the end
zone.
9- 0 Dave Cappelen, 29, field goal failed, 10:22
15- 0 Bobby Butler, 0, punt return/blocked punt (Wally Woodham, pass failed), 0:38
3rd 17- 0 Scott Warren, safety, 7:14
Warren blocked the punt out of the end zone.
24- 0 Sam Childers, 1, pass from Wally Woodham (Dave Cappelen, kick), 0:01
4th 27- 0 Dave Cappelen, 36, field goal, 8:15
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 23 5
Rushes-yards 65-275 34- 7
Passing 60 86
Att-Comp-Int 15-8-1 19-4-2
Total Yards 80-335 53-93
Punt Returns 2-25 2-0
Kickoff Returns 3-45 4-56
Interception Ret. 2-24 1-26
Fumble Returns 1-0 2-0
Punts 5-38.8 7-29.3
Fumbles-Lost 5-2 3-1
Penalties-Yds 3-15 2-10
Attendance 27,306
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 22- 118
Gator Cherry 15- 80
Michael Whiting 9- 52
Ricky Williams 7- 17
Wally Woodham 6- 13
Keith Kennedy 2- 13
Wade Wallace 1- 2
Ken Burnett 2- 1
Sam Platt 1- -21
Receiving
Mark Lyles 2- 30
Gator Cherry 1- 15
Ricky Williams 1- 9
Sam Platt 1- 5
Michael Whiting 1- 2
Sam Childers 1- 1
Keith Kennedy 1- -2
Passing
Wally Woodham 11- 7-0- 62
Jimmy Jordan 3- 0-1- 0
Rick Stockstill 1- 1-0- -2
Punt Return
Edenbur Richardson 1- 14
Scott Warren 1- 11
Bobby Butler 0- 0
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 2- 24
Gary Henry 1- 21
Punting
Rohn Stark 5- 194
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter Carter 5 2 7 . . . . . . . . .
Arthur Scott 5 1 6 . . . . . . . . .
Reggie Herring 3 2 5 . . . . . . . . .
Paul Piurowski 3 1 4 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler . . . . . 1- 16 . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson . . . . . . . . . . 1 .
Scott Warren . . . . . . . . . . 1 1
James Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Garry Futch . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Keith Jones . . . . . 1- 8 . . . . . .
TALLAHASSEE, FL, October 13, 1979 - Florida State avenged one of its three 1978 defeats by beating Mississippi State, 17-6, before 48,701 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
The victory was the sixth of the season for the Tribe and increased the two year winning streak to 10 games. It also snapped a three game losing string to Mississippi State.
Once again it was the defense that drew many of the plaudits after the game was concluded. The Bulldogs had 302 yards total offense, but managed just 50 in the opening half when FSU was building a 14-0 lead.
FSU's first TD went to sophomore runningback Mike Whiting, who rushed one yard for the six points. Davey Cappelen booted the PAT to make it 7-0. On its next series the Seminoles went 62 yards in eight plays with quarterback Jimmy Jordan tossing a 17 yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jackie Flowers for the six points.
The host Seminoles completely dominated the first half. FSU ran off 42 plays compared to just 24 for the visitors. The Tribe had 62 yards rushing and 114 more passing as Wally Woodham and Jordan completed 10 of 16 attempts. Mississippi State, meanwhile, rushed 50 yards and didn't complete a pass in three attempts.
Cappelen hiked the lead to 17-0 with a 46 yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Seminoles lost their opportunity for a shutout with just 1:10 remaining in the game. It prevented FSU from scoring its first back to back shutouts since the 1964 season.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MISSISSIPPI STATE | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
2nd 0- 0 Dave Cappelen, 39, field goal failed, 10:24
7- 0 Michael Whiting, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 5:40
14- 0 Jackie Flowers, 17, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 0:14
3rd 17- 0 Dave Cappelen, 46, field goal, 6:17
4th 17- 6 Opp, 2, run (pass failed), 1:10
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 15 18
Rushes-yards 41-125 53-216
Passing 120 116
Att-Comp-Int 28-11-1 19-5-2
Total Yards 69-245 72-332
Punt Returns 1-5 3-9
Kickoff Returns 2-22 0-0
Interception Ret. 2-0 1-25
Fumble Returns 3-0 0-0
Punts 9-37.1 7-39.6
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 7-3
Penalties-Yds 5-45 6-46
Attendance 48,701
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 14- 62
Michael Whiting 5- 34
Ricky Williams 11- 19
Jimmy Jordan 4- 14
Keith Kennedy 3- 4
Wally Woodham 3- -4
Gator Cherry 2- -4
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 3- 42
Grady King 2- 22
Ricky Williams 2- 17
Phil Williams 1- 14
Sam Platt 1- 13
Michael Whiting 2- 12
Passing
Jimmy Jordan 12- 7-1- 76
Wally Woodham 16- 4-0- 44
Punt Return
Gary Henry 1- 5
Kickoff Return
Michael Whiting 1- 21
Grady King 1- 1
Punting
Rohn Stark 9- 334
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monk Bonasorte 9 6 15 1.0- . . 1 . 1- 0 . . .
Arthur Scott 7 4 11 3.0- . . . . . . . .
Reggie Herring . 9 9 . . . . . . . . .
Paul Piurowski . 9 9 . . . 1 . . . . .
Ron Simmons 2 7 9 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter . 6 6 . . 1- 0 . . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey . 5 5 . . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren . 4 4 . . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter . 4 4 . . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek . 4 4 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones 4 . 4 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 1 2 3 1.0- . . . . 2- 0 . . .
Jeremy Mindlin . 3 3 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean 1 2 3 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 2 . 2 . . 1- 0 3 . . . . .
James Gilbert . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Michael Whiting 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Wade Wallace . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
BATON ROUGE, LA, October 27, 1979 - Florida State ruined the LSU Homecoming with a 24-19 victory in a game that head coach Bobby Bowden had early in the week billed as "the biggest football game in FSU history."
The game certainly drew plenty of national attention. The ABC-TV network sent the contest to an area that covered 84 percent of the country. Also watching the game in person were representatives of nine different post season bowls.
Florida State struck quickly to gain a 7-0 advantage. LSU received the opening kickoff but fumbled on the second play with the Seminoles' Monk Bonasorte on the recovery. The Tribe then went 32 yards in six plays with Jimmy Jordan passing three yards to Sam Platt for the six points. Davey Cappelen kicked the PAT.
LSU rebounded, however, and it looked like the Tigers would have a 13-7 halftime lead. But the Bengal Tigers fumbled the ball away at the FSU 47 with 1:30 remaining in the half. On the very next play Jordan and freshman wide receiver Hardis Johnson hooked up on a 53 yard scoring play and the Cappelen PAT put FSU in the lead.
Neither team was able to change the scoreboard in the third quarter, but FSU got seven more points very early in the fourth. This time it was again a long scoring pass initiated by Jordan. Senior Jackie Flowers was on the receiving end of a 40-yard pass that was tipped by a Bengal defensive back.
Later in the quarter FSU hiked its lead to 24-13 with Cappelen kicking a 31-yard field goal. The Tigers were able to score later in the quarter, but after the score the Seminoles used all but 17 seconds on the game clock to seal the victory.
Bowden surprised many by electing to start Jordan at quarterback over Wally Woodham. Woodham had been the starter in each of the previous 10 games in the two year winning streak that was extended to 11 games with the win.
Jordan more than justified the Bowden decision. He completed 14 of 31 passes for 312 yards and three scores. Those stats earned him honors at the ABC-TV/Chevrolet Florida State Most Valuable Player. Jordan took full advantage of Flowers, who had six of those 14 completions for 174 yards.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | |||||
| LOUISIANA STATE |
1st 7- 0 Sam Platt, 3, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 11:49
7- 0 Opp, 45, field goal failed, 7:12
7- 0 Dave Cappelen, 27, field goal failed, 3:57
2nd 7- 7 Opp, 1, run (kick), 13:55
7-13 Opp, 2, run (kick failed), 7:22
14-13 Hardis Johnson, 53, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:22
14-13 Bill Capece, 51, field goal failed, 0:00
4th 21-13 Jackie Flowers, 40, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 13:51
24-13 Dave Cappelen, 31, field goal, 4:53
24-19 Opp, 12, pass (pass failed), 3:22
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 16 14
Rushes-yards 43-124 43-159
Passing 312 175
Att-Comp-Int 31-14-2 26-10-2
Total Yards 74-436 69-334
Punt Returns 4-18 3-49
Kickoff Returns 3-29 2-48
Interception Ret. 2-27 2-47
Fumble Returns 3-0 0-0
Punts 8-39.0 8-41.5
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 4-3
Penalties-Yds 6-52 3-45
3rd Down Conversions 4-16 4-12
4th Down Conversions 0-1 0-0
Time of Posession 32:32 27:28
Attendance 67,197
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 16- 82
Michael Whiting 19- 64
Ricky Williams 3- -7
Jimmy Jordan 5- -15
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 6- 174
Hardis Johnson 3- 91
Michael Whiting 2- 36
Ricky Williams 1- 6
Sam Platt 1- 3
Mark Lyles 1- 2
Passing
Jimmy Jordan 31-14-2-312
Punt Return
Gary Henry 4- 18
Kickoff Return
Hardis Johnson 3- 29
Punting
Rohn Stark 8- 312
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reggie Herring 8 5 13 1.0- 1.0 . . 1 . . . . .
Paul Piurowski 9 2 11 . . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter 4 4 8 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 4 1 5 1.0- 2.0 . . 1 . . . . .
Mark Macek 3 2 5 . . . . . . 1 . .
Scott Warren 2 2 4 . . . 1 . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 3 . 3 . . 2- 27 . . 1- 0 . . .
Arthur Scott 2 1 3 1.0- 1.0 . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry 1 2 3 1.0- 2.0 1.0- 2.0 . . . . . . .
Ron Simmons 2 . 2 2.0- 6.0 1.0- 5.0 . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 1 2 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Jeremy Mindlin 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Garry Futch 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Michael Whiting 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean 1 . 1 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Mark Lyles 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Ken Lanier 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Wade Wallace . 1 1 . . . 2 . . . . .
CINCINNATI, OH, November 3, 1979 - Florida State, for the second consecutive season, took Cincinnati by the identical 26-21 score.
And, for the second straight year the Seminoles notched their victory in come-from-behind fashion. This comeback was just as spectacular as the one in 1978 that found FSU scoring the winning points with 1:29 left in the game. That win came in friendly Tallahassee.
This win, the eighth of the season for the Tribe, was done in nearly identical fashion. The winning points came this time with 1:38 left.
FSU, which was favored in most quarters by 21 points or more, got started quickly. Monk Bonasorte intercepted a Bearcat pass on the game's first series and eight plays after the turnover fullback Mark Lyles plunged one yard for the touchdown and Davey Cappelen's PAT made it 7-0.
That would be the last time the Tribe would move the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, however. Cincinnati, meanwhile, was able to put 21 markers on the scoreboard in the second quarter.
FSU didn't become untracked until late in the third quarter. Quarterback Wally Woodham, who had come off the bench midway in the quarter, directed a scoring drive of 56 yards that consumed 17 plays and 7:35 on the clock. An eight yard Woodham to Lyles pass picked up the six points. FSU elected to go for two on the conversion but that didn't work.
Cincinnati went to the Tribe 28 on its next series before the drive stalled. But, FSU was 65 yards from the endzone when the Bearcats gave up the ball. It took 10 plays before Woodham tossed a five yard scoring pass to Jackie Flowers. That march included a fourth down and third down conversion.
Still, when the two point conversion run by Mike Whiting failed the Bearcats held a 21-19 advantage.
The host Bearcats moved the sticks once on their next series before the Tribe defense forced a punt. That boot was returned 38 yards by sophomore Gary Henry to the Bearcat 40. Still, there was just 2:40 remaining in the game.
But, Woodham elected on the first play to throw a flare pass to Lyles. Once the big fullback got the ball he erased 31 of the 40 yards, moving the ball to the nine. Freshman Ricky Williams gained one on the next play as the Tribe maneuvered for a field goal. But, Whiting went up the middle on the next play for the winning score.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | |||||
| CINCINNATI |
1st 7- 0 Mark Lyles, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 10:55
7- 0 Dave Cappelen, 40, field goal failed, 0:48
2nd 7- 7 Opp, 15, run (kick), 9:30
7-14 Opp, 9, run (kick), 7:36
7-21 Opp, 1, run (kick), 0:39
4th 13-21 Mark Lyles, 7, pass from Wally Woodham (Rick Stockstill, pass failed), 10:57
19-21 Jackie Flowers, 5, pass from Wally Woodham (Michael Whiting, run failed), 4:50
26-21 Michael Whiting, 8, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:38
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 24 13
Rushes-yards 60-242 40-152
Passing 168 106
Att-Comp-Int 25-15-1 21-6-2
Total Yards 85-410 61-258
Punt Returns 4-49 0-0
Kickoff Returns 1-19 3-63
Interception Ret. 2-25 1-3
Fumble Returns 0-0 2-0
Punts 4-29.8 7-39.6
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-0
Penalties-Yds 4-38 3-33
Time of Posession 35:23 24:37
Attendance 14,539
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 29- 142
Michael Whiting 18- 82
Kelly Burney 2- 30
Ricky Williams 3- 7
Michael Whiting 0- 0
Wally Woodham 5- -2
Jimmy Jordan 3- -17
Receiving
Mark Lyles 7- 92
Phil Williams 2- 26
Grady King 2- 20
Hardis Johnson 1- 14
Dennis McKinnon 1- 8
Jackie Flowers 1- 5
Michael Whiting 1- 3
Passing
Wally Woodham 13- 8-0-111
Jimmy Jordan 12- 7-1- 57
Punt Return
Gary Henry 4- 49
Kickoff Return
Kelly Burney 1- 19
Punting
Rohn Stark 4- 119
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Piurowski 1 7 8 1.0- 3.0 . . . . . . . .
Reggie Herring 3 4 7 . . . . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 4 2 6 . . 1- 8 . . . . . .
Mark Macek 3 3 6 1.0- 3.0 . . . . . . . .
Arthur Scott 5 . 5 3.0- 9.0 . . . . . . . .
Garry Futch 3 2 5 . . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 3 1 4 1.0- 7.0 . . . . . . . .
Keith Baker . 3 3 . . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Ron Simmons 1 1 2 1.0- 1.0 . . . . . . . .
James Gilbert . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Mike Smith 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
James Harris 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter 1 . 1 1.0- 8.0 . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones . . . . . 1- 17 . . . . . .
TALLAHASSEE, FL, November 10, 1979 - Florida State, which had not played a home game in nearly a month, celebrated its return to Doak Campbell Stadium with a 27-7 Homecoming victory before 49,490, the largest crowd in stadium history.
This was a battle of nationally ranked teams. The Seminoles were out to protect their sixth place berth while South Carolina was trying to remain in the top 20.
FSU showed everyone early that it wasn't about to let its ninth victory get away. The Tribe had a 7-0 lead with 9:23 remaining in the first quarter on a one yard plunge by Mark Lyles and Davey Cappelen's PAT. Cappelen, the leading scorer in FSU history, hiked that margin to 13-0 with field goals of 19 and 29 yards.
South Carolina narrowed its deficit to 13-7 after George Rogers rumbled 80 yards for a score with more than 13 minutes left in the half. That was to be the last of the scoring for the Gamecocks.
The score remained at 16-7 through three quarters before FSU managed to ring up 11 more points in the final quarter. QB Jimmy Jordan threw a seven yard scoring pass to Sam Childers and the same duo hooked up for a two point conversion following the TD.
Immediately after that score South Carolina fumbled and safety Keith Jones was on the recovery for FSU. The Tribe couldn't get another TD but Cappelen did kick a 27-yard field goal for the final three points of the evening.
After the win, Seminole head coach Bobby Bowden called the win "a true team victory." Indeed, it was. The defense gave the Gamecocks just 265 yards and nine first downs. FSU, meanwhile, was gaining 381 yards and 23 first downs.
Lyles went over 100 yards rushing for the second straight game. He dented the South Carolina defense for 132 yards in 25 carries and also caught three passes for 18 yards.
Starting quarterback Wally Woodham and backup Jimmy Jordan did a good job of picking on the Gamecock pass defense. Woodham, the starter, completed 15 of 29 for 145 yards while Jordan completed six of nine for an additional 59 yards. Tight ends Sam Childers and Grady King plus tailback Mike Whiting were the chief targets of the passers with four receptions apiece.
FSU couldn't completely stop Rogers, who gained 186 yards rushing in 21 carries. But the rest of the Gamecocks had just 28 net yards rushing and the visitors netted just 51 yards in the air.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTH CAROLINA | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 7- 0 Mark Lyles, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 9:23
10- 0 Dave Cappelen, 19, field goal, 5:31
2nd 13- 0 Dave Cappelen, 29, field goal, 13:45
13- 7 Opp, 80, run (kick), 13:33
16- 7 Dave Cappelen, 50, field goal, 5:51
4th 24- 7 Sam Childers, 7, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Sam Childers, pass from Jimmy Jordan), 9:55
27- 7 Dave Cappelen, 27, field goal, 7:01
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 23 9
Rushes-yards 45-177 40-214
Passing 204 51
Att-Comp-Int 38-21-1 12-3-0
Total Yards 83-381 52-265
Punt Returns 2-5 1-15
Kickoff Returns 2-45 4-77
Interception Ret. 0-0 1-0
Fumble Returns 3-0 1-0
Punts 5-41.6 9-37.3
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 4-3
Penalties-Yds 5-55 2-18
Attendance 49,490
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 25- 132
Michael Whiting 13- 41
Keith Kennedy 1- 7
Gator Cherry 2- 5
Wally Woodham 2- 2
Ricky Williams 2- -10
Receiving
Michael Whiting 4- 42
Grady King 4- 38
Phil Williams 2- 29
Sam Childers 4- 28
Jackie Flowers 2- 25
Hardis Johnson 2- 24
Mark Lyles 3- 18
Passing
Wally Woodham 29-15-0-145
Jimmy Jordan 9- 6-1- 59
Punt Return
Gary Henry 2- 5
Kickoff Return
Hardis Johnson 2- 45
Punting
Rohn Stark 5- 208
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Piurowski 5 8 13 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 2 7 9 . . . 1 . 1- 0 . . .
Ron Simmons 4 4 8 3.0- . . . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 3 4 7 . . . 1 . . . . .
Reggie Herring 1 5 6 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Arthur Scott . 4 4 . . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek 1 3 4 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 3 4 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Keith Jones 2 2 4 . . . 2 . 1- 0 . . .
James Gilbert 2 1 3 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Rick Stockstill . 3 3 . . . . . . . . .
Garry Futch . 3 3 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean 1 2 3 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Wade Wallace 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
James Harris . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
TALLAHASSEE, FL, November 17, 1979 - Florida State celebrated its acceptance of an Orange Bowl invitation by mauling Memphis State, 66-17, before 48,021 Doak Campbell Stadium fans.
One hour before the kickoff the Orange Bowl announced it was inviting the Seminoles to play in the New Year's Night classic opposite the Big Eight Conference champion. FSU showed its appreciation to the selection committee by completely dominating the Tigers for the final three quarters.
The game began like it was going to be a real struggle for the Seminoles to push their record to 10-0. The score was deadlocked at 3-3 after the first quarter and FSU didn't manage a TD until 8:34 remained in the opening half. The six points came on a 24-yard pass from Jimmy Jordan to Jackie Flowers.
It looked like the score would stay that way until halftime. FSU, however, had other ideas and managed to put 14 points on the scoreboard in a 27-second span late in the half. First Jordan pitched a four yard scoring pass to freshman Hardis Johnson. Memphis State mishandled the ensuing kickoff and Mike Smith recovered for the Tribe. Three plays later Jordan threw a five yard scoring strike to Grady King to make it 24-3.
FSU put the game out of reach in the third quarter with a 28-point explosion. Two of those touchdowns belonged to the defense. Defensive back Keith Jones returned a blocked punt 16 yards for a score and linebacker Paul Piurowski picked off a pass and raced to the endzone for another six points.
Each team traded a pair of touchdowns during the fourth quarter that saw both coaches using substitutes. No player was dominating in this contest for the Seminoles. In fact, each of the nine touchdowns was scored by a different player.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEMPHIS STATE | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 3- 0 Dave Cappelen, 19, field goal, 8:38
3- 3 Opp, 23, field goal, 1:07
2nd 10- 3 Jackie Flowers, 24, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 8:34
16- 3 Hardis Johnson, 4, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick failed), 0:45
24- 3 Grady King, 5, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Mark Lyles, pass from Jimmy Jordan), 0:18
3rd 31- 3 Paul Piurowski, 29, interception return (Dave Cappelen, kick), 13:18
38- 3 Mark Lyles, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 9:22
45- 3 Keith Jones, 16, punt return/blocked punt (Dave Cappelen, kick), 7:14
52- 3 Ricky Williams, 8, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 1:48
4th 52-10 Opp, 51, pass (kick), 14:49
59-10 Keith Kennedy, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 11:46
66-10 Kelly Burney, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 5:58
66-17 Opp, 11, pass (kick), 0:11
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 31 12
Rushes-yards 44-178 38-124
Passing 347 115
Att-Comp-Int 42-27-1 24-7-1
Total Yards 86-525 62-239
Punt Returns 9-75 0-0
Kickoff Returns 1-27 7-169
Interception Ret. 1-29 1-31
Fumble Returns 1-0 0-0
Punts 4-42.8 10-32.6
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1
Penalties-Yds 7-72 3-35
Attendance 48,021
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 20- 83
Michael Whiting 11- 51
Ricky Williams 2- 11
Dennis McKinnon 1- 10
Kelly Burney 4- 8
Gator Cherry 3- 8
Ken Burnett 2- 6
Keith Kennedy 1- 1
Receiving
Jackie Flowers 9- 117
Dennis McKinnon 2- 45
Phil Williams 2- 37
Hardis Johnson 3- 34
Mark Lyles 4- 26
Michael Whiting 2- 25
Bill Keck 1- 23
Tony Johnson 1- 14
Keith Kennedy 1- 11
Zeke Mowatt 1- 10
Grady King 1- 5
Passing
Jimmy Jordan 29-18-1-189
Rick Stockstill 7- 6-0-103
Wally Woodham 6- 3-0- 55
Punt Return
Gary Henry 7- 42
Bobby Butler 1- 17
Keith Jones 0- 16
Dennis McKinnon 1- 0
Kickoff Return
Dennis McKinnon 1- 27
Punting
Rohn Stark 4- 171
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Piurowski 2 7 9 . . 1- 27 . . . . . .
Reggie Herring 3 6 9 2.0- . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek . 6 6 . . . . . . . . .
Ron Simmons 2 3 5 . . . . . . . . .
James Harris 2 3 5 1.0- . . 1 . . . . .
Keith Baker 2 3 5 . . . . . . . . .
James Gilbert 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . .
Garry Futch 1 3 4 1.0- . . . . . . . .
Dmitri Rigas 1 3 4 . . . . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 1 2 3 . . . 1 . . . 1 .
Ivory Joe Hunter 1 2 3 . . . . . . . . .
Hector Gray 2 1 3 . . . . . . . . .
Wade Wallace . 3 3 . . . . . . . . .
Ellis Singletary 2 1 3 . . . . . . . . .
Arthur Scott . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 1 1 2 . . . 2 . . . . .
Keith Jones 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter . 2 2 . . . . . . . . .
Scott McLean 1 1 2 . . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Bill Capece . 1 1 . . . . . . . . .
Rick Stockstill 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Gary Henry 1 . 1 . . . 1 . . . . .
Jarvis Coursey 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Mike Smith . . . . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
GAINESVILLE, FL, November 23, 1979 - Florida State polished off its first undefeated season as a major college by dumping arch-rival Florida, 27-16.
The Seminole win was viewed by 58,263 in Florida Field and a national TV audience. ABC-TV sent the game across the country as the first portion of a national doubleheader.
FSU went ahead 10-0 in the first half on a first quarter field goal by Davey Cappelen and a 21-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jimmy Jordan to freshman wide receiver Hardis Johnson. Cappelen booted the PAT with just 11 seconds left in the half.
Florida, however, battled back with its own 10 point explosion. After three quarters the count was deadlocked.
The Seminole lead went back to 10, 20-10, with just 4:14 gone in the fourth quarter. First fullback Mark Lyles capped an 80-yard march with a 20 yard scoring burst through the middle of the Florida defense. Bill Capece, who added the PAT, kicked an 18-yard field goal two minutes later to make it 20-10.
The Capece field goal came following an interception by tackle Walter Carter. Each team traded touchdowns in the closing minutes with Lyles picking up the final Seminole touchdown on a three yard run with 1:10 remaining.
With 43 points being scored, the teams gave quite an offensive show. FSU netted 394 yards total offense with 241 along the ground and another 153 in the air. Florida meanwhile was unable to mount any sort of a ground game and had just 39 yards in 23 attempts. But the Gators did throw the ball 54 times for 22 completions and 270 yards.
Florida State's two quarterbacks were tested throughout. Wally Woodham was the starter and Jimmy Jordan came on in relief in the second quarter. When Jordan got in trouble in the third quarter Woodham returned for the fourth to direct the 80-yard scoring drive.
The two-headed quarterback combined to complete 14 of 27 passes. The Woodham stats showed seven completions in 10 attempts while Jordan completed seven of 17.
One of the offensive highlights was the performance of fullback Mark Lyles. Playing in his final regular season game the Buffalo, NY, native ran for a career high 151 yards in 27 carries. Two of those rushes finished with touchdowns.
Tailback Mike Whiting also contributed to the ground game. His final stats showed 123 net yards in 19 carries. It was the first time during the season the Tribe had two backs gain more than 100 yards in the same game.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORIDA STATE | |||||
| FLORIDA |
1st 0- 0 Dave Cappelen, 41, field goal failed, 7:54
3- 0 Dave Cappelen, 42, field goal, 6:23
3- 0 Dave Cappelen, 46, field goal failed, 1:14
2nd 3- 0 Opp, 39, field goal failed, 11:04
3- 0 Opp, 45, field goal failed, 2:03
10- 0 Hardis Johnson, 21, pass from Jimmy Jordan (Dave Cappelen, kick), 0:11
3rd 10- 3 Opp, 39, field goal, 11:39
10- 3 Opp, 23, field goal failed, 9:57
10- 3 Dave Cappelen, 29, field goal failed, 7:15
10-10 Opp, 2, run (kick), 1:28
4th 17-10 Mark Lyles, 20, run (Bill Capece, kick), 12:31
20-10 Bill Capece, 18, field goal, 10:46
20-10 Opp, 27, field goal failed, 7:56
20-16 Opp, 35, pass (pass failed), 2:21
27-16 Mark Lyles, 2, run (Bill Capece, kick), 1:10
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 21 13
Rushes-yards 53-241 23- 39
Passing 153 270
Att-Comp-Int 27-14-2 54-22-5
Total Yards 80-394 77-309
Punt Returns 3-12 1-0
Kickoff Returns 1-3 0-0
Interception Ret. 5-64 2-33
Fumble Returns 1-0 0-0
Punts 7-40.4 6-44.7
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-1
Penalties-Yds 7-42 6-59
Attendance 58,263
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mark Lyles 20- 151
Michael Whiting 19- 123
Sam Platt 1- 6
Wally Woodham 2- -16
Jimmy Jordan 4- -23
Receiving
Grady King 6- 59
Hardis Johnson 2- 51
Michael Whiting 4- 39
Mark Lyles 1- 2
Jackie Flowers 1- 2
Passing
Wally Woodham 10- 7-0- 82
Jimmy Jordan 17- 7-2- 71
Punt Return
Gary Henry 3- 12
Kickoff Return
Hardis Johnson 1- 3
Punting
Rohn Stark 7- 283
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reggie Herring 6 5 11 1.0- 2.0 . . 1 . . 1 . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 5 2 7 . . . . . . . . .
Ron Simmons 7 . 7 4.0- 19.0 . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 5 1 6 1.0- 13.0 . . 1 . . . . .
Paul Piurowski 5 . 5 1.0- 2.0 . 1- 22 . . . . . .
Bobby Butler 4 1 5 . . 1- 0 5 . . . . .
Keith Jones 3 1 4 1.0- 7.0 . . 2 . . . . .
Arthur Scott 1 3 4 . . . 1 . . . . .
Gary Henry 2 1 3 . . 1- 36 . . . . . .
Monk Bonasorte 2 1 3 . . . 3 . . . . .
James Gilbert . . . . . 1- 3 . . . . . .
Walter Carter . . . . . 1- 3 . . . . . .
MIAMI, FL, January 1, 1980 - Julius Caesar Watts and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims each rushed for more than 100 yards, and the Sooner defense held Florida State to 182 total yards as Oklahoma defeated Florida State 24-7 in the 46th Annual Orange Bowl Classic.
For 17 minutes, it appeared Florida State would see its dream of a 12-0 season and possible national championship come true as it took a 7-0 lead on Mike Whiting's one yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
FSU had a chance to double its lead moments later. OU punter Fred Keeling's kick was blocked by Seminole cornerback Bobby Butler and recovered on the Oklahoma 17 by Keith Jones.
After a first down, FSU failed to gain more than two yards on three tries. Rick Stockstill fumbled a snap from center on an attempted field goal try as Oklahoma stopped the FSU drive and gained possession at its 19.
Following a 25-yard pickup by Sims and a sack by James Gilbert, Watts kept the ball on a sweep to the right and ran 61 yards for a score.
Watts' run was a sample of things to come for the Seminoles. Following the kickoff, Jimmy Jordan's first pass was picked off by Bud Herbert, who would intercept three passes on the night, and returned to the Seminole 10. Two plays later, Stanley Wilson got the call from the five and rambled in for the score and a 14-7 Sooner lead.
Fred Keeling made it 17-7 at the half with a 24-yard field goal, and the Sooners were on their way to victory.
The remainder of the game was a defensive standoff until Sims took a lateral from Watts and raced 22 yards into the Seminole end zone at 7:13 of the fourth quarter.
For the game, Sims gained 164 yards on 24 carries and Watts tallied 127 yards on 15 attempts. FSU was outgained in the game by a 447-182 margin.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKLAHOMA | |||||
| FLORIDA STATE |
1st 7- 0 Michael Whiting, 1, run (Dave Cappelen, kick), 3:24
2nd 7- 7 Opp, 61, run (kick), 11:35
7-14 Opp, 5, run (kick), 10:59
7-17 Opp, 24, field goal, 3:08
4th 7-24 Opp, 22, run (kick), 1:58
TEAM STATISTICS
FSU OPP
First downs 12 23
Rushes-yards 35- 82 59-411
Passing 100 36
Att-Comp-Int 27-8-3 4-2-0
Total Yards 62-182 63-447
Punt Returns 2-19 2-60
Kickoff Returns 4-92 1-15
Interception Ret. 0-0 3-25
Fumble Returns 4-0 0-0
Punts 9-42.2 4-25.0
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 5-4
Penalties-Yds 4-20 3-28
Attendance 66,714
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Michael Whiting 13- 40
Mark Lyles 13- 40
Sam Platt 3- 8
Wally Woodham 2- 7
Jimmy Jordan 3- -6
Rick Stockstill 1- -7
Receiving
Grady King 2- 24
Sam Childers 2- 24
Sam Platt 1- 22
Hardis Johnson 1- 17
Mark Lyles 1- 9
Michael Whiting 1- 4
Passing
Jimmy Jordan 16- 6-1- 76
Wally Woodham 11- 2-2- 24
Punt Return
Bobby Butler 1- 11
Gary Henry 1- 4
Keith Jones 0- 4
Kickoff Return
Kelly Burney 4- 92
Punting
Rohn Stark 9- 380
|---------Tackles---------| |---Sacks---| |---Pass Def---| |-Fumbles-| Blkd
DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UT AT Total ForLoss No - Yards Int-Yds BrUp QBH Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reggie Herring 12 4 16 . . . . . . 1 . .
Monk Bonasorte 9 3 12 . . . . . . 1 . .
Ron Simmons 5 6 11 . . . . . . . . .
Paul Piurowski 7 4 11 . . . . . . . . .
Scott Warren 6 1 7 . . . . . . 1 . .
Bobby Butler 5 1 6 . . . . . . . 1 .
Keith Jones 3 1 4 . . . . . . . . .
Ivory Joe Hunter 2 2 4 . . . . . . . . .
Walter Carter 4 . 4 . . . . . . . . .
Arthur Scott 1 2 3 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
James Gilbert 3 . 3 . . . . . . . . .
Rick Stockstill 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Jeremy Mindlin 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Ken Lanier 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Keith Baker 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Edenbur Richardson 1 . 1 . . . . . 1- 0 . . .
Dmitri Rigas 1 . 1 . . . . . . . . .
Mark Macek . 1 1 . . . . . 2- 0 . . .