It is December. Conference championship Saturday is over. The selection committee has chosen the teams for their invitational playoff. Bowl games are scheduled, coaches are being hired and fired, and early national signing day has already come and gone. There will be games of extreme significance this month in both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. The college football regular season is the pinnacle of American sports, but bowl season has its’ own sort of magic.
Over the next 12 days, we will dive into some of the more interesting bowl games ever played. Do not expect every game we talk about to be the 2006 Rose Bowl; we aren’t doing a list of the greatest bowl games ever. These games are ones that stand out because of the players, coaches, or story lines surrounding the match-ups. Some of these games include crazy comebacks or wild endings. Many will involve ridiculous weather. Sit back, grab the eggnog, and enjoy the 12 Days of Bowl Season.
1990 Blockbuster Bowl
College football fans have fallen in love -and justifiably so- with the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Who doesn’t love that a live mascot gets sacrificially toasted and subsequently eaten by the winning team on live television? The Pop-Tarts mascot has earned a healthy level of respect from college football teams over the years. Some teams, like Notre Dame, have an irrational but very reverent fear of the mascot, processed sugar, and bowl season entirely. The Pop-Tarts Bowl has had many names over the years: Cheez-It Bowl, Camping World Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl, and the Tangerine Bowl. For the majority of its’ existence, the game has traditionally featured an ACC/Big 12 match-up.
The original game dates back to 1990, when it was known as the Blockbuster Bowl. For those Gen-Z’ers reading this, Blockbuster was a popular video rental store. The first Blockbuster Bowl featured two independents, the Florida State Seminoles and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Noles were an exciting squad led by head coach Bobby Bowden, who was still seeking his first national championship. Joe Paterno had already won two national titles with Penn State, in 1982 and 1986. Both teams came into the game with 9-2 records, ranked sixth (FSU) and seventh (PSU) in the nation, respectively.
Showdown of Legends in Miami
Penn State started the 1990 campaign with two consecutive losses: a 17-13 home loss against the Texas Longhorns, and a 19-14 defeat at the hands of a top-ten USC team a week later in L.A. The Nittany Lions regrouped and finished the regular season by winning nine games in a row. The streak included a road shutout against Alabama and an upset of No. 1 ranked Notre Dame on the road in South Bend, Indiana. The Nittany Lions offense was led by quarterback Tony Sacca and wide receiver Terry Smith. In October of 2025, Smith assumed the interim head coach role for the Nittany Lions. Another target for Sacca in 1990 was junior tight end Al Golden. Golden was head coach for the Temple Owls and the Miami Hurricanes, and is currently the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator.
The Seminoles started out the year 4-0, rising to No. 2 in the polls. Heart breaking defeats in back-to-back games against Miami and Auburn shattered any real hope at a championship. Bowden’s boys rebounded nicely, winning their next four games by an average score of 47-9. In the season finale against the Florida Gators, the Noles scored 45 points on the arm of quarterback Casey Weldon and the legs of running backs Edgar Bennett and Amp Lee. FSU defeated Florida for the fourth year in a row, welcoming new Gators head coach Steve Spurrier back to the rivalry the proper way.
On December 28th, 1990, in front of a record crowd at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, the Blockbuster Bowl delivered a showdown featuring two teams with contrasting styles. Penn State was the hard-nosed, blue collar, gritty team that wanted to beat you up front and pull you into the muck where they knew you wouldn’t survive. The Nittany Lions were giving up an average of only 14 points per game. Penn State was known for their great linebacker play, and that position group featured multiple future NFL draft picks.
Bowden’s Seminoles played a different brand of football. Back in the late 1980’s and throughout the 1990’s, chances are that FSU was just plain faster than you. The Noles relied on the big play ability of their skill players on offense. Since making the change at QB from Brad Johnson to Casey Weldon mid-way through the season, the Noles were piling on the points. Lawrence Dawsey was the leading receiver on the high-flying Seminoles offense. The defense featured superb young superstars like linebacker Marvin Jones and cornerback Terrell Buckley.
Bowl Season
Coming into the game, the wild 1990 regular season led many–inlcuding Paterno–to believe that the Nittany Lions and the Seminoles were two of the best teams in the country. Paterno was quoted by UPI as saying “I can’t believe there is a better football team than the two who will be playing Friday night.” The 1990 season ended with a split national championship between Colorado and Georgia Tech, but that was not settled before entering the bowl season. The top-ranked Buffaloes played fifth-ranked Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Cotton Bowl featured a top-4 match-up as Texas and Miami squared off in Dallas. Georgia Tech was ranked second yet playing 19th-ranked, two-loss Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl.
Colorado won a low-scoring defensive game against the Irish, while Miami absolutely humiliated the Longhorns. The Yellow Jackets beat Tom Osborne’s Cornhuskers by three scores, securing an unbeaten season. Florida State and Penn State were not playing for a national championship, but in a day and age where bowl games mattered, this one felt huge. At the time, Bowden and Paterno were the only active coaches with more than 200 victories. Paterno had the head-to-head edge against Bowden prior to the Blockbuster Bowl, beating him in all six contests while Bowden was the head coach at West Virginia.
First Half
The Seminoles came out swinging, with Weldon hitting tight end Reggie Johnson for nearly 30-yards on second down to set up FSU at midfield. After a few runs from Amp Lee and Weldon, the drive stalled and kicker Richie Andrews was called on to attempt a 41-yard field goal. Andrews’ kick was successful and FSU took an early 3-0 lead. On Penn State’s first possession, a fumble was sandwiched in between two incomplete passes by Sacca and the Nittany Lions were forced to punt.
The Seminoles had an excellent return man in Buckley, who had already returned two punts for touchdowns during the 1990 season. Buckley fielded the punt off of a bounce at the FSU 46-yard line, then immediately ran almost 20-yards across the field in the wrong direction. Setting up his blockers, Buckley then cut up-field near the sideline and made it all the way to the Penn State 15-yard line.
The electric returner was just a diving ankle-grab away from housing the Doug Helkowski punt. A 12-yard scramble on second down by Weldon set the Noles up inside the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Amp Lee scored his 19th touchdown of the year and FSU went up 10-0.
The two squads would trade punts on each of their next possessions. With a little over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions started their most successful drive thus far. Sacca hit WR David Daniels for 20-yards over the middle to the 40. After a short run by RB Gary Brown, Sacca found Daniels again, this time for a 56-yard gain and a touchdown. Penn State brought the score to 10-7.
On the ensuing Florida State possession, Weldon engineered a 7-play, 70-yard drive highlighted by big receptions from RB Edgar Bennett and Dawsey. Amp Lee finished the drive taking a toss to the right 8-yards into the end zone to extend the Noles lead to 17-7 early in the second period. The next two possessions saw both quarterbacks throw interceptions. Sacca was picked off in double coverage by DB Howard Dinkins near the Nittany Lions sideline. Weldon returned the favor on the Noles next drive as he was late over the middle on a pass intended for TE Dave Roberts. Nittany Lions safety Darren Perry picked off Weldon’s throw and returned it 19-yards to set up Penn State inside FSU territory.
Sacca got the Penn State offense inside the 5-yard line but the Nittany Lions stalled. Penn State settled for a 22-yard field goal attempt by Craig Fayak. The kick was blocked by the Noles, and the Nittany Lions came up with no points after a promising drive. FSU’s next possession stalled out at the Penn State 44, and the Noles were forced to punt. Scotty McLaren’s punt sailed inside the 10-yard line, and Nittany Lions return man Terry Smith was surrounded by Seminole defenders. Smith somehow evaded the six would-be FSU tacklers and shot out for a 42-yard gain to midfield. McLaren’s shoestring tackle was the only thing that kept Smith from scoring.
Sacca hit Daniels for 26-yards and Penn State once again had a promising start to a drive. After a holding penalty nullified a Gary Brown run, Sacca threw his second interception of the day, this time into the waiting arms of FSU safety Leon Fowler. The two teams went into the locker room at the half with the Noles holding a 17-7 lead and a near seven minute edge in time of possession.
Second Half
The Nittany Lions received the second half kick and did next to nothing with the ball. After picking up one first down, Penn State TE Al Golden whiffed on a block to allow FSU safety Bill Ragans to sack Sacca, ending any threat on this drive. On the Noles opening drive of the quarter, Amp Lee picked up a gain of 13 on first down. One play later, Weldon misfired on a play action pass to Dawsey and Nittany Lions CB Leonard Humphries came up with an interception.
Starting at their own 18-yard line, Penn State had one of their best drives of the day. Chunk receptions by Smith, Thomas, and Daniels moved the Nittany Lions down inside the FSU 15. The Penn State offense once again stalled in the red area and had to settle for a field goal. With 7:38 left in the third quarter, FSU lead 17-10.
Weldon and company took over at their 42-yard line after a short Nittany Lions kickoff. Dawsey caught passes on three straight plays for nearly 30 yards. On 2nd and 8 from the Penn State 30-yard line, Weldon hit Edgar Bennett on a wheel route to get the Noles inside the 5. Two plays later, Weldon rolled right, faked the play-action, and scampered into the end zone to put the Noles up by two scores. The teams traded punts on each of their next two possessions at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters.
With under eight minutes remaining in the game, Paterno made a change at quarterback. The Nittany Lions brought in senior Tom Bill to replace Tony Sacca. The move paid off, as Bill immediately hit Daniels and Smith for 22- and 37-yards, respectively. Smith’s catch ended with a trip to the end zone to bring Penn State back within a score, 24-17.
With 6:27 left, FSU took over at their own 25-yard line. Dawsey and Shannon Baker had 17-yard receptions on each of the first two plays of the Noles possession, but the drive stalled afterwards. After an FSU punt, Bill hit Terry Smith for 25-yards to start the Nittany Lions possession. After a short run by Brown, the Penn State drive was halted near midfield. A strong punt by Helkowski pinned the Seminoles deep in their own territory. FSU could not get anything going and punted it back to Penn State with a little over three minutes remaining.
The Nittany Lions had one more chance to tie or take the lead, and had the ball in prime field position at the FSU 31-yard line. Three plays later, Bill’s fourth down pass intended for Thompson near the goal line was intercepted by Seminoles defender John Davis. Florida State’s offense gained a first down to run out the clock and secure Bobby Bowden’s first ever victory over Joe Paterno.
FSU’s Amp Lee finished as the game’s most valuable player, after totaling 26 touches, 118 yards from scrimmage, and two touchdowns. Weldon had 248 yards, with 107 of them going to Dawsey. For Penn State, receivers Terry Smith and David Daniels combined for 12 catches, 254 yards and two touchdowns. Each team had 400 yards of offense, but FSU’s red zone defense was the difference in the game. In three trips inside the FSU 20-yard line, Penn State made one field goal, had a field goal blocked, and threw an interception.
2006 Orange Bowl
The next time these two legendary coaches faced one another was 15 years later in the Orange Bowl; another instant classic. The 10-1 Nittany Lions were ranked #3 in the country and finished as Big Ten Champions. FSU had a disappointing 8-4 record, but knocked off a top 5 Virginia Tech squad in the inaugural ACC Championship Game to earn a spot in a BCS bowl. Penn State held on for a 26-23 win in the third overtime.
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