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FSU Dominance Of Wake Is History

Tribune photo by COLIN HACKLEY

FSU's Kevin McNeil tackles Wake Forest's Willie Idlette during the Seminoles' embarrassing loss at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee in 2006.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 18, 2008

Updated: 09/18/2008 12:53 am

When the words "Wake" and "Forest" appeared on Florida State's football schedule, it once had an immediate translation in Tallahassee.

Automatic victory.

No more.

When the 24th-ranked Seminoles (2-0) face No. 18 Wake Forest (2-0) on Saturday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener, it is a drastic rise in competition from FSU's first two weeks (resounding victories against Division I-AA teams Western Carolina and Chattanooga).

"I came to Florida State in 1976, and my fourth season here, we were undefeated before losing in the Orange Bowl," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Wednesday. "Somebody wrote a song about Bobby Bowden. It went something like, 'Everybody was laughing when Florida State came to town. They all quit laughing because of Bobby B.'

"Ain't nobody laughing at Wake Forest now."

Especially in Tallahassee.

The Demon Deacons have twice beaten FSU - 30-0 in the infamous 2006 game that saw the only home shutout of Bowden's career, and 24-21 last season at Winston-Salem, N.C. It is a marked turnaround from 1992-2005, when the Seminoles defeated the Demon Deacons 14 consecutive times in ACC play. The average score was 43-12.

That is history - ancient history.

"Somebody asked me, 'How do you feel about playing Wake Forest?'" Bowden said. "The word that comes to mind is 'trepidation.' Y'all are going to have to look that up. I don't know what it means. But that's how I feel.

"You would feel a lot better going into this game having played a big game and won. But I wouldn't feel as good if we had played a big game and lost. I'd rather have the wins. It's like exhibition season in the pros. They get two or three games to get the pieces all fitting in the right place. That's what we have done."

Ready or not, it's time for the ACC opener.

For Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, it's like playing the FSU of old.

He said Doak Campbell Stadium is "one of the all-time great places to play," and it's an atmosphere where "the motivation will take care of itself for our players."

Even though the Seminoles have more to prove, especially in the ACC.

FSU has lost consecutive games to the same ACC opponent only three other times - Clemson (three losses from 2005-07) and N.C. State (two losses in 2001-02 and 2005-06).

The Seminoles have a 108-20 conference record (with 12 championships) in 17 ACC seasons. But in the past four years, FSU is 18-14 in league games.

When Bowden was introduced on Wednesday's ACC conference call, the moderator said FSU has the nation's No. 1 scoring offense and No. 2 scoring defense.

Bowden immediately chimed in: "Don't tell them who we played."

Everybody knows about FSU's lightweight opening schedule. Still, after two cakewalks, the Seminoles moved to No. 24 in the Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the USA Today poll.

"I was surprised that we even broke into the top 25," Bowden said. "I vote in the USA Today poll - and I didn't vote for us."

That outlook could change after Saturday night's referendum, when FSU can begin to prove its worthiness. But it won't be easy.

Nobody laughs at Wake Forest any more.

THE DEUCE: Good omen? FSU is playing Wake Forest on ESPN2 - and the Seminoles are 10-1 on that network. They had won 10 in a row before falling at Maryland 27-24 in 2006.

CLOSING IN ON 500: Bowden (375-119-4 overall) will be head coach in his 499th career game Saturday night. Penn State's Joe Paterno has his 504th career game earlier that afternoon.

The next-closest head coach to those numbers is Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer, who will hit 325 Saturday.

FSU SHORTS

NO PICKS: Through four combined games, quarterbacks from FSU and Wake Forest have thrown zero interceptions.

SOUND BITE: "Here's the thing. They don't make mistakes, but they are physically gifted. It's not only a disciplined team, it's a talented team. It's not the Wake of old or whatever." - FSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher on Wake Forest

DID YOU KNOW? FSU is 13-3 all-time in ACC openers, but has lost two of its last four (to Miami 16-10 in overtime in 2004, to Clemson 24-18 last season). The other defeat was at N.C. State 24-7 in 1998.

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