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Seminoles set stage for return to old times

Tuesday's Gator Bowl win gave a young squad several things to build on next season.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 3, 2002

JACKSONVILLE -- For the Florida State Seminoles, the Gator Bowl easily could have been an episode of Fear Factor.

Same network, similar premise.

The Seminoles didn't have to lie in a vat of rats or some other stunt equal on the ick scale to prove their mettle. Instead, they used the time against Virginia Tech to re-establish their fortitude and their forbidding prowess to a national audience.

"Coach (Bobby) Bowden had stressed that we have to have the confidence to go out there and play Florida State football," freshman quarterback Chris Rix said, "and know we're going to win and have people fear playing Florida State."

Tuesday's 30-17 come-from-behind win against No. 15 Virginia Tech, a team that narrowly lost to consensus No. 1 Miami, might be a step in that direction. The Seminoles (8-4), sure to jump several spots from 24th when the final AP poll is released after today's Rose Bowl, rolled up 430 yards against the Hokies, nearly 200 more than the nation's No. 2 defense had been conceding.

Sophomore tailback Greg Jones pounded his way to 120 yards on 23 carries against a team that had allowed an average of 71.6 yards rushing and permitted more yards to one other back, Miami's Clinton Portis (124 on 34 carries).

Despite a couple of third-quarter breakdowns, the oft-maligned defense largely shut down the Hokies. Freshman tailback Kevin Jones, who averaged 165 yards in his final three regular-season games, mustered 55 on 23 attempts. That with the Seminoles missing their leading tacklers, middle linebacker Bradley Jennings and outside linebacker Kendyll Pope.

The Seminoles also sacked Grant Noel five times. They entered with 14 sacks.

"I think we got over a hurdle," Bowden said. "Winning the Georgia Tech game and this game here got us over a hurdle and stopped the bleeding."

FSU loses just four senior starters on offense -- receiver Javon Walker (the Gator Bowl MVP), receiver Atrews Bell, fullback Chad Maeder and tight end Carver Donaldson -- and two on defense, safeties Chris Hope and Abdual Howard.

"It's a big confidence booster knowing that we beat a very good Virginia Tech team," Rix said. "I've learned so much this year; it was a great learning experience and I'm going to take that into the offseason, saying to myself, 'What are the things I need to work on? What can I do? What can't I do?' "

His coaches also have learned more about him and will be able to use that knowledge to implement some wrinkles for next season to take advantage of his running ability. Star receivers Anquan Boldin and Robert Morgan, who had season-ending knee injuries in mid August, will be back in 2002 to help.

The upside for a young defense seems even greater.

"We've heard all year, 'They've got talent but it's young talent,' " sophomore cornerback Stanford Samuels said. "But talent means nothing until you do something on the field. This game shows us that we're working in the right way to get that talent moving."

"I'm telling you, we're setting the tone for next year," junior defensive end Alonzo Jackson said. "We wanted to let the nation know what Florida State is going to be like next year. We're not going to be like that again; that's a thing of the past, baby."

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