1976 Florida State Seminoles football team

1976 Florida State Seminoles football
ConferenceIndependent
Record5–6
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGeorge Haffner (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorJack Stanton (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Captains
  • Jimmy Black
  • Jeff Leggett
  • Joe Camps
  • Rudy Thomas
Home stadiumDoak Campbell Stadium
1976 NCAA Division I independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Pittsburgh   –   12 – 0 – 0
No. 17 Rutgers   –   11 – 0 – 0
San Diego State   –   10 – 1 – 0
No. 12 Notre Dame   –   9 – 3 – 0
Colgate   –   8 – 2 – 0
Boston College   –   8 – 3 – 0
Cincinnati   –   8 – 3 – 0
Memphis State   –   7 – 4 – 0
North Texas State *   –   7 – 4 – 0
Southern Illinois   –   7 – 4 – 0
Penn State   –   7 – 5 – 0
Villanova   –   6 – 4 – 1
South Carolina   –   6 – 5 – 0
Virginia Tech   –   6 – 5 – 0
Army   –   5 – 6 – 0
Florida State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Illinois State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Richmond   –   5 – 6 – 0
West Virginia   –   5 – 6 – 0
Georgia Tech   –   4 – 6 – 1
Temple   –   4 – 6 – 0
Air Force   –   4 – 7 – 0
Dayton   –   4 – 7 – 0
Louisville   –   4 – 7 – 0
Marshall   –   4 – 7 – 0
Navy   –   4 – 7 – 0
Indiana State   –   3 – 7 – 0
Hawaii   –   3 – 8 – 0
Holy Cross   –   3 – 8 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   3 – 8 – 0
Syracuse   –   3 – 8 – 0
Utah State   –   3 – 8 – 0
Northeast Louisiana   –   2 – 9 – 0
Southern Miss   –   2 – 9 – 0
Tulane   –   2 – 9 – 0
  • North Texas State (originally 6–5) was awarded a forfeit win after Mississippi State was found to be using an ineligible player.[1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1976 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University as an independent during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. Led by first-year head coach Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles compiled a record of 5–6. Florida State played home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.

This would be the last time the Seminoles would finish with a losing record until 2018. Despite the 5-6 record, this season would be the start of a turning point for the program, with the hiring of Bobby Bowden, who would turn around the program, as well as capture multiple national championships during his 34-year tenure that lasted until 2009.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 11at Memphis State
L 12–2130,194[2]
September 18at Miami (FL)
L 0–4722,710[3]
September 25at No. 4 Oklahoma
L 9–2471,184[4]
October 2Kansas State
W 20–1030,353[5]
October 9at No. 13 Boston College
W 28–922,866[6]
October 16No. 12 Florida
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL (rivalry)
L 26–3342,803[7]
October 23at Auburn
L 19–3158,500[8]
October 30Clemson
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL (rivalry)
L 12–1521,473[9]
November 6Southern Miss
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL
W 30–2729,173[10]
November 13at North Texas State
W 21–203,850[11]
November 20Virginia Tech
  • Doak Campbell Stadium
  • Tallahassee, FL
W 28–2116,148[12]
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[13]

Game summaries

Florida

See also: 1976 Florida Gators football team
#12 Florida Gators at Florida State Seminoles
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Florida 10 10 7633
Florida St 0 17 6326

at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida

  • Date: October 17
  • Game attendance: 42,803
  • Recap/Box
Game information


Roster

1976 Florida State Seminoles football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR Mike Barnes
TE Ed Beckman
QB Jimmy Black
WR Jackie Flowers
OL Mike Good
OL Wade Johnson
QB Jimmy Jordan
RB Larry Key
OL Mike Kissner
TE Greg Lazzaro
RB Jeff Leggett
RB Mark Lyles
OL Mark Meseroll
OL Alan Risk
OL Vic Rivas
OL Tom Rushing
OL Bill Sawyer
OL Jon Thomas
RB Rudy Thomas
WR Kurt Unglaub
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB Joe Camps
LB Aaron Carter
DL Walter Carter
DL Jimmy Heggins
DB Ivory Joe Hunter
DB Bobby Jackson
DL Willie Jones
DB Joe Joyner
DB Mike Kincaid
DL Rudy Maloy
LB Detroit Reynolds
DB Jeff Ridings
DL Gary Rose
DL Abe Smith
LB Mike Stewart
DB Nat Terry
DL Scott Warren
DB Gary Woolford
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Dave Cappelen
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

References

  1. ^ https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1976-standings.html
  2. ^ "Florida State: Seminoles swamped, 21–12". The Pensacola News-Journal. September 12, 1976. Retrieved September 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "UM embarrasses Seminoles, 47–0". The Miami Herald. September 19, 1976. Retrieved September 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Oklahoma pressed to beat Seminoles". Panama City News. September 26, 1976. Retrieved September 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "FSU wins first, rallies by Kansas State". The Miami Herald. October 3, 1976. Retrieved September 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "FSU upsets B.C. 28–9". Tallahassee Democrat. October 10, 1976. Retrieved September 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "FSU's respect is at expense of Gator win". The Pensacola News-Journal. October 17, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Gargis paces Auburn over Florida State". Panama City News-Herald. October 24, 1976. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Clemson tops FSU; No winning season". The Miami Herald. October 31, 1976. Retrieved January 26, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "FSU rallies, downs Southern Mississippi". The Miami Herald. November 7, 1976. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Late 2-point conversion gives Seminoles 4th win". The Palm Beach Post-Times. November 14, 1976. Retrieved March 29, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "FSU ends on high note". Pensacola News Journal. November 21, 1976. Retrieved December 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ NoleFan.Org - 1976 season.
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