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Rule Would Take Neon Out Of Deion

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

Oh, how history could have changed. But the NCAA did not have an excessive-celebration penalty on the books when flamboyant Deion Sanders roamed Doak Campbell Stadium for the Florida State Seminoles in the late 1980s.

His on-field personality was allowed to - ahem - develop.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden doesn't advocate taunting or look-at-me gestures. But like many others in what has become a national controversy, he questions what happened on Saturday during the Brigham Young-Washington game.

Washington quarterback Jake Locker scored a touchdown in the late going and, in his exuberance, flipped the ball over his shoulder.

Flag - and a 15-yard penalty.

Washington's point-after attempt essentially became a 35-yard field goal - and it was blocked. BYU 28, Washington 27.

"I didn't see enough of it to really make a judgment, but golly ... all I saw was a guy throw the ball over his shoulder," Bowden said Wednesday. "What's the difference between that or falling dropping the ball on the ground?

"You know the thing that really disturbs you? The officials are different. Against Kentucky in the Music City bowl last year, one of our kids intercepted a pass, made a great play, dove into the end zone. We get a 15-yard flag, which is OK, if they're going to call it on everybody. But every Saturday, I'm watching all these other teams dive, roll, flip and everything else. And it doesn't get called."

Bowden said consistency is the real issue.

And as for the so-called "spirit" of the rule.

"What is the spirit of the rule?" Bowden said. "Read it to me."

Here's what it says in black and white - from the NCAA's Rule 9, Section 2, Article 2c - a player can be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for "throwing the ball high into the air."

Enough with semantics.

When FSU players score touchdowns, Bowden wants them to act like they've been in the end zone before. Coaches have been saying that for decades.

Decades before ESPN and its "Plays of the Day."

"You do hate to take the excitement out of the game," Bowden said. "I tell our kids who score a touchdown to make it look like an everyday thing, make it boring.

"These kids see television, though, see what all these pros do. First thing you know, they'll be jumping over the goal posts."

RUNNING MAN: The 52-yard touchdown run by backup D'Vontrey Richardson in the 69-0 win against Western Carolina was the longest run by an FSU quarterback since at least the 1967 season (prior records are sketchy). The Seminoles have largely employed drop-back passers, but not even elusive Charlie Ward could match Richardson's accomplishment.

Richardson's overall performance caused Bowden to not rule out a quarterback platoon during ACC play (although Bowden said offensive Jimbo Fisher has the final call).

"I have no qualms about doing something like that," Bowden said. "D-Vo could've gone in there and done nothing and that would've solved that."

ETC.: FSU played 22 freshmen in its opener, the top figure for this season's Division I-A programs, ahead of Miami (21), Arkansas (15), SMU (13) and Iowa State (11). ... Coach Rodney Allison of Chattanooga, which plays at FSU on Saturday afternoon, worked for 10 years under Bobby Bowden's sons - six years with Terry Bowden at Auburn and four years with Tommy Bowden at Clemson. ... Chattanooga AD Rick Hart is the son of former FSU AD Dave Hart Jr., who led the program from 1995 to 2007.

FSU SHORTS

HONOR ROLL: Sophomore guard Rodney Hudson was named ACC offensive lineman of the week. Hudson graded out at 89 percent against Western Carolina. He even played some center for the first time in his career.

SOUND BITE: "The fan support was unbelievable. We were talking about the ones who stayed after a weather delay. They were the true fans. I told Randy Oravetz FSU's director of sports medicine to go up there and get their names." - Bobby Bowden on the Doak Campbell Stadium crowd against Western Carolina.

GOOSE EGGS: Following the 69-0 win against Western Carolina, what does FSU have at stake on Saturday against Chattanooga, another Division I-AA opponent? FSU's defense hasn't registered consecutive shutouts since the Seminoles defeated LSU (16-0) and Louisville (52-0) to open the 1980 season - Bowden's fifth season in Tallahassee.

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