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Bobby: A New Bowl Twist

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Bobby Bowden is playing in his 26th consecutive bowl game, but this one might be the strangest yet.

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2007

Updated: 12/30/2007 12:11 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A quarter of a century later, Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden can still hear the strange sounds coming from the stands. If he tries hard enough, he can picture Billy Allen's 95-yard kickoff return and MVP Greg Allen's two touchdown runs that night in Jacksonville.

But what does Bowden remember most about FSU's 31-12 victory against West Virginia in the 1982 Gator Bowl?

"That is when the war chant chop started," he said. "That is the first game I can ever remember thinking, 'What is that noise up there?' That is really when it became in unison."

For history buffs, some say FSU's trademark tradition was born a little before then. But for Bowden, that night was a seminal moment in his career as the head Seminole, a sign of the hoopla that was to come for a once-fledgling program. What can't be debated about the game is the streak it started, one that gives Bowden another record in the twilight of his career.

Monday, Bowden will lead the Noles onto the field for the Music City Bowl against Kentucky, marking the 26th consecutive season FSU has played in a bowl under Bowden. That's an NCAA record, breaking former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne's streak of 25 consecutive bowl trips with the Cornhuskers.

"Every record he has, I can't really fathom," junior quarterback Drew Weatherford said. "That's just amazing."

Of course, Bowden has never taken a team like this year's Noles to a bowl game. FSU will be without more than 20 scholarship players in the wake of an academic cheating scandal that has rocked the program. Some questioned whether the Noles should have accepted the bowl bid. Others have called for Bowden to step down amid the scandal.

As he has during past controversies, Bowden has weathered the criticism and focused on the job at hand. In this case, it's stopping a Kentucky team with explosive quarterback Andre' Woodson, no small task considering FSU will be without nine regular defensive contributors.

Bowden has overcome the odds before at FSU, putting the struggling program on the national map shortly after arriving in Tallahassee in 1976. The Noles have often been at their best in bowl games, reeling off a 14-year bowl unbeaten streak (13-0-1) starting with that Gator Bowl win against West Virginia.

"That was a pretty nice little streak," Bowden said a few days prior to opening practice for the Music City Bowl.

Bowden has taken the Noles to the biggest bowls of all, including five national title games. He coached in bowls that no longer exist, including the All-American, Blockbuster and Tangerine, his first bowl game at FSU in 1977.

He still has binoculars he received as a gift from the Tangerine Bowl.

"They still work, too."

But Bowden remembers FSU's 40-17 victory against Texas Tech for a lot more than those binoculars, including the fact it marked the first time a major state school won 10 games in a season.

"That was one of my favorites because Florida State hadn't been to a bowl in a while, and the year before, we had a losing season in my first year," Bowden said. "Then we got invited to that bowl and beat Texas Tech pretty thoroughly.

"There was a lot of excitement because the Florida State people were hungry."

Bowden's bowl history is full of ups and downs, including a disappointing 18-17 loss to Oklahoma in the 1981 Orange Bowl when Sooners quarterback J.C. Watts hit Steve Valora on a 2-point conversion with 1:27 remaining.

"We led them up to the last minute," Bowden said. "We had two interceptions in our hands on Oklahoma's game-winning drive and dropped them; we could have run out the clock and won the game."

As for Bowden's most memorable bowl games, that's an easy one.

"You've got to go with your national championship games," he said.

In 1993, FSU won its first national title by defeating Nebraska 18-16. FSU took the lead on Scott Bentley's field goal with 21 seconds left, but a penalty and long pass completion gave Nebraska one final shot at victory after FSU thought it had already won.

Bowden can still hear the referee's words.

"Coach Bowden, I'm sorry, but we've got to put one second back on the clock," Bowden recalled. "I couldn't believe it."

Byron Bennett's kick sailed left at the gun, and Bowden could finally exhale.

Bowden also won a national title when the Noles defeated Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

He has lost three national title games, including a 52-20 loss to Florida in the 1997 Sugar Bowl. If there is one thing Bowden doesn't like about bowl games, it's playing a state rival.

"That's no fun," he said. "No. 1, a bowl game needs to be fun. It ain't fun if you're playing your big rival. We had to play Miami and Florida."

Through all the years, through all the big games and big plays, and more recently, a string of subpar seasons and second-tier bowl trips, Bowden's bowl streak has survived when those of others - most notably Penn State's Joe Paterno - did not.

"I didn't want to go out my last year and break that record," senior defensive tackle Andre Fluellen said. "Not that one."

BOBBY THE BOWLER

A glance at Florida State coach Bobby Bowden's bowl history, which includes two trips to the Peach Bowl when he coached at West Virginia:

BY THE NUMBERS

20-9-1: Bowden's record in bowl games

20: Schools Bowden has faced in bowls, including Kentucky in Music City Bowl

12: Bowls Bowden has taken teams to, including Music City Bowl

8: Trips to the Orange Bowl for Bowden, most of any bowl

5: National championship games Bowden has coached in

2-3: Bowden's record in national championship games

BOBBY'S BOWL FAVORITES

Favorite Bowl Trip: "The Fiesta was so different. It's in the desert, and it's so unique out there, so different than Florida. They always put us up in a big resort and treat us so well. I really enjoyed our trips out there."

Favorite Bowl Restaurant: "It would be the Commander's Palace restaurant in New Orleans. Every year we have gone down there somebody has taken us there to eat, and it is unbelievable."

Favorite Bowl Trip Excursion: "Visiting Alcatraz was really something. The prison was really thrilling to me, because you've seen it so many times in the movies."

Favorite Bowl For Family: "The bowl that can entertain you about as much as any of them is the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, because of Disney World. That fits the family so good, the grandchildren and kids of the coaches."

Favorite Bowl As Kid: "The one disappointment I've got so far is never playing in the Rose Bowl. For years, it was impossible. I used to listen to the Rose Bowl every year on the radio."

ALL-TIME BOWL WINS

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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