Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

The State of Florida Football Still Very Strong
Monday, November 3, 2003
TAM PA—Yes, Virginia, there is a football team named the Hokies that spoiled Christmas of 2003 for the great University of Miami by blowing the undefeated, favored Hurricanes 31-7 out of their No. 2 ranked national ranking and in a place of little comparison to South Beach—Blacksburg, Va. It also was the first regular season defeat of Miami Coach Larry Coker in 40 games and came on the same November Saturday to remember a Florida State Seminole team who went to South Bend and beat them at home as badly as anybody ever has while at the same time the Gators Miami had beaten upset arch-rival Georgia, fourth ranked in the country, 16-13. So it was again that this great State of Football, or the great State of Florida, once again made big news in the college world again, the results creating so many sub-plots aside from the results themselves. More are sure to follow. Florida State and Florida, both losers only to Miami, face each other Nov. 28 at the Gators’ Swamp. FSU’s only loss was to Miami, but Florida also lost to Tennessee and Mississippi but in the last month has beaten Top Ten teams Louisiana State and Arkansas, on the road, then Georgia at Jacksonville Saturday. Take that 16-13 Florida win on a march to a 33-yard field goal by Matt Leach with 33 seconds left capped a 10-play drive directed by freshman quarterback Chris Leak which was the 13th Gator win in the last 14, knocked Georgia out of a sure spot in the Southeastern Conference championship game and gave the Gators a shot at it. The win, improbable in manner and in result, also surely took the heat off embattled Florida Head Coach Ron Zook. However he has SEC games against Vanderbilt and South Carolina and that FSU game ahead, critical to his future, many think. Zook remains a fascination. When he and his team came out on the field at Jacksonville, the team went to the assigned bench, Zook to the other. Of course, he was quickly re-routed. After the emotional win, Zook jumped onto his bench and pumped his fists at the mass of Gator fans, some of whom have been facing a Hobson’s Choice each weekend, pulling for their team yet aware a win would improve Zook’s position as head coach, especially with the man who hired him, Athletic Director Jeremy Foley. Zook said his post-game move was to thank the fans for their support. \\ While the enigmatic Gators were beating up on the Bulldogs, again, Florida State was making history at an historic place. The Seminoles dominated proud Notre Dame at South Bend 37-0. It was expected, but not by such a margin. Indeed, it was the first time Notre Dame has been held scoreless at home (over 80,000 saw it) since Sept. 9,1978, when Joe Montana was the quarterback. FSU Coach Bobby Bowden called it FSU’s	finest defensive performance in 10 years, since his Seminoles shut out Kansas when they opened their 1993 national championship year. His players said they were motivated by watching films Friday of the way Notre Dame beat them a year ago in Tallahassee 34-24, Among the standouts for FSU were quarterback Chris Rix who threw two touchdown passes, passed overall for 327 yards, field goal man Xavier Beitia who hit three field goals, and receiver Craphonso Thorpe who caught TD passes of 38 and 35 passes, who flew alone late Friday to South Bend after attending the funeral of his grandfather. As a much younger man, Bowden in his 12th season at FSU took his Seminoles to Notre Dame and won there in what he has consistently called his most moving victory ever. Bowden is now 73. Since then, he has won more games that any major college coach, passing Joe Paterno this year, won a national championship, even the Atlantic Coast Conference title since his college joined that conference more than a decade ago. This Notre Dame win, the totality of it, will sure to advance FSU above its fifth place ranking a week ago. Miami’s loss was predicted by some. The Hurricanes have trouble with tough teams who are not of great reputation. Virginia Tech is still shedding its reputation as not a national power in the minds of some. Miami seemed not interested in winning fell behind, did not get the kind of performance QB Brock Berlin gave them against Florida and Florida State, and that was enough, with the crowd support, turnovers, and a strong VPI running game. The Hokies, Virginia, passed only twice in this game—twice, but won 31-7. That Miami score came late in the game when the issue was long resolved. In the weeks ahead, the State of Florida big school reputations are still on the line. Miami must play Pittsburgh and FSU and Florida must still meet. All three have played, and by the season’s end, will have played very difficult schedules. One reason for that is, of course, they must play each other, while two others are the Gators are in the SEC, Miami and VPI are becoming members of FSU’s ACC. And now. surely, the FSU regular season finale at Florida becomes more important to each of those teams and to the national rankings. FSU and Miami remain in the national championship picture. Florida, with three losses, probably does not, but may remain still in the SEC title picture, if the Gators win out in the league (Vanderbilt and South Carolina) and win a ballot of athletic directors in the SEC-East, a likely deciding technique which may come into play, after the Gator win over Georgia. So, yes, Virginia, the State of Football in the State of Florida is doing just nicely. ##
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