Florida State looks to rebound against Clemson in battle of Bowdens
AP MegaSports
Considering the circumstances, Florida State cannot go out and play like it did last Thursday.
After suffering last week's biggest upset, the 11th-ranked Seminoles (4-1, 3-0 ACC) will look to regroup Thursday in time to give coach Bobby Bowden his fourth straight win over his son Tommy, and visiting Clemson (3-1, 1-0).
Following four straight victories, including three routs, then-No. 4 Florida State went into rain-soaked Louisville last Thursday perhaps a little overconfident and was beaten 26-20 in overtime by the unranked Cardinals.
Until last season, Florida State was nearly perfect against unranked teams, going 75-1 since the start of the 1990 season. North Carolina started last season 0-3 but pounded Florida State 41-9 in Chapel Hill. Later, unranked North Carolina State won at Tallahassee, 34-28.
"It's really hard for me to say what it means," Bobby Bowden said. "It's early in the year, and our schedule is tough enough that if we could win, we could come back. "We'll take the next ballgame, concentrate on it and go from there," he said.
Bobby Bowden's concern must be even greater this week. The matchup of Bowdens is the fourth in NCAA Division I-A history, with the previous three coming in this series. Florida State has dominated the all-time series, winning 13 of 15 meetings, including 10 straight dating to Clemson's 34-23 victory in 1989.
"The big interest nationally is Florida State and how they're going to respond after losing to an unranked team," Tommy Bowden said. "I think that's why most of the nation is going to tune in Thursday night, not to see us."
The Seminoles will hope to get back to business against Clemson, running the football early and often. Florida State, which averages 209.4 yards per game on the ground, was held to a season-low 129 yards by Louisville.
Junior Greg Jones, Florida State's leading rusher with 468 yards this season, was held to just 32 on 13 carries. He may have an even tougher time against Clemson, which is ranked ninth in the nation in total defense and eighth against the run, permitting just 87.5 yards per game.
Clemson's defensive turnaround, credited mainly to new coordinator John Lovett, comes as a major surprise, considering the Tigers were ranked 71st in total defense last year and 69th against the run.
Lovett says his players will be ready for anything Florida State tries to do. They are very much aware of the fact the Seminoles have put up a combined 95 points and gained 1,328 yards over the last three meetings.
"We'll play better and we'll play good," Lovett said. "I'm sure the kids will be keyed up, I'm sure they'll be sharp, I'm sure they'll be ready to play."
Since starting the season with a 31-28 loss to Georgia, Clemson has won three straight, including a 30-7 rout of Ball State on Saturday.
Bobby Bowden said Clemson will be his team's toughest challenge to date.
"I think they probably have more skill than anybody we've played yet," Bobby Bowden said of Clemson. "They're like us, they've got a bunch of receivers and a couple of them are good sprinters. We tried to recruit two or three of them."
Wideouts Kevin Youngblood and J.J. McKelvey have combined for 39 catches, 381 yards and two touchdowns.