At 1-2 and facing the No. 5 team in the country, few were giving Florida State a chance as Georgia came to town on October 16th, 1965. The Seminoles were coming off their best season ever in 1964, but suffered tough losses to TCU and Kentucky early in 1965 while Georgia was 4-0 with wins over top-10 Alabama and Michigan teams.
The FSU defense stifled Georgia for much of the game, allowing only a field goal in the first half. That score came after Georgia’s Lynn Hughes intercepted Florida State quarterback Ed Pritchett. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, they were unable to get on the scoreboard for three quarters.
The 3-0 Georgia lead lasted until the fourth quarter when Bill Moremen’s 20-yard touchdown run on the first play put FSU ahead 7-3. Kicker Pete Roberts extended the lead to 10-3 with a 31-yard field goal with just over a minute and a half to play.
The Seminoles were able to cement the victory as Charlie Pennie knocked down a fourth down pass from Bulldogs’ quarterback Kirby Moore.
FSU more than doubled Georgia’s total yardage output, but wasn’t able to get on the scoreboard until the final quarter due to missed opportunities and penalties. The Seminoles finished with 282 yards of offense compared to Georgia’s 134 with Wayne Giardino leading the way for FSU with 74 yards rushing.
Still, the Seminoles found a way to leave Doak Campbell Stadium with just their second-ever victory over a top-5 team. Florida State beat six ranked opponents under head coach Bill Peterson, but FSU wouldn’t beat another top-5 team until topping No. 3 Nebraska in Lincoln 15 years later under a head coach named Bobby Bowden.
Featured image courtesy of Florida Memory
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