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Offense Doesn't Get It Done In Jimbo's Debut

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2007

CLEMSON, S.C. - Jeffbo?

A funny thing happened on the way to Let There Be Light.
Bowden Bowl IX was to have been the great new beginning for Florida State, in particular for the offense, all for the rebirth of 77-year-old Bobby Bowden as he resumes his attack on passing Pat Summitt and 947 wins.

You see, Jimbo Fisher was here.

Or was he?

You wouldn't have known it at first. You wouldn't have known this offense was newfangled. Tommy Bowden's Clemson Tigers did the fangling as Tommy pounded his father and the Seminoles into a 24-3 prime-time hole.

In Tallahassee, Jeff Bowden turned to his Dairy Queen co-workers.

'I told daddy they wouldn't be no better.'

Bowden! Where's that peanut butter Blizzard?

'We Woke Up Too Late'

A funny thing happened on the way to Let There Be Darkness.

An amazing win was in the offing for Florida State.

Jimbo back on the throne, Tommy B on the hot seat again.

The Rally at the Valley.

No.

The comeback ended at 24-18. That light at the end of the tunnel dimmed.

'We woke up too late,' Bobby Bowden said.
Jeff Bowden did not attend Bowden Bowl, but might have been there in spirit in the first 15 plays that Jimbo, the most hyped assistant in college football history, scripted like Bill Walsh.

The 'Porky's' script was better.

Ten possessions, eight punts, one first down, one turnover, one field goal. Sixty-two yards, eight three-and-outs, 0-for-9 on third down.

That was FSU's first-half offense. That dug that 24-3 hole as much as a tackle-missing, assignment-blowing FSU defense.

It's not what Papa Bowden had in mind when his son jumped off the cliff or when FSU brought in LSU hotshot Fisher and other crank-it-up coaches.

If Monday's first half didn't feel like last season, I don't know what does.

Dumbo?

Hold on. Jimbo will work out. I'd take him over Jeff a hundred out of hundred times. He is a proven talent. That second-half run to within six points said so. This isn't Ed Zaunbrecher, Lost in Gainesville.

Still, the offense didn't get it done. The defense pitched a second-half shutout and FSU had a real shot at winning in the final minutes, driving to a first-and-10 from the Clemson 31-yard line.

Four incompletions. In a row.

How many close games did FSU lose last season?

Back to the beginning. Clemson was up 21 before the offense cracked midfield.

'The first half was the worst half I've seen us play,' Bobby said.

If you can't do the simple things ...

'If you don't block or tackle, ain't no offense in the world any good at all,' Bobby said.

Meanwhile, in his TV room, Jon Gruden shrugged.

'That offense looks pretty good to me.'

I have no idea if Drew Weatherford is better than he was last season, though I'd tell Xavier Lee to keep his motor running. But Weatherford was pressured all night and sacked five times.

New offensive line coach Rick Trickett supposedly made this offensive line leaner and meaner. Leaner, yes. Somebody on ESPN said they looked as if they'd been coached by Jenny Craig. Beats getting coached by Sen. Larry Craig, I guess.

An Early Wake-Up Call

A loss is a bad way to start a season stacked with road games ahead at Colorado, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida, as well as Jacksonville date with Alabama and Jimbo's old boss and fellow savior, Nick Saban.

Look, Bobby cautioned everyone a while back: 'Ol' Jimbo's here, we're going to go up and down the field. It don't work that way, it just don't work that way. We didn't do it when we were winning national championships, folks. ... Defense has been the winner for us.'

Limbo?

Bobby talks about getting back on top and 400 wins. Maybe Jimbo will get him there. We saw the wake-up call. But this might take longer than you think, even if Jeffy isn't doing the driving.

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