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JACKSONVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- With considerably less at stake this time, No. 16 Virginia Tech gets a chance to settle a score with 24th-ranked Florida State. The teams clash in the Gator Bowl, two years after the Seminoles defeated the Hokies, 46-29, in the Sugar Bowl to cap a perfect season and give coach Bobby Bowden his second national championship. There are no championship implications on the line this time -- only an opportunity for a pair of teams to end disappointing seasons on a high note. With 322 career victories, Bowden can tie Paul "Bear" Bryant for second on the all-time Division I-A wins list. Penn State coach Joe Paterno passed Bryant earlier this year to become the all-time leader and has 327 wins. But after playing for the national championship the previous three years and four of the last five, Florida State's run of 14 straight top-four finishes will end this year. After losing Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, it became clear early in the 2001 campaign that the Seminoles would be facing a rare rebuilding season. Florida State (7-4) ended the regular season with a 28-17 victory over Georgia Tech, but matched its most losses since going 7-4-1 in 1986. The Seminoles failed to win the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since joining the league in 1992. The Seminoles were routed by North Carolina, 41-9, and also lost to state rivals Miami (49-27) and Florida (37-13). The setback to the Hurricanes ended the Seminoles' 54-game home unbeaten streak. Later in the year, Florida State suffered its first ACC home defeat, falling to North Carolina State, 34-28, on November 17. Freshman Chris Rix replaced Weinke and progressed as the year went along, passing for more than 2,700 yards and 24 touchdowns. But he also threw 13 interceptions. Moreover, the Seminoles lacked the depth they featured in recent years and also were hurt by a series of injuries, especially among the receiving corps. Javon Walker led Florida State with 43 receptions for 893 yards and seven touchdowns. Talman Gardner grabbed 33 passes for 649 yards and 11 scores. Florida State is looking to avoid its first two-game bowl losing streak since losing to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl following the 1979 and 1980 seasons. The Seminoles suffered a 13-2 setback to the Seminoles last season in the Orange Bowl. Virginia Tech (8-3) endured a season-ending injury to 1,000-yard rusher Lee Suggs, who led the Big East with 28 touchdowns in 2000. Suggs suffered a torn ACL in the left knee in the season opener against Connecticut. The injury to Suggs provided an opportunity for freshman Kevin Jones, who led the Hokies with 886 yards on 176 carries. Behind a defense that recorded four shutouts, Virginia Tech got off to a 6-0 start. But the Hokies stumbled with back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Pittsburgh that ended their Bowl Championship Series hopes. Virginia Tech had a chance to upset top-ranked Miami in the regular-season finale before falling, 26-24, after Ernest Wilford dropped a two-point conversion pass that would have tied the game with just over six minutes left. The Gator Bowl will mark the final game at Virginia Tech for offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle, who was named coach at Louisiana-Lafayette. Florida State's win over Virginia Tech two years ago gave the Seminoles a 19-10-1 lead in the all-time series. |
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