• The Seminoles struggled to gain traction as an independent.
• The school leaders were patient as Bill's teams broke the .500 mark just once in his first four seasons.
  1960: 3-6-1
  1961: 4-5-1
  1962: 4-3-3
  1963: 4-5-1

1964 started with a bang, though - not only three straight victories but three straight shutouts with the first two on the road.

• The senior passing combination of QB Steve Tensi to flanker Fred Biletnikoff accounted for both touchdowns as the Seminoles, a seven-point favorite, beat Miami (FL) in the Orange Bowl 14-0. Freddie pulled down nine passes. The defense held the Hurricanes to 11 first downs and 180 total yards.
  The front seven of the FSU defense became known as "The Seven Magnificents." The defensive backs adopted their own name - "The Forgotten Four."
  
• Junior LB Bill McDowell keyed the defensive effort, recovering two fumbles and blocking a FG attempt as FSU downed TCU in Fort Worth 10-0. The Noles took the lead in Q1 on Les Murdock's 33y field goal. The game remained tight until the final period when Junior HB Phil Spooner's 6y run capped a 73y march. Once again, the defense held the opponent to under 200y - 162 to be exact and 11 first downs again.
• The Seminoles thrashed New Mexico State 36-0 on a rainy night in Tallahassee. The defense continued their streak by holding the Aggies to 174y and only six first downs. Tensi threw two more TD passes, one to Biletnikoff and the other to E Don Floyd.

L-R: Steve Tensi, Coach Bill Peterson, Fred Biletnikoff

• Florida State had certainly not picked a patsy for their homecoming game in the newly expanded 40,500-seat Doak Campbell Stadium.
  
  Doak Campbell Stadium 40,500 capacity
• Charlie Bradshaw's third UK team was 3-0 also and ranked #5. They had beaten Detroit 13-6 and had eyebrow-lifting upsets over two SEC foes - #1 Ole Miss 27-21 in Jackson and #7 Auburn 20-0 at home.
  Bradshaw came to Kentucky from Bear Bryant's Alabama staff and immediately implemented a grueling training regimen similar to what Bear did his first summer at Texas A&M. 37 players quit the UK team that spring. The remaining squad was dubbed the "Thin Thirty." By 1964, Bradshaw had built up his depth after 3-5-2 and 3-6-1 records in '62 and '63.
• One Florida writer wrote that "an upset by FSU would be the most prestigious win the Seminoles have gained since the school became coeducational in 1947 and got into the grid act." Kentucky was favored by three to four touchdowns.
• The Wildcat offense featured QB Rick Norton (33 of 58 passes for 464y), E Rick Kestner (17 catches for 278y including three TDs against Ole Miss), and 193lb HB Rodger Bird. Bird was a versatile triple threat whom Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd called the best back he'd seen since Georgia's Charlie Trippi. Bird carried 50 times for an average of 5.6y, intercepted three passes, and did the punting.

A crowd of 34,248 "whooped it up long and loud" on a sunny afternoon. Many wore buttons that read "FSU NO. 1." Two Orange Bowl representatives came to scout Kentucky only to see the Seminoles turn the Wildcats into Mildcats.

• First Quarter
  FSU won the toss and elected to put their proud defense on the field first. The strategy worked. After three incompletions, Kentucky punted only 23y to the FSU 48.
  Eleven plays later, the Seminoles took the lead on a 2y Tensi pass to Lee Narramore.
  The Wildcats drove to their 38 before punting again. A personal foul call to their 47 started the Noles moving again. Tensi then lofted a long pass to Biletnikoff behind the secondary. Fred caught the ball on the seven and cruised into the end zone untouched.
  UK made their initial first down before having to punt. When FSU kicked back, the ball landed in front of Bird and as it bounced past him, Bird took a swipe at it, touched it, and let it roll. George D'Allesandro recovered it for FSU at the 13. Spooner smashed up the middle to the four. Then Narramore got the first down inches from the goal. It took three tries from there, but Spooner finally went over with 1:13 left in the period.
  Bird finally broke loose on the last play, zipping around end for 34y to the FSU 44.
  End Q1: Florida State 21 Kentucky 0
  
  
• Second Quarter
  Three passes moved the ball to the FSU 19, but a 1y run and three incompletions turned the ball over.
  Kentucky was right back in business three plays later when JD Smith intercepted a tipped pass and raced to the FSU 21. A pass interference call made it a first down at the 12. When a personal foul penalty made it first-and-goal from the 3, the Wildcats seemed certain to score. But Bill McDowell hit Bird, causing a fumble that Avery Sumner claimed for the Seminoles at the two.
  After an exchange of punts, the Noles moved to their fourth touchdown. The key plays were Spooner's 19y dash and Larry Green's 22y sweep. Then FSU got a break. Spooner fumbled when hit, but Biletnikoff was Johnny-on-the-spot at the two. Spooner crashed over two plays later. Les Murdock missed the extra point.
  End Q2: Florida State 27 Kentucky 0
  
  Seminoles upend a Wildcat. 84 is George D'Allesandro; 42 is Les Murdock.

• Third Quarter
  The Cats came out fired up and reeled off two quick first downs. But the march bogged down. Three punts later, FSU started from the UK 47 and took six plays to score again. Narramore struck for 11 before Tensi hit Biletnikoff for 12 more. Following Spooner's 8y gain, Floyd snagged a pass at the seven. Tensi then found Biletnikoff open over the middle in the end zone.
  Kentucky's sophomore punter Larry Seiple would go on to a long career with the Miami Dolphins but this day he had his problems. After Ed Pritchett boomed a 56-yarder to the UK two, Seiple shanked one back only to the 26.
  Peterson's second offensive unit took over and added to the rampage.
  End Q3: Florida State 33 Kentucky 0
  
  
• Fourth Quarter
  On the fourth play, Wayne Giardino scored from the one.
  Seiple got off his best punt of the day, a whopping 62-yearder, but Billy Campbell returned 27y to the UK 39. Two plays did the trick from there. Pritchett passed to Biletnikoff at the three, then ran it in himself from there.
  On the second play, Donovan Jones intercepted Norton's deep pass at the FSU 32.
  Kentucky avoided a shutout. With 1:08 left, Pat Conway fumbled a punt and UK recovered at the two. On the second play, Frank Antonini went over the right side with 29 seconds left. A pass for two failed.
  FINAL SCORE: FLORIDA STATE 48 KENTUCKY6

The Seminoles led in first downs 21-11 and in total yards 352-147.

Florida State was rewarded with its first appearance in the Associated Press poll. The Seminoles held onto the #10 spot the following week when they beat Georgia in Athens 17-14. But a loss to Virginia Tech the following week dropped them out of the poll, never to return.

Reference: The Rise of the Seminoles: FSU Football under Bobby Bowden, Lew Freedman (2015)