The 2009 Florida State Seminoles football team represented
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
during the
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
. The team played their home games at
Doak Campbell Stadium
Doak S. Campbell Stadium (in full Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium), popularly known as "Doak", is a football stadium on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. It is the home field of the Florida State Semin ...
in
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In ...
. They were members of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
ACC).
Head coach
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler Bowden (; November 8, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was an American college football coach. Bowden coached the Florida State Seminoles of Florida State University (FSU) from 1976 to 2009 and is considered one of the greatest college ...
retired at the end of the 2009 season after 34 seasons at the helm for Florida State and 33 consecutive winning seasons.
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of an American football or Canadian football team who is in charge of the team's offense. Generally, along with the defensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator, this coach re ...
Jimbo Fisher
John James "Jimbo" Fisher Jr. (born October 9, 1965) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies Football, Texas A&M Aggies. Previously, Fisher was the head coach at Florida State Seminol ...
was named his successor.
Previous season
Florida State entered the 2009 season coming off a
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
season that ended with a 9–4 record (5–3 in the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
) and a
Champs Sports Bowl
The Pop-Tarts Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Classi ...
victory over
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Florida State also won a share of the ACC Atlantic Division, but due to the head-to-head record versus
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, the Eagles represented the Atlantic Division in the
Championship Game
In sport, a championship is a Competition#Sports, competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match sy ...
held in
Tampa
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...
.
Rankings
Schedule
Recruits
Game capsules
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
Pregame line: FSU −4
Miami's defense stops Florida St. to back up Harris' final TD drive
Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public university in Jacksonville, Alabama. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in six academic schools leading to bachelor's, master's, education specialist, and doctorate degrees ...
Pregame line: Lines are not released when an
FCS team plays an
FBS team
Florida State steals win from lower-division Jacksonville State
#9 BYU
Pregame line: BYU −6.5
Ponder drives Seminoles to decisive win over No. 7 Cougars
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
Pregame line: FSU −12
Daniels steps in for injured Grothe, lifts USF to first ever win over FSU.
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
Pregame line: FSU −5
BC blows 18-point lead, barely holds off FSU.
#23 Georgia Tech
Pregame line: FSU −2.5
Nesbitt, Yellow Jackets hand third straight loss to Bowden's Seminoles.
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
Pregame line: UNC −2.5
Ponder rallies Seminoles from deficit to knock off North Carolina.
NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
Pregame line: FSU −7
Florida St. edges NC State late in barnburner
Clemson
Pregame line: Clemson −8
Spiller rushes for 165 yards, touchdown as Clemson routs Florida St.*FSU starting quarterback Christian Ponder was injured in the 4th quarter and had to leave the game. His injury required surgery and he did not return to participation until the teams non-contact drills in the spring of 2010.
*Redshirt Freshman E.J. Manuel took over for the injured Ponder, getting his first start the following week against Wake Forest.
Wake Forest
Pregame line: Wake −5
Thomas, Manuel help Florida State roll past Wake
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
Pregame line: FSU −17
Florida State edges Maryland on last-minute TD to become bowl eligible
#1 Florida
Pregame line: Florida −21
Tebow accounts for five TDs in final home game as a Gator
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
vs.
#16 West Virginia
Pregame line: WVU −3
* The final game for Bobby Bowden, Mickey Andrews and Chuck Amato
Bowden goes out a winner as Seminoles dispatch Mountaineers
Statistics
Team
Scores by quarter
*Updated after the November 21st, 2009 Maryland game.
Offense
Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Defense
Special teams
Projected 2009 depth chart
;Offensive
*QB –
Christian Ponder
Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football quarterback. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Florida State, and was drafted by the Minnesota ...
Jr
*TB – Jermaine Thomas So
*FB – Marcus Sims Sr
*WR – Corey Surrency Sr
*WR – Taiwan Easterling So
*TE – Caz Piurowski Sr
*LT – Evan Bellamy So
*LG –
Rodney Hudson
William Rodney Hudson (born July 12, 1989) is an American football center for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State, and was a two-time All-American. He was drafted by the Kan ...
Jr
*C – Ryan McMahon Jr
*RG – David Spurlock So
*RT – Zebrie Sanders So
;Defense
*DE – Kevin McNeil Sr
*DE – Markus White Jr
*DT – Kendrick Stewart Sr
*DT – Budd Thacker Sr
*LB –
Dekoda Watson Sr
*LB –
Nigel Bradham
Nigel Bradham (born September 4, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Florida State University. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and played for the Philadelph ...
So
*LB – Kendall Smith Jr
*CB – Ochuko Jenije Jr
*CB –
Patrick Robinson Sr
*S – Jamie Robinson Sr
*S – Korey Mangum Sr
;Special Teams
*K –
Dustin Hopkins
Dustin Hopkins (born October 1, 1990) is an American football placekicker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round ...
*P – Shawn Powell
References
{{Florida State Seminoles football navbox
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
Florida State Seminoles football seasons
Gator Bowl champion seasons
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Colle ...