Bobby Bowden Passes Away – CN Sends Our Condolences To FSU, Seminole Fans, and The Bowden Family

News this morning out of Florida State that legendary coach Bobby Bowden has passed away.

Bowden built Florida State into an incredible program, claiming two national titles and having 40 winning seasons under his reign.

I was at the Nebraska – Florida State game on October 4th, 1980, when the Seminoles beat Nebraska 18-14. We all wondered what the hell was going on. How could our beloved Huskers lose to these upstarts?

Bowden was in his fifth season then. From 1976 to 2009, Bowden won championships in 1993, beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl 18-16 in one of the most infuriating games in Husker history, and 1999, when the ‘Noles went 12-0, winning the Sugar Bowl 46-29 against Virginia Tech.

Bowden went 304-97-4 during his time at Florida State, compiling a 8-4 record against our beloved Huskers. Two losses in the Fiesta Bowl, two losses in the Orange Bow, including that 1994 national title game. 2-2 in the regular season from 1980 to 1986.

Florida State was a fun team to hate, as was Bowden with his folksy charm, and it was that charm that made it really difficult to hate Bowden for real. It was especially hard when he said nice things about Husker fans, such as this after that 1980 loss at Memorial Stadium.

“I have been coaching college football the past 28 years and have played before some great crowds in this country,” Bowden wrote.

“I have never seen people with more class than I saw at Nebraska last week … a living testimony of what college football should be all about.”

CN sends our condolences to FSU, their fans, and the Bowden family.

Thanks to Bobby Bowden for making our lives a better place to be.