The Florida State Seminoles and Mike Norvell are doing everything in their power to compete for the first national championship since 2013.
Florida State has won three national championships, nineteen conference titles (3 Dixie, 16 ACC), and six division titles and have made one playoff appearance; the Seminoles have achieved three undefeated seasons, in 1950, 1999, and 2013.
Other accomplishments include finishing ranked in the top four of the AP Poll for 14 straight years from 1987 through 2000, completing 41 straight winning seasons from 1977 through 2017, winning 29 consecutive games from 2012 through 2014, tied for the ninth-longest winning streak in college football and tied for the longest winning streak in ACC history.
The Florida State Seminoles also won 29 consecutive conference games from 1992 through 1995, the longest winning streak in ACC history. The 1999 team was recognized by ESPN as one of the top teams in college football history
Florida State has the tenth-highest winning percentage among all college football programs in Division I FBS history with over 500 victories and twenty-six ten win seasons. Florida State has appeared in over 50 postseason bowl games, ranking ninth nationally for bowl winning percentage and fourth for bowl wins with five Orange Bowl victories.
Still, with all that history, the Seminoles only have three national championships to celebrate. Earlier this week, the quarterback who started for them in their first BCS title game in a loss to Tennessee and who was the backup for the 1999 team that beat Virginia Tech for a BCS title, passed away at just 46.
Former Florida State Seminoles QB Marcus Outzen Passes Away
According to multiple reports, former Florida State quarterback Marcus Outzen died Tuesday.
Outzen was diagnosed with a rare immune deficiency disorder in 2023. He suffered from Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis — commonly referred to as HLH. The disorder causes certain white blood cells to build up and damage organs. According to the National Library of Medicine, the mortality rate for those diagnosed with HLH is 40%.
Marcus Outzen was primarily a backup in his four seasons at Florida State but was thrust into a starting role late in the 1998 season. Starter Chris Weinke suffered a neck injury 10 games into the season, and Outzen took over as the team’s starter.
He was the team’s starting quarterback in a 23-12 win over Florida to end the regular season. The Florida State Seminoles trailed 12-6 at halftime before coming back in the second half to earn a spot in the first-ever BCS title game.
The Seminoles entered the 1999 Fiesta Bowl as underdogs to Tennessee and lost 23-16 to the undefeated Volunteers. Tennessee wide receiver Peerless Price had four catches for 199 yards in the win as Tennessee won its second national title. Outzen scored FSU’s second touchdown of the day with 3:42 to go and the Seminoles got a chance to tie the game after a Tennessee fumble. However, Outzen was intercepted and Tennessee hung on for the win.
With Weinke healthy in 1999, Outzen remained the team’s No. 2 quarterback, and he appeared in 11 games as the Seminoles went 12-0 and won the national championship in the Sugar Bowl over Michael Vick and Virginia Tech.
Florida State scored first and took advantage of a blocked punt for a touchdown, giving the Seminoles a 14–0 lead in the first quarter. Virginia Tech, led by QB Michael Vick, answered with a touchdown drive of its own before the end of the quarter, but Florida State scored two quick touchdowns to begin the second quarter. Virginia Tech scored a touchdown before halftime, but halfway through the game,
The Florida State Seminoles held a 28–14 lead. In the third quarter, Virginia Tech’s offense gave the Hokies a lead with a field goal and two touchdowns. Tech failed to convert two two-point conversions, but held a 29–28 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Florida State answered in the fourth quarter, however, taking a 36–29 lead with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion early in the quarter. From this point, the Seminoles did not relinquish the lead, extending it to 46–29 with a field goal and another touchdown. With the win, Florida State clinched the 1999 BCS national championship, the team’s second national championship in its history
Marcus Outzen again backed up Weinke in 2000, as the former minor league baseball player won the Heisman Trophy and Florida State again made the BCS title game for the third consecutive time. The Seminoles lost the Orange Bowl 13-2 to Oklahoma in what remains the lowest-scoring title game in the BCS and College Football Playoff era.
Outzen finished his Florida State career 72 of 121 passing for 1,074 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed 84 times for 142 yards and three scores.