Florida State Football Sod Cemetery
For Florida State Football, “sod games” and the Sod Cemetery have been a rich part of the Seminoles college football history, commemorating many of the greatest victories. Away from home and against the odds, Florida State sod games represent the most difficult battles on the football field. The Sod Cemetery stands as a tribute to those triumphs
In 1962, as the Seminoles completed their Thursday practice in preparation to face Georgia at Sanford Stadium, Dean Coyle Moore – a long-time professor and member of FSU’s athletic board – issued a challenge: “Bring back some sod from between the hedges at Georgia.” On Saturday, October 20, the Seminoles scored an 18-0 victory over the favored Bulldogs. Team captain Gene McDowell pulled a small piece of grass from the field, which was presented to Moore at the next football practice. Moore and FSU coach Bill Peterson had the sod buried on the practice field as a symbol of victory. A monument was placed to commemorate the triumph and the tradition of the sod game was born.
Before leaving for all road games in which Florida State is the underdog, all road games at the University of Florida and all ACC championship and bowl games, Seminole captains gather their teammates to explain the significance of the tradition. Victorious captains return with a piece of the opponent’s turf to be buried in the Sod Cemetery inside the gates of the practice field.[1]
Bowl game victories are colored ██ gold. Championship victories are colored ██ garnet.''
| Date | Location | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 1962 | Sanford Stadium | Georgia | 18-0 |
| November 10, 1962 | Grant Field | Georgia Tech | 14-14 |
| November 24, 1962 | Cliff Hare Stadium | Auburn | 14-14 |
| September 20, 1963 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 24-0 |
| September 19, 1964 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 14-0 |
| September 26, 1964 | Amon G. Carter Stadium | Texas Christian | 10-0 |
| October 17, 1964 | Sanford Stadium | Georgia | 17-14 |
| January 2, 1965 | GATOR BOWL | Oklahoma | 36-19 |
| September 24, 1966 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 23-20 |
| October 15, 1966 | Jones Stadium | Texas Tech | 42-33 |
| November 5, 1966 | Carolina Stadium | South Carolina | 32-10 |
| September 23, 1967 | Legion Field | Alabama | 37-37 |
| October 7, 1967 | Kyle Field | Texas A&M | 19-18 |
| November 4, 1967 | Memphis Memorial Stadium | Memphis State | 27-7 |
| November 25, 1967 | Florida Field | Florida | 21-16 |
| December 30, 1967 | GATOR BOWL | Penn State | 17-17 |
| October 26, 1968 | Carolina Stadium | South Carolina | 35-28 |
| November 16, 1968 | Carter Stadium | N.C. State | 48-7 |
| November 29, 1968 | Gator Bowl Stadium | Houston | 40-20 |
| September 26, 1969 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 19-14 |
| November 8, 1969 | Lane Stadium | Virginia Tech | 10-10 |
| October 24, 1970 | Carolina Stadium | South Carolina | 21-13 |
| October 30, 1970 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 27-3 |
| October 9, 1976 | Alumni Stadium | Boston College | 28-9 |
| November 13, 1976 | Fouts Field | N. Texas State | 21-20 |
| October 1, 1977 | Lewis Field | Oklahoma State | 25-17 |
| December 3, 1977 | Florida Field | Florida | 34-9 |
| December 23, 1977 | TANGERINE BOWL | Texas Tech | 40-17 |
| September 9, 1978 | Archbold Stadium | Syracuse | 28-0 |
| September 15, 1979 | Tampa Stadium | Arizona State | 31-3 |
| October 27, 1979 | Tiger Stadium | LSU | 24-19 |
| November 23, 1979 | Florida Field | Florida | 27-16 |
| September 6, 1980 | Tiger Stadium | LSU | 16-0 |
| October 4, 1980 | Memorial Stadium | Nebraska | 18-14 |
| October 3, 1981 | Ohio Stadium | Ohio State | 36-27 |
| October 10, 1981 | Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame | 19-13 |
| October 2, 1982 | Ohio Stadium | Ohio State | 34-17 |
| October 30, 1982 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 24-7 |
| December 30, 1982 | GATOR BOWL | West Virginia | 31-12 |
| September 10, 1983 | Tiger Stadium | LSU | 40-35 |
| October 29, 1983 | Sun Devil Stadium | Arizona State | 29-26 |
| December 30, 1983 | PEACH BOWL | North Carolina | 28-3 |
| September 22, 1984 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 38-3 |
| November 3, 1984 | Sun Devil Stadium | Arizona State | 42-44 |
| December 22, 1984 | CITRUS BOWL | Georgia | 17-17 |
| September 7, 1985 | Memorial Stadium | Nebraska | 17-13 |
| December 30, 1985 | GATOR BOWL | Oklahoma State | 34-23 |
| December 31, 1986 | ALL-AMERICAN BOWL | Indiana | 27-13 |
| September 26, 1987 | Spartan Stadium | Michigan State | 31-3 |
| November 7, 1987 | Jordan-Hare Stadium | Auburn | 34-6 |
| November 28, 1987 | Florida Field | Florida | 28-14 |
| January 1, 1988 | FIESTA BOWL | Nebraska | 31-28 |
| September 17, 1988 | Clemson Memorial Stadium | Clemson | 24-21 |
| January 2, 1989 | SUGAR BOWL | Auburn | 13-7 |
| December 2, 1989 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 24-17 |
| January 1, 1990 | FIESTA BOWL | Nebraska | 41-17 |
| December 28, 1990 | BLOCKBUSTER BOWL | Penn State | 24-17 |
| September 28, 1991 | Michigan Stadium | Michigan | 51-31 |
| January 1, 1992 | COTTON BOWL | Texas A&M | 10-2 |
| September 12, 1992 | Clemson Memorial Stadium | Clemson | 24-20 |
| Date | Location | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 17, 1992 | Bobby Dodd Stadium | Georgia Tech | 29-24 |
| January 1, 1993 | ORANGE BOWL | Nebraska | 27-14 |
| November 27, 1993 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 33-21 |
| January 1, 1994 | NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP | Nebraska | 18-16 |
| November 12, 1994 | Orlando Citrus Bowl | Notre Dame | 23-16 |
| January 2, 1995 | SUGAR BOWL | Florida | 23-17 |
| January 1, 1996 | ORANGE BOWL | Notre Dame | 31-26 |
| November 8, 1997 | Kenan Memorial Stadium | North Carolina | 20-3 |
| January 1, 1998 | SUGAR BOWL | Ohio State | 31-14 |
| November 20, 1999 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 30-23 |
| January 4, 2000 | NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP | Virginia Tech | 46-29 |
| January 1, 2002 | GATOR BOWL | Virginia Tech | 30-17 |
| November 29, 2003 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 38-34 |
| January 1, 2005 | GATOR BOWL | West Virginia | 30-18 |
| September 17, 2005 | Alumni Stadium | Boston College | 28-17 |
| December 3, 2005 | ACC Championship | Virginia Tech | 27-22 |
| September 4, 2006 | Miami Orange Bowl | Miami | 13-10 |
| December 27, 2006 | EMERALD BOWL | UCLA | 44-27 |
| November 3, 2007 | Alumni Stadium | Boston College | 27-17 |
| October 4, 2008 | Dolphin Stadium | Miami | 41-39 |
| November 22, 2008 | Byrd Stadium | Maryland | 37-3 |
| December 27, 2008 | CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL | Wisconsin | 42-13 |
| September 19, 2009 | LaVell Edwards Stadium | Brigham Young | 54-28 |
| October 22, 2009 | Kenan Memorial Stadium | North Carolina | 30-27 |
| November 14, 2009 | BB&T Field | Wake Forest | 41-28 |
| January 1, 2010 | GATOR BOWL | West Virginia | 33-21 |
| October 9, 2010 | Sun Life Stadium | Miami | 45-17 |
| December 31, 2010 | CHICK-FIL-A BOWL | South Carolina | 26-17 |
| November 26, 2011 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 21-7 |
| December 29, 2011 | CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL | Notre Dame | 18-14 |
| December 1, 2012 | ACC Championship | Georgia Tech | 21-15 |
| January 1, 2013 | ORANGE BOWL | Northern Illinois | 31-10 |
| October 19, 2013 | Clemson Memorial Stadium | Clemson | 51-14 |
| November 30, 2013 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 37-7 |
| December 7, 2013 | ACC Championship | Duke | 45-7 |
| January 6, 2014 | NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP | Auburn | 34-31 |
| December 6, 2014 | ACC Championship | Georgia Tech | 37-35 |
| November 28, 2015 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 27-2 |
See also
References
- ^ "Sod Cemetery: An FSU Tradition". The Odyssey. Retrieved 31 October 2013.