I-Team Extras: Arson Registry
Nov 6, 2009 6:20 pm US/Eastern
Seminoles Look To Snap Clemson's 3-Gm Win Streak
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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PROVO, UT - SEPTEMBER 19: Christian Ponder #7 of Florida State Seminoles passes the football to teammate Tavares Pressley #39 during the game against Brigham Young University Cougars at La Vell Edwards Stadium on September 19, 2009 in Provo, Utah.
Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images
Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews' retirement earlier this week came as a surprise. That's because the question looming all season has focused on whether head coach Bobby Bowden will step down.
"That's a very good question," Bowden said this week. "Because you'd think there must be something happening. But that has no bearing on what I'll do."
Bowden, who's been coaching at FSU since 1976, will match-up against Dabo Swinney, the youngest coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference this Saturday at 7:45.
This time, Florida State will try to play spoiler.
The 79-year-old Bowden can show the game hasn't sped past him while Swinney, 39, gets to show he isn't in way over his head as both can take control of the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division when play Saturday night at Death Valley.
A victory by the Seminoles (4-4, 2-3 ACC) and Bowden is back in the hunt for a league title. A win by the Tigers (5-3, 3-2) and Swinney's in line to achieve Clemson's first championship since 1991.
"Obviously, this is a big game for everybody, but one of the things we tell our guys not to get caught up in the hype," Swinney said. "This is just the next game for us and certainly everybody understands the importance. But it's more about focus and what it takes to win."
Florida State is coming off back-to-back wins against conference teams North Carolina and North Carolina State. Quarterback Christian Ponder is tops in the ACC in yards (2,453) and yards per game (306.6). He's thrown 13 touchdowns to 3 interceptions and will play despite a bruised rib against NC State.
Ponder will face a Tigers secondary that's sixth in the nation in defense with 16 interceptions. DeAndre McDaniel leads the nation with seven.
Clemson has won three straight, and gained some national credibility with a 40-37 overtime victory at then-eighth-ranked Miami, Swinney's first victory over a Top 25 opponent.
"Tommy kind of raised Dabo, I think, as an assistant" at Alabama and at Clemson, Bobby Bowden says with a bit of pride. "And I think Dabo has gone a great job."
It doesn't hurt to have one of the ACC's most dynamic player on your side. Clemson star C.J. Spiller set a school record and ran his way into the Heisman Trophy race with 310 all-purpose yards in the Tigers' 40-37 overtime victory at Miami two games ago. He had only 27 yards last week against Football Championship Subdivision opponent Coastal Carolina, Swinney resting his do-everything star in the 49-3 win.
"We kind of like where we're at," Spiller said. "We're starting to play with confidence on both sides of the ball."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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