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Florida State and Alabama football trivia heading into the big game.

Sept. 27, 2007

With the big game now just two days away, enjoy a little Florida State and Alabama football trivia to get you ready for Saturday. These two storied programs have a lot of history and tradition and we thought it would be fun for the fans to learn more about the Seminoles and the Crimson Tide.

FLORIDA STATE FOOTBALL TRIVIA

Compiled by FSU Sports Information

1. When was FSU's last regular-season neutral site game, where was it and who was it against?

A: Iowa State in 2002 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

It's been five years since Florida State played a non-conference game at a neutral site in something other than a bowl game. The Seminoles defeated Iowa State, 38-31, at Arrowhead Stadium in the 2002 season-opener on August 24^th.

2. Since Bobby Bowden took over as head coach at Florida State in 1976, Alabama has had eight head coaches. FSU has had how many football coaches in its history?

A: Eight, counting Bobby Bowden.

Of the seven head coaches before Bobby Bowden, Bill Peterson had the most FSU wins with 62. Heading into Saturday's game with Alabama, Bowden has 295 FSU victories.

3. When was the last time FSU played at the Gator Bowl?

A: December 3, 2005 vs. Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game

Florida State has fond memories from its last trip to Jacksonville. Heavy underdogs, the Seminoles came away with the inaugural ACC Championship title, defeating Virginia Tech, 27-22.  Under Bowden, FSU is 7-1 in games played in Jacksonville.

4. Which former Seminole now makes his home Jacksonville, Fla., because he currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

A: Running back Greg Jones.

The Columbia, S.C. native was a 2^nd round choice (23 pick) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2004 NFL Draft.

5. Coach Bowden will be playing Alabama for the first time as a head coach when the Seminoles and Crimson Tide meet on Saturday. What other current SEC schools has Coach Bowden never coached against?

A: Arkansas, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

Obviously, the current SEC school Bowden has faced the most is Florida with 33 games. The second most is South Carolina and he is 9-1 all-time vs. the Gamecocks.

6. It's the Seminoles vs. the Crimson Tide on Saturday. What's the last non-conference school FSU played whose nickname doesn't end in an "S"

A: Syracuse Orange       2005

Following the Alabama game, FSU will play another team with a nickname that doesn't end in "S" in the NC State Wolfpack.

7. The expected crowd at the FSU/Alabama game is 85,500 - the largest to see a football game in Jacksonville. What's the largest crowd FSU has ever played in front of? And the largest neutral site crowd?

A: Largest crowd: 106,145 at Michigan, September 28, 1991

Largest neutral site crowd: 81,536 vs. Nebraska at the Orange Bowl, January 1, 1994

Florida State won both of the games, including the 1993 National Championship game with the win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

8. Coach Bowden began his collegiate football career at Alabama but transferred after his freshman year. What school did he transfer to and what position did he play throughout his collegiate career?

A: Transferred to Howard (now Samford) and he played quarterback.

Coach Bowden was an outstanding football player at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham and went on to Alabama as a freshman quarterback, fulfilling a lifelong dream to play for the Crimson Tide. He lasted one semester in Tuscaloosa before high school sweetheart Ann Estock lured him back to Birmingham. The couple celebrates 58 years of marriage in 2007.

9. What current member of the Florida State University administration played in both the 1965 and 1967 games against Alabama?

A: FSU President T.K. Wetherell.

Wetherell caught two passes for 16 yards in the 1965 game. FSU great Ron Sellers had 165 yards receiving in the 1967 affair. FSU also played Alabama in 1974 and led 7-0 at the half, but missed three field goals and had another one blocked in the game before falling 8-7. FSU is 0-2-1 vs. Alabama all-time and the two schools have never met outside the state of Alabama.

10. When CBS announced it would broadcast the FSU/Alabama game, it was a pretty rare occurrence for the Seminoles. Out of 159 nationally-televised games, only 16 (10%) of FSU's game have ever been broadcast on CBS to a national audience. What's the last game FSU played on CBS?

A: November 26, 2005 at Florida.

11. How many Seminoles listed on the 2007 roster hail from Alabama?

Just two ... safety Darius McClure (Birmingham) and offensive lineman Rodney Hudson (Mobile).

12. How long has Florida State been playing football and how long has Alabama been playing football?

A: 2007 represents Florida State's 61^st year of football while for Alabama, the Crimson Tide have been playing since 1892 and this is their 113^th football season.

ALABAMA FOOTBALL TRIVIA

Compiled by Alabama Sports Information

1. Who kicked the game-winning field goal for Alabama in the Crimson Tide's 8-7 win over Florida State on Oct. 4, 1974?

A: Bucky Berrey's 36-yard field goal with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter allowed Alabama to escape with an 8-7 win over Florida State on Oct. 5, 1974.

2. Prior to today's game in Jacksonville, when was the last time Alabama played a regular-season neutral site game? 

A: Alabama defeated Ohio State 16-10 on Aug. 27, 1986 at the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

3. Head Coach Nick Saban is the seventh coach to coach for and against the Crimson Tide.  Can you name the other six?

A: The other six coaches who have coached for and against Alabama are Allen McCants, G.H. Harvey, Red Drew, Paul Bryant, Bill Curry and Gene Stallings.

4. What movie starred both FSU All-American Burt Reynolds and Alabama cheerleader Sela Ward?

A: In 1983, Burt Reynolds and Sela Ward starred in The Man Who Loved Women.  This is a tale of a sculptor named David Fowler (Reynolds) who has a major womanizing problem.  He goes to seek help from a psychiatrist.  Ward played the character Janet Wainwright.  The movie also featured Julie Andrews (Marianna), Kim Basinger (Louise Carr) and Marilu Henner (Agnes Chapman).

5. How many times has Alabama played in the Gator Bowl?  Can you name the Crimson Tide's opponents and results?

Alabama has played in the Gator Bowl two times, posting a 1-1 record.  Alabama lost 35-10 to Missouri on Dec. 13, 1968 and then beat North Carolina 24-10 on Dec. 31, 1993.

6. Name the four former Alabama quarterbacks who have won Super Bowl championships?

A: Bart Starr (Green Bay, 1967-68), Joe Namath (NY Jets, 1969), Kenny Stabler (Oakland, 1976) and Jeff Rutledge (NY Giants, 1987 and Washington 1988 and 1992) were all on Super Bowl championship teams.  Starr and Namath won Super Bowl MVPs honors for the first three Super Bowls.

7. How many current Alabama players hail from the state of Florida?

A: The 2007 Alabama football team has 11 players from the state of Florida, including sophomore running back Roy Upchurch (Tallahassee - Godby), junior wide receiver Will Oakley (Ponte Vedra Beach - Nease), sophomore defensive back Chris Rogers (Lakeland - Evangel Christian), senior wide receiver DJ Hall (Ft. Walton Beach - Choctawhatchee), sophomore defensive back Marquis Johnson (Sarasota - Booker), Javier Arenas (Tampa - Robinson), redshirt freshman linebacker Charlie Kirschman (St. Augenstine - Nease), sophomore running back Glen Coffee (Ft. Walton Beach HS), freshman defensive back Chris Lett (Pensacola HS), sophomore offensive lineman Mike Johnson (Pensacola - Pine Forest) and senior wide receiver Keith Brown (Pensacola HS).

8. What current Florida State assistant coach led the Crimson Tide baseball team in hitting during the 1964 season?

A: FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews led the Crimson Tide with a .324 batting average and four home runs during the 1964 season, where he played for former MLB Hall of Famer Joe Sewell.

9. Can you name the nine current and former assistant coaches have worked at both Alabama and Florida State?

A: Coach                          Alabama Years           Florida State Years

Jody Allen                    1986 (GA)                     2000-Present

Tommy Bowden           1987-89                       1982 (GA)

Ronnie Cottrell              1998-2000                   1989-97

George Henshaw          1983-86                       1976-82

Joe Kines                     1985-86; 2003-06       2000-02          

Ken Meyer                    1963-67                       1959-62

Steve Sloan                  1968-70                       1971

Kirby Smart                  2007                            2002-03                      

Kevin Steele                 2007                            2003-06

10 What Alabama All-American later coached and served as a professor at Florida State University?

A: Vaughn Mancha (1944-47) was a consensus All-America pick in 1945 and was also selected to the Crimson Tide's Team of the Century in 1992.  He helped lead the Tide to a perfect 10-0 season and 34-14 win over Southern Cal in the 1946 Rose Bowl.  Mancha was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.  He was a four-year starter and played both offense and defense at Alabama.  He played every snap of the 1945 Sugar Bowl game against Duke.  He played in two Sugar Bowls and one Rose Bowl.  After receiving his doctorate degree from Columbia University, Mancha was an assistant football coach, athletics director and professor at Florida State.

11. What former Alabama football and baseball great served as both the Director of Athletics at Florida State and Alabama?

A: Cecil "Hootie" Ingram, an all-Southeastern Conference football and baseball star at the University of Alabama in 1952-54, served as the Tide's AD from 1989-95.  Previously he served as AD at Florida State from 1980-89.