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Seminoles 'Not As Far Away As You Would Think'

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 2, 2008

Updated: 01/01/2008 10:56 pm

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Florida State capped a month of turmoil by losing to Kentucky on Monday in the Music City Bowl. The loss, amid an academic cheating scandal that forced the Noles to leave more than 20 scholarship players home, concluded back-to-back 7-6 seasons for FSU.

For those keeping score, that's 12 losses in two seasons, or one fewer than FSU had in the entire 1990s. In the view of many outsiders, FSU appears to be a program in shambles, its legendary coach tainting his legacy in the final stages of his career.

Bobby Bowden says you can't take away what he already has done, and as far as all the talk about him spoiling his legacy, he said that's for others to debate and no concern of his. Bowden says what he remains focused on, undeterred by the unwanted spotlight shining on his program because of the academic scandal, is to rebuild FSU back into a national power like he did when he first arrived on the scene in 1976.

Oddly enough, Bowden sounded as optimistic about that happening as he has in a while following FSU's 35-28 loss to Kentucky.

"Our guys just kept coming back," Bowden said. "That's the Seminole spirit that we want and have got to get back at Florida State University if we want to get back on top."

FSU fell behind 28-14 to Kentucky after three quarters, but continued to fight until the end, finally accepting defeat when quarterback Drew Weatherford's Hail Mary pass dropped to the turf as time expired.

Missing nine regular contributors on defense and 13 players who started this season, FSU rallied around a difficult situation to at least show that some of the spirit Bowden alludes to remains intact, despite a downward spiral the past few seasons.

After last season, Bowden overhauled his coaching staff, bringing in offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to fix what ailed the Noles. Fisher, named Bowden's eventual successor earlier this month, didn't work miracles the way FSU fans had hoped, but he did get the most out of the players he had to work with.

"We never quit," Fisher said. "No matter what it was, we never laid down in any football game we played this year. I really believe that. In the second half of the season, I saw a different look in their eyes. It was about us being better."

"I'm excited about what we've got coming back, and I'm excited about what we're recruiting. I think we're heading in the right direction."

Weatherford, a junior who endured another up-and-down season battling Xavier Lee for the starting job, separated himself in the second half of the season to clearly establish himself as the starter going into the spring.

Weatherford, receivers Preston Parker and Greg Carr, and running back Antone Smith give the Noles a strong core of players returning on offense. On defense, the Noles project eight starters returning, although junior linebacker Geno Hayes is a strong candidate to declare for the NFL draft.

Of course, the Noles will start next season still without the players who began serving suspensions Monday for their involvement in the cheating scandal. Weatherford expects the Noles to turn a negative into a positive when they return.

"Those guys will learn a great lesson from what has happened," Weatherford said. "I really think they will benefit us next year and help other people not take this game for granted and this opportunity for granted."

Bowden, an eternal optimist who said Tuesday from Tallahassee that he feels healthy and ready to tackle the final days of the recruiting season, is confident the changes the program made a year ago eventually will produce better results than another 7-6 season. He said Monday's gutsy effort made more of a believer out of him.

"I think it's very evident - you're not as far away as people will think," Bowden said. "How could you go out there with 22 guys missing - maybe six or seven of them had started - how could you go out there and play Kentucky down to the wire when they had one of their best teams?

"Florida State is not as far away as you would think."

NOTE: Bowden said injury-plagued RB Russell Ball, a redshirt sophomore, is transferring to Prairie View A&M in Texas.

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

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