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Bowden joins select club

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By STEVE ELLIS

The Tallahassee Democrat

Published: November 8, 2009

Updated: 11/08/2009 12:14 am

CLEMSON, S.C. - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden today becomes the fifth college football coach who was still coaching at the age of 80.

The other active 80-year-old coaches are Penn State's Joe Paterno (82) and St. John's (Minn.) University's John Gagliardi.

Amos Alonzo Stagg was 84 when he retired and Upper Iowa's John Dorman was 81.

Nice gesture by Clemson

A couple of Clemson coaches who know more than a little bit about the contribution that Mickey Andrews has made to college football, at stops that include both Clemson and FSU, paid tribute to the Seminoles' defensive coordinator before Saturday night's game.

Inside the FSU locker room, Clemson offensive line coach Brad Scott and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele handed Andrews a helmet signed by the Clemson coaching staff. Andrews also received a football signed by the entire Clemson football team. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney also was there for the presentation.

Andrews helped rebuild the Clemson defense in the late 1970s as its coordinator.

Scott was FSU's offensive coordinator when the Seminoles won the national championship in 1993. Steele worked with Andrews for four years before leaving for Alabama after the 2006 season.

Andrews announced last week he is retiring at the end of this season, his 26th in Tallahassee.

Stopping Spiller

A key challenge for FSU entering the game was finding a way to solve C.J. Spiller on kickoff and punt returns. Do you kick off to Spiller, away from him, or even out of bounds?

FSU went with the first choice three times and Spiller had 77 total yards with his longest kickoff return 27 yards. But when he settled under a 55-yard touchdown pass to put Clemson up 21-17 early in the second half, he already had 67 yards receiving and 68 yards rushing.

Hot with picks

Seminoles FS Jamie Robinson had his third interception in as many games. But the Rock Hill, S.C., native will remember this one most of all.

Before family and friends, he took it back 52 yards for a touchdown - the first in his career.

Thacker, Goodman make their return

DT Budd Thacker entered the game late in the first quarter after missing the previous two games with a sprained knee. WR Richard Goodman, who also missed the previous two games, played in the first quarter as well.

Extra points

FSU's Bert Reed had a nifty 44-yard catch-and-run that took him in front of the sideline, then back across the field for what is his longest catch as a Seminole. Reed's longest catch a year ago was 33 yards. ... Dustin Hopkins made his sixth consecutive field goal when he gave FSU a 3-0 lead.

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