College Football
Sunday, January 2
FSU starters miss Sugar Bowl curfew
ESPN.com news services

NEW ORLEANS -- Florida State All-America kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who missed a team curfew New Years' Eve, ran extra wind sprints as punishment and spent a night in his hotel room.

But he won't miss any plays when No. 1 Florida State faces No. 2 Virginia Tech on Tuesday night for the national title in a matchup of 11-0 teams.

"When they put the ball out there, he's going to kick it," Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said Sunday.

Bowden had said Saturday that two or three Seminoles starters might not start in the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday night because they "did not meet curfew and have done a few things we asked them not to do."

Bowden had initially declined to name any of players.

ESPN confirmed reports Sunday in the Tallahassee Democrat and Orlando Sentinel that two other Seminoles -- starting defensive end Roland Seymour and second-team cornerback Reggie Durden --also missed curfew earlier in the week.

Durden also ran sprints Saturday as punishment.

"It ain't the first time," Durden said.

Seymour is the only Seminoles player whose starting status could be affected.

"It makes you mad, it just makes you mad." Bowden said Saturday of the three players. "If they want to break the rules, we'll give 'em some kind of punishment that will make 'em not want to break 'em again."

Florida State usually punishes players for minor rules violations by making the offenders run stadium steps.

Janikowski's best friend on the team, deep snapper Clay Ingram, shrugged off the kicker's latest transgression.

"His girlfriend is in town and he loves to party," Ingram said. "You just write it off with that guy. He's a special case."

Asked if he was aware of the commotion over his curfew slipup, Janikowski said no.

"I was in bed," Janikowski said. "I was sleeping."

Bowden said the players know exactly how they'll be punished for specific violations of team rules.

"And this one's not really important," he said.

The Seminoles already are without Chris Walker, a reserve defensive lineman and special teams starter, who was kicked off the team a week ago after being charged with drunken driving during the Christmas holiday.

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