Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said Sunday he would like the next contract with Florida State to include a new rule: A neutral officiating crew.
Historically, officials from the visiting team's league have been used, but Gator fans and players vociferously complained about several calls from the ACC group that went against the home team.
"I have no recourse," Foley said. "I will be interested to see (the ACC's) evaluation."
A call to ACC coordinator of football officials, Tommy Hunt, on Sunday evening was not returned, but he told the Associated Press he hadn't watched tape of the game and couldn't comment specifically.
"When I see the game, if our officials make mistakes, they're held accountable for them," he said. "We've got the best officials in the country, or some of the best, and I stand by that."
FSU coach Bobby Bowden said he scrutinized the game and stressed there's "two sides to everything." As for Foley's idea of using a crew from a different conference, Bowden said in the "real world" that probably would be best, but added, "I don't know how you could ever work that out." He would not be against it if the schools' ADs want to try, but said he would not recommend it. The four-year renewal contract expires after the 2004 FSU-UF game.
BRAWL FALLOUT: Bowden said he watched replays of the postgame brawl, yet can't "pin down" why the incident occurred. Bowden seemed befuddled why brawls have marred this rivalry and not FSU's intense annual showdown with Miami or other rivalries such as Auburn-Alabama.
"We talk to our kids over and over and over; "Don't let it happen,' and they do the same thing," he said. "... You've got 80 kids out there from one team, 80 on the other. One's very happy, one's very upset, and one guy pushes one guy and you've got a problem. That's happened before our ballgame with them at least twice."
In 1997, perhaps a residual effect of coach Steve Spurrier's charge of late hits from the year before, then again in 1998 when players collided at midfield as the Seminoles went into their pregame ritual of raising their helmets and jumping up and down to excite the crowd and team. UF starting cornerback Tony George was ejected as were FSU backups Ronald Boldin and Josh Baggs.
Since then, the Seminoles have made sure to do the ritual at their end of the field or only at midfield if they're at home and the opponent is in the locker room. "Now, I guess we'll have to come up with an end-of-the-game method against some people," he said.
ACC HONOR: FSU senior DT Darnell Dockett was named the ACC's defensive player of the year, edging Georgia Tech LB Keyaron Fox 18 votes to 14 among the 63 media voters. "He's come so far and yet he still needs to come further," Bowden said. "I'm glad to see him get that award. I think he's very deserving."
