My History as a Seminole Fan — Part Six: The Next Chapter
By 1995, Danny Kanell wasn’t replacing Charlie Ward anymore.
The previous two seasons had changed the way I looked at Florida State football. In 1993, Charlie Ward had taken the Seminoles to the top of college football. In 1994, Kanell had taken over and led them through a season that included one of the most ridiculous comebacks I had ever seen.
Now it was 1995.
And Florida State was still Florida State.
The expectations hadn’t changed.
If anything, they were higher.
The Seminoles had become one of those teams where anything short of competing for a championship felt like something had gone wrong.
Kanell was now firmly established as the quarterback. Warrick Dunn was becoming one of the most exciting players on the roster. Derrick Brooks was still leading a defense loaded with talent.
This wasn’t a rebuilding year.
This was another Florida State team expected to contend.
And for most of the season, that’s exactly what happened.
Florida State won its first seven games.
Duke.
Clemson.
NC State.
UCF.
Miami.
Wake Forest.
Georgia Tech.
The Seminoles were rolling.
Then came Virginia.
Florida State lost 33–28.
It was the Seminoles’ first ACC loss since joining the conference.
That was a different kind of shock.
Florida State had entered the ACC expecting to dominate, and for years, it had.
Now the conference had finally handed the Seminoles a loss.
But the season kept moving.
And eventually, as it always seemed to do in those years, it came down to Florida.
Gainesville
Florida State entered the game ranked No. 6.
Florida was No. 3.
The Gators had been waiting for this one.
And this time, they got it.
Florida beat Florida State 35–24.
For the first time since 1991, the Gators had beaten the Seminoles in the regular season.
That one had to sting.
For years, Florida State had seemed to have an answer for Florida.
Now the Gators had finally found one.
The loss also ended Florida State’s hopes of another undefeated season and another shot at the national championship.
But it didn’t end the season.
There was still one more game.
And, as it turned out, one more reminder that this Florida State team wasn’t going anywhere.
The Orange Bowl
Florida State went to Miami to play Notre Dame.
The Irish were ranked No. 6.
The Seminoles were No. 8.
And once again, Danny Kanell was at the center of the story.
For three quarters, Notre Dame controlled the game.
Florida State trailed 24–14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Then Kanell went to work.
The Seminoles came back.
And with the game hanging in the balance, Kanell found E.G. Green on a crucial fourth-down conversion during the game-winning drive.
Florida State eventually took the lead and held on to win 31–26.
Another comeback.
Another bowl victory.
Another season finished with Florida State among the best teams in the country.
The Seminoles finished 10–2 and ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll. Kanell was named ACC Player of the Year and earned first-team All-ACC honors. Warrick Dunn was becoming a star in his own right, rushing for 1,242 yards during the season.
But when I look back at 1995, I don’t think about the statistics first.
I think about the transition.
Charlie Ward was no longer the quarterback.
The 1993 championship was no longer the present.
The Choke at Doak was already becoming part of Seminole lore.
And now another group of players was beginning to create its own memories.
That was something I was learning as a fan.
Players come and go.
Quarterbacks graduate.
Stars move on.
Seasons end.
But somehow, the team remains.
And so does the fan.
By this point, I wasn’t wondering whether I was a Florida State fan anymore.
That question had been answered years earlier.
Now I was finding out what it meant to keep being one.
Through the wins.
Through the losses.
Through the heartbreak.
And through the expectation that next year might finally be the year again.
Because there was always another season.
And there was always another Saturday.
I was still watching.
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