Florida Vault recently released these clips of Steve Spurrier's 1990 debut against Oklahoma State in which his Gators routed the Cowboys 50-7.
The @GatorsFB win @SteveSpurrierUF's 1990 debut vs. Ok. State 50-7, watch now! Download the app for the full video: https://t.co/GqHSL042qI pic.twitter.com/UoGGJ8QSNo
— Florida Vault (@GatorsVault) May 16, 2017
Now while I realize that Head Ball Coach had already put in three seasons at Duke, this tweet got me to wondering about FBS debuts by the likes of Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer, and notable others.
How did these men fare, especially those coaching for the very first time at smaller programs from around the country?
RELATED: Ranking the 7 Most Absurd College Bowl Game Names of all Time
Only one way to find out.
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Nick Saban: September 8, 1990: Toledo at Miami (OH)
Toledo 20 – Miami (OH) 14
Toledo's ground game gave the Rockets a two-to-one advantage in time of possession as it cruised to an opening day conference win.
6-5 the year before, Saban would lead the MAC squad to an impressive 9-2 mark before bolting to the Cleveland Browns after just one season.
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Jim Harbaugh: September 1, 2007: Stanford vs UCLA
Stanford 17 – UCLA 45
Not many will remember Harbaugh's debut down on The Farm. The Bruins racked up 600 yards of offense in a total laugher.
Nobody, however, will forget what happened the first time Jim and his khakis visited Southern California.
An incredible 41-point underdog to then #2 USC, the Cardinal pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in college football history knocking off the Trojans 24-23 behind a stunning 17-point fourth-quarter rally.
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Bob Stoops: September 11, 1999: Oklahoma vs Indiana State
Oklahoma 49 – Indiana State 0
Perhaps the most interesting tidbit to come out of watching these 1999 highlights is wondering why the Sycamores look as if they're playing in high school practice uniforms.
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Jimbo Fisher: September 4, 2010: Florida State vs Samford
Florida State 56 – Samford 6
Fisher's smiles quickly dissipated after this week 1 route of Samford as his Seminoles would get crushed 47-17 the following week to #10 Oklahoma.
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Urban Meyer: September 1, 2001: Bowling Green at Missouri
Bowling Green 20 – Missouri 13
Talk about an incredible head coaching debut. Meyer's Falcons knocked off Missouri on the road before routing Big East foe Temple two weeks later 42-23. It then upset another Power 5 squad later that November when it upset Northwestern 43 to 42 in Evanston.
Meyer's squad would finish the year 8-3, never losing a game by more than nine points.
Meyer's current squad, Ohio State, wasn't so kind to his alma matter, however, during the 2016 opener in Columbus. With the Falcons up 7-0 early in the first quarter, this happened.
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P.J. Fleck: August 30, 2013: Western Michigan at Michigan State
Western Michigan 13 – Michigan State 26
Perhaps it was a sign of things to come.
Although the Broncos would win just one game in Fleck's first season in Kalamazoo, his team hung tough in its 2013 opener at Michigan State.
Just four short years later, WMU finished the season 13-0 and earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl.
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Dabo Swinney: August 30, 2008: Clemson vs Alabama (Atlanta, GA)
Clemson 10 – Alabama 34
Welcome to big-time college football, Dabo Swinney.
The Tigers would muster only 188 yards and 11 first downs on the day as the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead it never relinquished.
Nearly a decade later, Swinney and the Tigers would get their revenge when it mattered most.
