1998 Sugar Bowl


The 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles. Ohio State entered the game ranked number 10 in the nation at 10–2, whereas Florida State was ranked at fourth in the nation with a 10–1 mark.
Ohio State scored the first points of the contest with a 40-yard field goal from kicker Dan Stultz, giving the Buckeyes an early 3–0 lead. Later in the first quarter, quarterback Thad Busby threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver E. G. Green, giving the Seminoles a 7–3 lead. In the second quarter, Busby scored on a 9-yard touchdown run increasing the Seminole lead to 14–3.
William McCray also scored for the Seminoles, pounding it in from one yard out, to increase Florida State's lead to 21–3 at halftime. Stultz kicked his second field goal of the game, cutting the margin to 21–6. Ohio State later got a safety on Florida State pulling them within 21–8. Early in the fourth quarter, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Florida State's lead to 24–8. Quarterback Joe Germaine threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to John Lumpkin. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, and the score was 24–14. Florida State capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run from McCray, making the final margin 31–14.