1989 Sugar Bowl

1989 USF&G Sugar Bowl
55th edition
Florida State Seminoles Auburn Tigers
(10–1) (10–1)
Independent SEC
13 7
Head coach: 
Bobby Bowden		 Head coach: 
Pat Dye
APCoaches
44
APCoaches
77
1234 Total
Florida State 10300 13
Auburn 0700 7
DateJanuary 2, 1989
Season1988
StadiumLouisiana Superdome
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPSammie Smith (FSU RB)
FavoriteFlorida State by 5½ points[1]
RefereeJohn Soffey (CIFOA)
Attendance61,934[2]
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersAl Michaels, Frank Gifford,
and Dan Dierdorf
Sugar Bowl
 < 1988  1990 > 

The 1989 Sugar Bowl was the 55th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 2. Part of the 1988–89 bowl game season, it featured the fourth-ranked independent Florida State Seminoles and the #7 Auburn Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).[3][4] Favored Florida State won the defensive slugfest, 13–7.[5][6][7]

Sponsored by the USF&G insurance company, the game was officially known as the USF&G Sugar Bowl. New Year's Day was on Sunday in 1989, and the college bowl games were played the following day.

  1. ^ "Latest line: College bowls". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). January 1, 1989. p. 4C.
  2. ^ "Sugar Bowl". Orlando Sentinel. January 3, 1989. p. 31. Retrieved January 8, 2020 – via newspaper.com.
  3. ^ Tyler, Bobby (January 1, 1989). "Sugar still sweet for FSU, Auburn". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). p. 3C.
  4. ^ "Can Auburn's defense stymie the Seminoles?". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 2, 1989. p. 5C.
  5. ^ "Seminoles win Sugar at the end". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 3, 1989. p. 3D.
  6. ^ Smothers, Jimmy (January 3, 1989). "Florida State leaves Tigers frustrated early". Tuscaloosa News. (New York Times). p. 11.
  7. ^ "Seminoles claim Sugar Bowl victory". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. January 3, 1989. p. B2.