TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Resilient Seminoles Keep Coming Back

ADVERTISEMENT

By BRENT KALLESTAD

The Associated Press

Published: November 10, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Even on Coach Bobby Bowden's birthday, Florida State's young team made the ol' guy sweat awhile before blowing out the candles on Clemson to stay alive in the chase for a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game.

The visiting Tigers jumped to a 10-0 lead in the opening seven minutes Saturday, rolling up 132 yards before Florida State had one and Bowden was thinking it might be a long day.

But then senior defensive ends Neefy Moffett and Everette Brown made a play that changed the game.

Brown, who had three sacks for the second straight game, hurried Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper into a throw that Moffett made a leaping catch on and took it 18 yards for his first career touchdown to tie the game at 10-10 - a shock Clemson couldn't recover from.

"It couldn't have come at a better time," Bowden said on his Sunday coach's show.

Moffett, who has four sacks among his half-dozen tackles this season, has long teased Florida State's coaches with his ability but frustrated them, too, with his practice habits.

"He's got more ability than he realizes," Bowden said Sunday. "If he'd just go ahead and push it."

The win was good enough to move the Seminoles (7-2, 4-2 ACC) up four notches to No. 20 in The Associated Press' weekly poll and made the Seminoles bowl eligible for the 27th straight year, the longest streak in the nation.

Florida State largely stayed on the ground, running for 266 yards in shredding the Clemson defense after another slow start. The Seminoles have trailed by double-digit margins in their past four games, rallying to win three of those and losing the other on a last-minute fumble into the end zone.

Tailbacks Antone Smith and Jermaine Thomas combined for 151 yards against Clemson, and quarterback Christian Ponder chipped in with his usual efficient game, completing 16 of 27 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown with one interception.

Bowden picked up his 380th career win, guaranteeing him a 32nd straight winning season at Florida State, and moved within a game of Penn State's Joe Paterno in their duel to finish as the winningest coach in major college football.

Up this week is a home game against Boston College. Game time is 8 p.m., with WFTS, Channel 28, airing the game.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT