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FSU's Bowden Sees A Lot Of Himself In Wake's Grobe

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By BILL KACZOR

The Associated Press

Published: September 22, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden is so impressed with the job being done by Jim Grobe, his counterpart at Wake Forest, that he was moved to song Sunday.

Grobe and his 18th-ranked Demon Deacons, once among the Atlantic Coast Conference's doormats, made it three straight wins over Bowden's No. 24 Seminoles with a 12-3 victory Saturday night.

"I'm amazed," Bowden said.

He said what Grobe has done reminded him of "Bobby B," a song written about Bowden years ago after he had turned around Florida State's once moribund program in part by regularly beating archrival Florida.

Bowden recited the lyrics: "The Gators used to laugh and clown when Florida State would come to town, but they quit laughin' thanks to Bobby B."

"You could say the same thing about Wake Forest," Bowden said. "The ACC used to laugh and clown when Wake Forest came to town, but they quit laughin' thanks to Jimmy G."

The Seminoles (2-1, 0-1 ACC) weren't laughing after Wake (3-0, 1-0) won a ragtag game that included seven Florida State turnovers and two by the Demon Deacons.

Florida State also committed 12 penalties for 139 yards; Wake was flagged eight times for 70 yards. A holding penalty erased an apparent Deacons touchdown and a fumble at Florida State's 2-yard line may have cost Wake another.

"We won and that's what I told our guys," Grobe said. "We don't care whether it's 3-0 or 49-48. We won."

They did it on the toe of kicker Sam Swank, who made four field goals. But it still was an off-night for Swank, who ranks third all time in the ACC with 69 field goals, as he also missed three attempts.

It didn't matter because Florida State's young offense never could get anything going against Wake's veteran defense.

"Talent and experience won out over talent and inexperience," Bowden said.

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