| | CLEMSON, S.C. -- The words of praise from father to son at midfield in Death Valley will have to do for now for Bobby and Tommy Bowden.
While the two could finally relax -- Bobby Bowden's victory No.
300 was secure and their father vs. son showdown was done -- Tommy
said Sunday the family might not reflect on the game's importance
until their annual summer reunion.
"I get to see him for such a brief time," Tommy Bowden said a
day after No. 1 Florida State (8-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference)
rallied to defeat Clemson 17-14. "And it's not only (Bobby),
there's my other brother (Jeff). We usually don't see that crowd
until summer."
It was a long week of buildup for the few minutes Bobby and
Tommy met in the center of the field Saturday night. Both coaches
spoke to their teams, did their radio shows, spoke to the media and
left with their teams.
"That handshake was about it," Tommy Bowden said. "Then
you're gone."
Florida State's national title hopes and Bowden's milestone were
in doubt for much of the game. Bowden's still not sure how his team
managed to beat Clemson (3-4, 3-2).
"This is one of those games you go out there and play and you
feel like you're losing, you're losing, you're losing and you're
going to get beat," Bowden said. "Then all of a sudden you win it
and I don't even know how."
Florida State remained No. 1 in the latest ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press
college football polls. Forty-one coaches picked the Seminoles as No. 1 as Florida State holds a slim 29-point lead over No. 2 Penn State in the ESPN/USA Today poll. It received 55 first-place votes from the AP panel and led the No. 2 Nittany Lions, 1,733 points to 1,684.
Tommy Bowden -- that chip off the ol' whistle -- did about all he
could to steal this one from his old man. "I told him after the
game he out-tricked me 3-0," said Daddy.
Tommy's Tigers (3-4, 3-2) converted a fake punt for 23 yards on
the way to Clemson's first touchdown. And he called a double
reverse, throw-the-ball back to quarterback Woody Dantzler for
another first down.
But trailing 17-14 and faced with a fourth-and-1 from Florida
State's 30, the younger Bowden played it straight, going for a
tying 41-yard field goal that failed. Tony Lazarra looked like he
kicked the ground and Seminoles cornerback Tay Cody got a hand on
the kick, Tommy Bowden said.
Tommy crouched on the sidelines alone, head down, as time ran out. "I was more disappointed that we missed a chance to beat the No. 1 team in the country than with any familial ties," he said.
Peter Warrick, back for Florida State after missing the past two
games with legal troubles, caught 11 passes for 121 yards. But when
he had chances to make a difference, he dropped plays he'd normally
break for big yards. Warrick chose not to talk to reporters after
the game.
Bobby Bowden thought the distraction of Warrick's situation -- he
pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petty theft Friday for a
department store scam and was finally cleared to play -- led to his inconsistency.
"I've never seen Peter do what he did tonight since he was a
freshman," Bowden said.
Travis Minor scored on a 1-yard run and Chris Weinke threw to
Dan Kendra for a 2-point conversion with 10 seconds left in the
third quarter as Florida State tied it 14-all.
Sebastian Janikowski's third field goal, a 39-yarder, with 5:26
was the difference.
The win kept alive the Seminoles' drive for Bowden's second
national championship.
"This team hasn't been beat," Weinke said, "and we don't
think we will be beat."
Bowden joined Bear Bryant, Pop Warner, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Joe
Paterno as the only major college coaches to reach 300 victories.
Florida State's victory wrapped up a week unlike the Bowdens
probably had ever seen. The family -- from Bobby to wife Ann to sons
Bobby, Terry, Jeff and Steve, to brother-in-law Jack Hines and
Tommy's wife, Linda -- shared some personal, funny and embarrassing stories.
Ann Bowden sat with a sweatshirt half Clemson, half Florida State. Everyone in college football's first family pretty much left satisfied, its patriarch said.
"Mama's happy, I know," Bobby Bowden said of his wife. "She
wanted a close game and that I would win because I'm older. She
wanted her boy to look good and he looked good. He looked too good
to suit me." | |
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