|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
One thing father doesn't know best
Posted: Wednesday November 24, 1999 07:35 PM
By Tim Peeler, Special to CNN/SI The Old Man wants what his two sons already have: an undefeated season. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who just turned 70, thinks he has a little hole in his 33-year career as a head coach because he has never had that elusive no-loss year. Sons Tommy (12-0 last year at Tulane) and Terry (11-0 at Auburn in 1993) have each achieved it, though neither of them have won a national championship like Daddy did in 1993. "I sure would like to have one," said the elder Bowden, who has 10 one-loss seasons in his career. "I am jealous of them, naturally. I would like to know what it feels like." Obviously, in the current world of college football, being undefeated means having a chance at the national championship. Bowden won his sole title after a 12-1 season, even after losing a late game at Notre Dame, something that would be more difficult to do under the Bowl Championship Series system, in which late losses seem to be more costly than early ones. "The big stat these days is 'Are you undefeated?'" Bowden said. "That's the name of the game." To get to that point, the top-ranked and as-yet undefeated Seminoles will have to wade through The Swamp, the home of No. 3 Florida, where the Seminoles have bogged down before. Florida State has lost its last two games in Gainesville, including a 32-29 loss there in 1997 that cost the Seminoles a chance at both the national championship and an undefeated season. The intense rivalry, which both Bowden and Gators coach Steve Spurrier would like to see cool down from its white-hot peak, is in essence a semifinal game for the national championship. If Florida State wins, it will go to the BCS title game at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. If Florida wins, they too could end up there by winning the SEC Championship game in Atlanta on Dec. 4. Right now, the state of Florida is consumed by the Saturday's marquee game, with all of its vast implications. Given that his team lost on a late drive in Gainesville two years ago, it's no wonder that Bowden is most interested in gulping up the Gators, which would help lead to that unbeaten season. "If I could only win one of the next two games," Bowden said, "I think I would like it to be this next one." The remarkable thing about this series is that every single season since Spurrier became the Gators' head coach in 1990, both teams have been ranked in the top 10. No wonder people in the Sunshine State have such emotions about the game. FSU has a 6-4-1 record in the series this decade, but lost the game that mattered most: the 1996 Sugar Bowl, which Florida won 50-20 to claim the national championship.
No muzzles hereRivalry week brings out the best -- or worst, depending on your perspective -- in some athletes in the interview room. Here's an example of what players are saying going into Saturday's big game: Florida State offensive tackle Tarlos Thomas called Florida sophomore defensive end Alex Brown "an average player." "Alex had a couple of good games against some top-ranked teams, but I don't really see nothing to him," Thomas said. "What happens in the other games? Every game should be a good game. He's just a regular defensive end. "Yes, Alex is a good player, but I see flaws in him. Basically, from what I see, he's just trying to time the snaps. I'm going into the game to shut him down, point blank. He's getting blown up bigger than what he should be." For the record, Brown needs one sack to break Huey Richardson's single-season school of 12 1/2 sacks. Brown sacked Tennessee's Tee Martin five times earlier this year and got to Georgia's Quincy Carter for two sacks and a forced fumble. He's not intimidated by Thomas' talk. "Tarlos is just talking, trying to get something in my head to not focus on the game plan," Brown said. "[But] I'll read that. I want to see exactly what he said. I'll read it every day and read it right before the game, and you'll see if he shuts me down. I don't think about individual things. I just want to win, but I'll get the sack record this game. I'll get one at least."
Coaching clampsOf course, some players won't have a chance to shoot off their mouths this week. Maryland coach Ron Vanderlinden has circled the wagons and muzzled his team ever since his team lost to Florida State last Saturday. The Terps, after starting the season 3-0, are 5-5 following last week's drubbing by the Seminoles. So Vanderlinden knows the Terps must beat the Cavaliers to have a winning season and qualify for a bowl game. He's closed all practices this week, which is a departure from his normal open-practice policy, and prevented his players from doing any pregame interviews. "We want all focus to be on the football game," said Vanderlinden, whose team has lost four of its last five games. "We have had a lot of distractions and we want this week to be about school work and football." The Terps go into the game with two gimpy quarterbacks, freshman Latrez Harrison (sprained ankle) and fifth-year senior Trey Evans (bruised forearm). There's even talk around Maryland that the coach has snagged former quarterback Randall Jones, who was converted to a defensive back earlier this year, from the defense and used him to run the offense.
Another seven-win season?For Virginia, a win over Maryland would extend the Cavaliers' streak of seven-victory seasons to 13, which only Florida State, Nebraska and Michigan can match. After starting the season 3-3, getting seven wins this year would even impress stodgy old George Welsh, who has gotten up on the wrong side of the bed for an NCAA-record 10,356 consecutive days."The seventh win is important to me," Welsh said after Saturday's win over winless Buffalo. "I hope it's important to the staff and the team. Whether it's incentive or not [against Maryland], I don't know."
Ultimate testFans frequently tell coaches that they could lose every game all year long if they beat their biggest rival. South Carolina coach Lou Holtz will find out this week if they are telling the truth. Holtz has had a miserable time in his first season with the Gamecocks, who are 0-10 heading into the regular-season finale. But he could made serious amends with his maniacal fans by beating Clemson on Saturday in Columbia. The Tigers need a win to qualify for a bowl game. And the Gamecocks, who are going nowhere, would love nothing more than to make sure the Tigers stay home too. "This rivalry reminds me very much of the Auburn/Alabama rivalry," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "They are both in-state battles and there are no pro teams in either state. There is talk about the game 365 days a year and it is extremely important to the fans, players, alumni, job security, and every thing else down the line."
Worth notingNorth Carolina defensive back David Bomar, a former walk-on who earned a scholarship last year, was named the national Defensive Player of the Week by the Charlotte (N.C.) Touchdown Club for his 15-tackle performance in the Tar Heels' 10-6 win over N.C. State. Maybe a lot of voters were swayed by seeing Bomar's performance live, since the game was played at Charlotte's Ericsson Stadium. ... Wake Forest senior tailback Morgan Kane needed 63 yards going into last week's game against Duke to reach 1,000 yards for the season. Going into this week's game against Georgia Tech, Kane needs -- oops -- 63 yards. He gained nothing on seven carries last week, as the Demon Deacons took the air in an attempt to overcome a 34-0 first-half deficit at Duke. ... Clemson quarterback Brandon Streeter, whose season supposedly ended with a broken collarbone more than a month ago, vows to return again from the dislocated hip he suffered last week against Georgia Tech. Streeter says he will be ready to play if the Tigers go to a bowl game, which is possibly if they beat the winless Gamecocks this weekend. ... Tim Peeler covers the ACC for the Greensboro (N.C.) News & Record. Check back Dec. 22 for his CNN/SI bowl Insider.
| ||||||||||||||||||
