Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. ó Bobby Bowden glimpsed into the past, and it made the 79-year-old coach excited about Florida State’s future.
Bowden saw a big-play offense and a hard-hitting, opportunistic defense in the Seminoles’ 42-13 win over Wisconsin at the Champs Sports Bowl on Saturday.
“It looked like the old Florida State out there,” Bowden said. “Not that we’re there, but we looked like we used to.”
Florida State (9-4) finished with more than eight wins for the first time since 2004. Nine victories was once a given for Bowden’s Seminoles, who hit that mark in 17 of 18 seasons before tailing off in recent seasons.
Many key players on this team will be back next season, so there’s reason to believe Florida State is headed for even better results.
Derek Nicholson and Dekoda Watson returned fumbles for touchdowns, Christian Ponder threw two TD passes and the Seminoles got a game MVP performance from punter Graham Gano.
Nicholson, a senior, had two fumble recoveries, including one he returned 75 yards for a first-quarter score. Gano averaged 48.2 yards on five and had three downed inside the Badgers 5 to earn game MVP.
“Once we got our feet on the ground, we were almost unstoppable out there,” said Ponder, who was 18-for-31 for 199 yards. “We got into a groove and every one was making plays.”
P.J. Hill ran for 140 yards on 15 carries for the Badgers (7-6), but quarterback Dustin Sherer completed only four of nine for 55 yards through the first three quarters. His fumble early in the fourth quarter was returned 51 yards for a score by Watson to put FSU up 35-6.
It was an ugly finish to a disappointing season for Wisconsin, which was ranked as high as No. 8 early and was expected to contend in the Big Ten.
Florida State, playing in its NCAA-leading 27th-straight bowl game, improved Bowden’s career record to 21-10-1.
“I plan on coming back next year,” said Bowden, who has 382 career victories, one behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno for the major college record. “This makes it exciting to coach.”
EMERALD BOWL
SAN FRANCISCO ó Zack Follett forced a fumble by Jacory Harris deep in Miami territory with 3:28 left, and Anthony Miller scored the go-ahead touchdown on his first career catch moments later in California’s 24-17 victory in the Emerald Bowl.
Jahvid Best rushed for a bowl-record 186 yards and two touchdowns for the Golden Bears (9-4), who held off the Hurricanes (7-6) in front of a Bay Area crowd teeming with screaming Cal fans.