GatorBait.net - Sunday Conversation: Bobby Bowden Q&A

November 22, 2009

Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden spoke with the media Sunday morning, one day after his team pulled out a 29-26 victory against Maryland. Here is a transcript of that conversation:

Opening comments:

Well, my biggest frustration in that game was we couldn't get the ball. I'd nearly rather somebody take it and score quick. At least we'd get it back. Boy, those guys just kept the ball and kept the ball and kept the ball.

Q: It seemed like they had a good gameplan for a young quarterback with all those bubble screens and quarterback draws.

A: They did now. The week before against Virginia Tech, Maryland looked real bad. Tech just kind of squashed them. And the only real offense Maryland had was that quarterback would go back to pass and then take off. He ran for 129 yards. He must have made after first down after first down. But they couldn't knock it in once they got down there. [Ralph Friedgen] really put a good offense in, where he'd take that ball and just sling it out there. Very easy passes. The kid has a strong arm.

Q: Speaking of strong arms, did E.J. Manuel have a sore arm? It seemed like a lot of his passes were up for grabs.

A: I don't know if it was that or confusion. You know, a lot of times confusion gets in your mind and you won't go ahead and rip the ball out there. I hadn't looked at the film yet. I'll have to go back and look at it. ? The last [interception] was probably the best ball he threw. The guy was supposed to break in, and I think he would have hit him. Instead, the kid broke out, and he just left the ball out there all by itself.

Q: So, he is OK physically?

A: I don't know of any sore arm or anything like that. You know, quarterbacks like that, coming in as a freshman ? I know Jimbo kept saying all week, "Gosh, if Ponder was here this week, we could really get them." Because Ponder knows where to throw the ball, and he can put some zip on it. So, you get a quarterback, and he goes out there against Wake Forest, first game, you don't know how he's gonna do. And they seldom blitzed. I think they blitzed early a couple times, and he hurt them, and so they quit blitzing. Now you play one this week that's going to blitz. They'll let you know, "Yeah, we're coming. You don't know who it is, but one of our guys is coming." Now how's he going to respond to that? Well, the offensive line did a heck of a job of picking it up. Probably a little more heat on him last night.

Q: Jimbo said two of the three interceptions were at least partly the receivers' fault.

A: And that could be. A receiver, if he's running a flat route and he breaks it flat, you usually can hit him and the guy can't get underneath him. Now if he angles it, then the guy can get underneath him and get it. That might be what Jimbo's talking about. But I need to look at it and see what's happening.

Q: Talking to your players, it seems like they're confident that they can play with Florida.

A: Well, you know, the kids have played all year. It's just the dad-gum mistakes. It's just like the little pass they were throwing out there in the flat. Now you've got one guy out there. All he's got to do is approach from the outside and turn him back in to where everybody else is. No, we approach inside out, the guy runs past you, and now he's gone. We have to catch him. I think that happened two times. And I think we finally got it straightened out. But our kids do hustle. What would be sad is if you were playing and your kids ain't trying. That would be awful. But the kids are trying hard. It's just dad-gum mistakes. We're not making as many but still making them.

Q: How much is this game against Florida going to be a measuring stick for how much progress you've made? Understanding that it might be a better measure if Ponder were playing.
A: That's a good question. Ponder would know exactly what to do with it. Manuel might have to struggle more. When you're playing the No. 1 team in the nation, it's not a good idea to struggle.

Q: The last two years have been pretty one-sided in this game.

A: Two years, they've ripped us. And the year before that, they beat us one touchdown. They were national champions. But I imagine they ripped everyone else the same way, didn't they? I imagine they beat those other teams about like they beat us. But we've just got to go out there and play the best we can do. That's all we can do. Play as hard as you can.

Q: You gonna be glad this is the last time you see No. 15 (Tim Tebow)?

A: Yeah, I really am. Because he is so good. The question is, what will they do without him? What would Texas do without [Colt] McCoy? You see what Oklahoma did without their guy. One great player can make a lot of difference.

Q: If Florida wins a third national title with Tebow and maybe another Heisman, where does he fit in the line of the greatest players in college football history?

A: Well, he'll fit that description. He'll always be in the argument. To be honest with you, I don't know if he's better than Charlie Ward. What if Charlie started four years? ? We had two pretty good ones ahead of him. National championships, I don't know. [Chris] Leak helped there on one of them. Didn't he? Leak helped on one of them national championships.

Q: Last year, you said that Florida had better players at a lot of positions. Do you feel now that with some of the young guys you have that you've closed that gap a little?

A: We're getting closer. Next year, we should be neck and neck. That little freshman that ran them two touchdowns yesterday - [Lonnie] Pryor - we didn't even know if Pryor would play this year. The kid has played real well for us. So yeah, I think we'll be able to compete next year.
Q: You haven't really dominated anybody, but you've won four out of your last five games. Is that a good springboard for next season?

A: I think if we had played earlier in the year the way we've played the last four out of five, the record would have been much better.

Q: You've had cycles where you've just dominated Florida. And they've had cycles where they've beaten you. Is it never easy?

A: No, it's never easy. Now, you take our team right now. Our offense is playing as good as they used to. They're playing as good as they did back when Charlie was here and Weinke ? they're playing just as good. It's just on the other side of the ball, we're having a hard time stopping people.

Q: Do you feel like the talent is improving on defense with Greg Reid and Jacobbi McDaniel and some of those young guys?

A: It's getting better. Reid, with a good spring under his belt, should be a starter. We've played Reid some. He's been beaten a couple of times on takeoffs - that's what freshmen do. But his talent level's going to be close to some of those other good corners we've had here at Florida State.

Q: Do you think the new defensive coordinator will have a lot to work with?
A: Well, you've gotten more experience. Our biggest liability this year was the secondary. We knew that. I said that first thing. You lost [Myron] Rolle and you lost a couple other guys.

Q: What's the timetable for finding a new defensive coordinator? Is it something you'd like to do between the end of the season and the bowl game? Or after that?

A: I imagine we'll start doing it soon. As you start hiring somebody, you've also got to look if somebody else is fixing to leave. You might have two guys in mind ? but this position's not open, this position is open. So we'll hire here. But then two weeks later, this guy resigns. "Oh dad-gum, I could have hired this guy." So it's not something I believe in rushing into. Because what you do is going to last for years. So you've got to take your time on that.

Q: Coach Andrews said you interviewed him initially at a McDonald's. Will you be taking the next guy there?

A: (laughing) I don't know. But it will be more of a "we." It will be more of me and Jimbo. He's the future.

Q: What traits will you be looking for?

A: Just looking for the best guy you can find.

Q: Is there anything scheme-wise you'd be looking for?

A: Again, this is going to be Jimbo and I talking. My thinking is always get the best guy you can get. Whatever he does, that's what we'll do.

Q: So whoever you hire, will you let him make any changes he needs to the staff?

A: I won't talk about that anymore. I really don't know. No sense me speculating on something I'm not sure yet.

Q: What do you think it would take for you to beat Florida? Would it take a perfect game?

A: Oh gosh, yeah. Ain't nobody gonna beat them with an imperfect ballgame. They're too good. We'd have to play the very best we can play and they'd have to turn the ball over. Upsets are caused by turnovers. When two good teams play, maybe it's a little different. But when No. 1 is playing somebody that's not ranked, then the only thing that neutralizes it is turnovers.

Q: Is there anybody on your ballclub that would start on theirs?

A: Oh gosh, I would think so. Yeah. You know, that's the thing people don't understand. When you have a great year and you've got a good team, maybe it's one guy that ties that team together. Now here's another team over here that's not having a good [year], it don't mean all their players are bad. It's just that one guy that can do it. ? When we play Florida, do we have some guys as good as theirs? Yeah, I'm not going to break it down position by position. But yes, we've got some good players too. We've just been making more mistakes defensively than they have. If you had Ponder with this offense healthy, we could play with about anybody. North Carolina was what, the No. 2 defense in the nation? Miami's got a pretty good defense.

Q: Is the trick stopping them?

A: Tebow can throw it, he can run it. You can get a hold of him, but you can't get him down. He can still throw it when you've got a hold of him, he's so big. He's good. And he's got a good supporting cast. But their defense is good too. Their defense has played mighty good.

Q: When you first got here, you talked about needing to beat Florida to prove that FSU could compete. Because of this cycle they are in where they have been so good, are there any similarities to where you want it to be with this program -- how you want to beat them again?
A: I think that's true. Auburn has to beat Alabama. Georgia Tech has to beat Georgia. Sometimes it goes in cycles. Sometimes the home team wins. Florida and I did that, it seemed like. Then there were times we beat them four in a row and they beat us five or six in a row. It will change. Nothing lasts forever.

Q: Where they are now, with Tebow the talk of college football and everything else, you've been there. You were in that cycle for 14 years. What's that like? When you know each week you can win?

A: Tell our boosters when you get the chance, will you? (laughing) Hey, I've done forgot that. (laughing again) I remember where we went in the last game and finally won the 10th game or finally won to get a ranking for four or five. You say, we got by again. It's one of those things you know it can't forever. That's the thing I try to bring out for our people. The great teams of the past -- Southern Cal, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas. Yeah, they are on top today. But 10 years ago people were stomping them. Ten years ago, Southern Cal didn't go to a bowl, I don't think. Texas had their down years. It goes like that. You simply can't stay there forever. We've been there and we'll get back. Someone will get us back.

Q: Southern Cal had seven straight years of 10-win seasons. That streak will end this year. Do you think people just don't appreciate how difficult that is?

A: No, and they never will. People won't grasp that. That's not the nature of the game.

Q: Mark Richt has struggled this year. Have you talked to him?

A: No, I haven't. I sure haven't. It's one of those dad-gum things. I didn't see their game (Saturday night). But I understand they were on the goal line ready to score. Golly. ... It gets back to nobody wins forever.

Q: What do you like about what Urban Meyer does down there?

A: He's thorough. He leaves no stone untouched. It's very obvious. He's a very good recruiter. He stays on top of everything. He's a lot more detailed than I am, I know that.

Q: What if some mad scientist on a bowl committee said, "Let's put Bobby and Steve Spurrier together in a bowl this year?"

A: I could relax a lot better if he weren't there. (laughter) I'd relax a lot better.

Q: Don't you think he's mellowed?

A: He probably has.

Q: How long has it been since you've spoken with him?

A: I get a note from him from time to time.

Q: A nice one?

A: Usually (laughs).

Q: Do you ever golf with him?

A: Oh no. That's two different leagues. He's a golfer. I'm a hacker. I'm sure he's embarrassed to have me there with him. He's going to shoot in the 70s; I'm going to shoot in the 90s.

Q: Are you surprised he hasn't done more up there at South Carolina? A: He's probably done better than most people who have preceded him. South Carolina is a state that doesn't have a whole lot of players. They've got good ones, though. They just don't have the numbers. So you have to go into Georgia or Florida or North Carolina. I guess it's hard to dominate up there. But I think he's done a darn good job. He wins his share.

Q: If someone were to ask you who are the greatest college football players ever, what names pop into your head?

A: It goes back to before y'all were born. One of my favorites was Charley Trippi at Georgia. He could run that football. He played for Georgia when they went to the Rose Bowl. ... I always loved Johnny Lujack. At that time, I'm a 16- or 17-year-old boy watching them play. Then you get to the modern players. You get into the Herschel Walkers. Ol' Charlie would fit in there pretty good. And Deion.

Q: Is Tebow in that conversation?

A: You go back and look at football. Look at Ernie Nevers, fullback from Stanford. Look at Bronco Nogurski, who I've compared him to. Great fullbacks. And here's a guy who is a fullback and a nifty quarterback as well. What a combination that is. Look at how many third-and-one's he's made. How many people call on your quarterback for third-and-one? You might sneak it every now and then. If it's less than one, you'll sneak it. If it's one and a half, you don't call your quarterback. That dad-gum Tebow eats that up. He eats that up.

Q: When you talk about Charlie and Tebow and all those other great ones, the one thing that probably holds true is they had the drive to win.

A: Leadership. Tebow's got great leadership ability. Very obvious when you watch them play. When they played us last year, you watch him go up and down the sideline. (Bowden then growls.) He gets the crowd getting behind him. (Bowden then puts his arms up as if to protect his head.) Hey man, don't come over here. (laughing). He does. He affects everyone around him.

Q: Dan Patrick on his show the other week had Tony Dungy on there and he asked if he thought Tim Tebow could be a good NFL quarterback. And Dungy said he was like Charlie Ward. He said they both would be phenomenal NFL quarterbacks because they were winners.

A: Probably true. Charlie is unbelievable. He's so quiet. If he came in this room right now, he'd slide over in the corner and hope nobody saw him. Tebow would probably knock the table down. (laughing) But Charlie had that exceptional quality to win. He was a winner.

Q: What did you think of E.J. Manuel on that last drive and his running?

A: That was good for him. I think Jimbo has always felt like he had some hidden running ability. The way he ran that option the other day and pitched. Then that last drive the other day, he made up his mind that he was going to win somehow. That's Tebow. That's Tebow. This kid is young. No telling what he will turn into. He's having to play a little bit sooner than we hoped.

Q: How impressed are you with what Jimbo has done with E.J. and Ponder?

A: I don't know if anybody can prepare a quarterback better than he has Ponder and E.J. I don't know anyone who can prepare them any better. He's different than any quarterback coach I've ever had. He handles them differently. He's tough on them. I know what he's trying to do. He tried to put so much pressure on them in practice that the games are no pressure. That's exactly what he tries to do. That's what E.J. said he felt in that Wake Forest game. He said he faced so much pressure during the week that the game was no pressure.

Q: You talked about your fear the night they named the field after you and the stained glass and how you worried you'd lose the game. Then that happened. When it comes to the Florida rivalry, anything can happen.

A: You never know. That's what makes it exciting. That's what makes it fun. It's like this week you have Mississippi-Mississippi State. Georgia-Georgia Tech. LSU and so-and-so. Texas-Texas A&M. All these big rivals play and you never know. A lot of times it's a good game and it shouldn't have been a good game.

Q: You mentioned some offensive players earlier, are there any defensive players that jump out at you through the years?

A: Bubba Smith. Oh, Bubba Smith. Of course, one of the best ones I ever saw was an end from Pitt who played for the Bucs. Hugh Green. Boy, you could not block him. You could not block him. You couldn't keep him blocked. He's one of those guys you better run at him. If you run away from him, he'd catch you. Better to run at him and hope he runs that way when you run this way. I'll always remember Bubba, too. And Miami had some great tackles down there when they were beating us with missed field goals.

Q: Winning four of your last five, what has been the difference in the last five games compared to your first five?

A: Could be lack of errors. You play South Florida and you fumble four times, two times in the red zone. You get the ball on the 3-yard line on your first drive and you don't score. We haven't made those same mistakes. Of course, the interceptions against Maryland kept them in the game.

Q: What do you remember about that six-year losing streak to Florida and the last game of that six-game streak?

A: It was rough. It's like now. People who know their history know this. The year before we started that streak we were 6-4-1. So you never know what's going to happen. But the thing I remember about that game is Sammie Smith broke a 72-yard run, I believe, and there was a phantom holding call. Of course, that's back in the days when you had to use SEC officials.

Q: The statute of limitations after 23 years has run out on that game. What do you want to say on that call?

A: I just said it. (laughing)

Q: Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State was saying that defensive players tackle differently now than they used to. That players go high more and go for more knockout hits than they used to. Do you notice that?

A: Well, you're going back a long time ago. Used to be you always taught tackling low. When I was in school, you were always taught to tackle low. They've been out of that since Bear came to Alabama. They started hitting up here.

Q: How much has your sense of humor and your faith helped you this year?

A: If it wasn't for my faith, I couldn't have made it. I've got to believe in something higher than football. And I do. I talk to the American Football Coaches Association a lot. We'll have 300-400 or a thousand coaches out there and I tell them, "Don't make football your God." If they don't have something higher to trust in, they won't make it.

Q: How much did the BYU or even the Wake Forest wins encourage you? That you can catch lightning in a bottle and pull one out?

A: It's amazing. We have had those days. Look at Georgia Tech. We scored the first five times we had the ball. The first five times. We scored 44 points and lost. It's not hard to figure out where our problems are.

Q: How important is it going to a bowl?

A: It's one of the few things you can accomplish. We've lost a chance at an ACC championship. We lost a chance at a national championship. We lost a chance at 10 wins. So it's nice to have one thing.

Q: Would beating Florida compare to a national championship?

A: It probably would. It'd be such a big one. This thing has to turn around, and I'd say if you beat them then it's around. You'd have to be pretty good to beat them. What a task. What a task. But you never know.

Q: What do you tell the kids?

A: You show them this is what you have to do to win. If you want to beat them, this is what you have to do. They'll do the same thing. His approach is probably, "This is what we have to do to keep from losing."

Q: What about the former players giving Mickey Andrews that truck? And the impact he's had on kids for all these years?

A: He's as tough as he can be. He's a guy you don't appreciate until 10 years later. You really appreciate him then. Trickett is probably the same way. Tough as heck when they coach you but then you realize what they taught you.

Q: Do you think T.K. can afford to give all your grandkids scholarships?

A: That would break this university. (laughing) I don't think I've got any who can qualify. (laughing) If they are like their granddaddy, they can't qualify. That'd be my luck. Twenty of 'em line up and none of 'em can get in school.

Q: We were wondering after they gave Mickey a truck what would they give Bowden?

A: Suitcases. (laughing) Here's your suitcase, now go home.

Q: All this has been tough, hasn't it?

A: I feel so lucky to be at Florida State. Just lucky to be here. I really appreciate being here. What alumni don't realize is this: They say, "I went to school there. That's my alma mater. I worked four hard years there. Dad-gummit, I don't like what's happening there." Well I've been here 34 years. They were there four. I've been here 34. This is my school, too. They don't realize I love the school, too.

Transcribed by Ira Schoffel

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